31st October, 1999

STEWART DEATH HITS HOME

THIS week's death of Payne Stewart would have affected many sportsmen and women who fly regularly. It affected me. I played golf with him a couple of times and he was a good bloke. As someone who travelled a lot, Payne would have understood the possible consequences of being in the air so much.

Rarely do I get on a flight and not think about what could happen. When anything is going as quickly as an aeroplane, you tend to think about what could go wrong.

Marc Rosset's close shave in New York last year, when he decided not to travel on Swissair flight 111 and cancelled his booking, was a prime example of what can happen. The flight crashed soon after take-off and everybody on board was killed.

Flying is a necessity for many people and I consider it to be the safest way to travel. But it is a situation which requires a lot of trust. When you do not have control, it is only natural to consider the consequences. Unfortunately for Payne and the others on board, tragedy has struck. It is devastating not only for his family but those who knew him.

MY right shoulder is coming along well after the operation. Surgeon Grey Hoy is happy with the arthroscopy, but I will not know for five or six weeks exactly when I can play again. It will depend on how my body responds to the rehabilitation. I've been seeing a physiotherapist three times a week in Melbourne and the pain has subsided this week.

Having said that, I would not like somebody to bump into the shoulder or to have it jarred. At this stage, I still hope to play in the Australian Open (January 17-30). How well I will do is another matter. To do well I will have to play several lead-up games.

If my shoulder does not allow that, I can't see myself stepping up to the plate. I am entered for Adelaide (the AAPT Championships) and the Colonial Classic at Kooyong and I at least would need to play the Colonial to justify an Open start.

The only thing I can do is continue my rehabilitation. I'll have a better idea of my prospects of playing the Australian Open by mid-December.

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