Olazabal 'at peace' with his major worries

MILAN, April 28 (Reuters) -- Twice U.S. Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal insists he will "take it in his stride" if he has to pre-qualify for the remaining three majors of 2004 for the first time in 20 years.

Spaniard Olazabal, playing in the Italian Open this week at Tolcinasco Golf and Country Club for the first time in five years, has plummeted to 140th in the world rankings.

His five-year exemption for the U.S. Open, British Open and U.S. PGA Championship, which he earned with his 1999 victory at the Masters, has also expired.

"I don't think 'worried' is the word," said the 38-year-old Spaniard, who has claimed 28 titles worldwide, including the Masters in 1994 and 1999. "I accept the situation.

"Nobody is free from going through this. I haven't played that well for a year and half.

"I'm not the first one, for many years I've seen many great names playing the qualifying rounds for the U.S. Open, Open and U.S. PGA Championship.

"It goes with the game, it's the nature of the game. I've not had to play any qualifying tournaments for 20 years and this might be the first year.

"But it is not the end of the world and I will take it in my stride.

LOW MOMENT

"I'm just going through a low at the moment. I have achieved important things in my career and I don't have to prove to anyone how good I've been.

"In that sense, I'm at peace with myself. It is just a matter of being a little frustrated because I am not delivering at the moment."

Olazabal cited a poor putting performance for missing the cut at last week's Canaries Spanish Open, but maintained his struggles on the green were not because of a recent change to his putting stroke.

"It may have changed since I first started on tour, but I don't think it has changed in the last six or seven years," he said.

"I used to swing the putter quite a bit inside but I changed that.

"Last week there was a lot of grain and undulations and I could not find the lines.

"The greens here, though, are very good so there are no excuses this week."

MAIDEN VICTORY

If Olazabal is to win his maiden victory at the Italian Open and enhance his Ryder Cup prospects for this September, he will have to prevent Britain's Ian Poulter from winning the title for the third time in five years.

Englishman Poulter, champion in 2000 and 2002, and compatriot Brian Davis are bidding for the 200,000 points available for this week's first prize in Milan to consolidate their own Ryder Cup standings.

Davis is seventh in the Ryder Cup world points list and fifth in the European points table while Poulter is 10th in the world list and seventh in the European table.

The European team to take on the United States this September will comprise the top five players in the world points list, the leading five not otherwise qualified in the European points list plus two captain's picks.

Davis lies overall sixth among the prospective automatic qualifiers with Poulter in seventh.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell, who is 34th in the European Tour order of merit, plays his first European-counting event since missing the cut at the U.S. Masters earlier this month.

Swede Mathias Gronberg, last year's winner in Italy, is not defending his title this week.

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