Target practice
A spot of darts before the serious business begins

Open stock seems to be on the rise. As practice and preparations for the
140th Open Championship approach their last day tomorrow, Golf Monthly has
learned that sponsorship backing for golf's oldest Major could hardly be
stronger.
The R&A's top tiers of sponsors its patrons are five strong this year,
with new patrons Mercedes-Benz and HSBC joining ranks with Rolex, Nikon and
Doosan. Peter Dawson, R&A chief executive, says the tournament's support
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from global, blue chip companies is on an upward trajectory.
We were affected by the recession but we are coming out of it now, says
Dawson, speaking exclusively to Golf Monthly at Royal St. George's. The dip
did not take us down to any kind of crisis level. This year we have five
patrons on board, but we know already that we will have seven patrons for
2012, which will take sponsorship of the Open Championship to an all-time
high.
Something else reaching an all-time high last night was a shot played by
American Dustin Johnson during a golf darts exhibition laid on by
TaylorMade, at nearby Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club. The club manufacturer
had set up a giant dartboard, measuring over seven metres high, and a team
of TaylorMade staff golfers Johnson, Sergio Garcia, Retief Goosen and
Justin Rose among them - paired up with golfing celebrities to hit the board
with golf balls struck from 50 yards.
While the Tour pros on hand generally had little trouble scoring points,
Johnson's second shot screamed towards the target a little higher than
intended, and the ball ricocheted off the top of the board, looped high into
the evening sky, back over the heads of the assembled spectators, and came
to rest on the narrowest of grass paths between a pair of Mercedes-Benz cars
a gleaming C-Class coupe and SLS, complete with gull-wing doors.
Well, golf clubs do warn golfers to park at their own risk.
Article courtesy of Mercedes-Benz, patron of the Open Championship.
Robin has worked for Golf Monthly for over a decade.
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