Golf, like the measles, should be caught young...

P.G. Wodehouse features again this week. In A Mixed Threesome, he penned the above, saying that if it is postponed to riper years, the results may be serious. Mortimer Sturgis, the hero of the tale, takes up golf at 38, and pursues it above all else in life. He fiancee parts with him upon finding him playing out of the clubhouse piano with his niblick (despite the aptness of the club for that particular shot).

It would hardly be correct to say that comments have flooded in since this blog's inception, but we saw one drip in this week regarding my comments on young Rory McIlroy.

James, perceiving my ill-concealed patriotism in this column, questioned my faith in McIlroy over the more seasoned Damien McGrane, citing his greater consistency in 2009, and McIlroy's mental meltdowns costing him titles.

 McGrane was a actually bet I kept to myself last week - I had him to finish in the top 10, so that went down as well. I might add that of the 5 players I tipped here, the only one I didn't bet on was Richard Sterne...

I agree with you, James, that McGrane had a great season last year, and that McIlroy has, as yet, failed to get his head in the right place in those pressure-filled moments. However, I can't see this being the case for much longer. I was delighted to see McGrane pick up his victory in China (I got up at 4 to watch him finish) - it was one of the best putting performances I've ever seen - under 100 for the week. However, I find it hard to see him rising to the heights of a multiple winner, Order of Merit winner, major contender, and Ryder Cup player. I hope I'm proved wrong, but I think his strengths are in his consistency and battling, and while these are essential, I don't see him making the top 20 or 30 in the world. The fact that he's 37 doesn't necessarily mean anything - Vijay's won 22 of his 34 PGA Tour titles since hitting 40. 

However, I think the winning measles have come too late for him to become the type of player that McIlroy can be. I think Damien will win another handful of events on Tour, and he's certainly shown a lot more confidence since that win, but I don't see the same drive.

As for young Rory...well, I'm going with him again this week, in the South African Open. I think this week will be a great indicator of how the next few months will go for him. I agree with James that the pressure got to him a couple of times last year, most notably in the loss to Jean-Francois Lucquin. That's only made it more difficult for him to break into the winner's circle - every time is in the hunt his mind's going to try and drag him back to that missed 2-footer.

 When he does pick up that first title (I still say in the next 3 months) that'll be gone for good.

This week, he's lying at 50th in the world. To make it to Augusta in April, he's got to hold on to that spot until Sunday night. There's pressure on from below - Peter Hanson's in 54th - and it's going to be in his head all week. Dealing with that, and putting in a finish good enough to keep that Masters berth, puts him under as much pressure as the two playoffs he's lost.

I think he'll make it through, and I'm backing him for a good finish again this week.

Henrik Stenson's the favourite this week, and no prizes for guessing why. He's hit form at last this year, picking up wins in the World Cup and the Nedbank, following on from a solid finish at the HSBC Champions. Pearl Valley's a long course with a lot of water around, and Stenson, along with Lee Westwood, is driving the ball as well as anyone. He's happy to leave the driver in the bag - he hits the 3-wood as far as most players hit the driver, and he keeps his accuracy. He's putted well the last few weeks as well, and it's tough to see him finishing outside the top few.

Westwood - I'm going to keep the faith, and say nothing more about it. Read last week - the same applies.

I went with Charl Schwartzel last week, and he has a quiet weekend, always just too far back to threaten. He's always a good player on home soil though, and is worth a shot this week.

Finally, Peter Hanson. I've talked about the Swedes before - if we could all play with their demeanour we'd be twice as good. He had a good finish in Shanghai in November, and has had a solid year overall. I'm confident he's going to pick up a couple of wins during the year, and while it might not come here, he'll be in the mix on Sunday.

Great win for Richard Sterne last week - he showed a lot of bottle coming down the home stretch, including a nervy par on the last. His last win, in the Joburg Open, saw him hit the green of the 72nd hole needing two putts for the title. He was 1/100 to win it. He proceeded to 3-putt and edge it in a playoff against Magnus Carlsson and Garth Mulroy. This time, his competitors sank balls in the water on the last and he could breathe freely. I mentioned him as a player easy to ignore, but there's no reason he can't turn this into a great season.

Congratulations again to Padraig Harrington on taking his second successive Golf Writers' Award, only the 3rd player to do so (after Tony Jacklin and Peter Oosterhuis). Paddy's planning a few weeks off in the winter to work on his game, and we'll see him again early next year.

Finally, a brief departure from golf: the UK Snooker Championship is on this week and Ronnie O'Sullivan looks in dangerous form - expect him to defend it and maybe pick up a 147 on the way.

All the best.

He Hasn't Won Either...

For once, they listened to me. Henrik Stenson heard I'd backed him and did the decent thing by winning at the Nedbank by 9 shots.

I know that one of the reasons I gave for my prediction was that he wouldn't want to end 2008 winless - I HATE when people give that reason. Of course he doesn't - neither do I, but I'm going to. The fact that he hasn't won makes it LESS likely. However, it is sometimes true of a top-class player that he can pull it out of the bag when he feels a bit of pressure.

It worked for me, though, and I'm going to stick with that abhorrent justification this week as you'll see below...

The Race to Dubai comes to South Africa for a three-week visit before heading up to the Middle East.

This week, it's the Alfred Dunhill Championship played at Leopard Creek in Mpumalanga.

Heading the field is Lee Westwood, still winless in 2008, and still looking good to get rid of that stat. He's had a great year in every other respect - his putting has improved beyond all recognition since a woeful display at Augusta in April which left me with my head in my hands. However, my money's on him again this week; it's difficult to see him not challenging come the back nine on Sunday. Ewen Murray cites the course as being one to suit good drivers of the ball, and in my opinion, Lee's the best driver of the ball around these days. His ironplay's solid - if he holes the putts this week, he wins.

The field is lacking the last three winners of this event, in John Bickerton, Alvaro Quiros, and Ernie Els, which is always a pity, but the man who won in 2004 is another who's on my list to be in the top 5. Charl Schwartzel - I've been talking about him for about 5 years, and he's only recently shown the form that we know he's capable of. He's got a magnificent game, and he picked up a win in Madeira towards the end of last season - perhaps it's finally time for him to break through, and where better than at home.

Rory Sabbatini and Richard Sterne are also local favourites this week (if Sabbatini is a favourite anywhere - Vijay Singh once commented "How does a guy get so unpopular", which is pretty damning, coming from Vij), with Sabbatini coming off a strong performance at the Nedbank. Sterne is another one of these steady players who slips under the radar week-in week-out, and  then pulls out a good performance.

However, my pick for the week to join Westwood is Rory McIlroy. He's had a decent year, with 2 playoff losses in the past few months. I said last week that he'd have a win by the time the spring comes round, and I stick by that. Why not this week?

McIlroy could well have won by now if he'd putted better. From watching him, he seems to lack a consistent and convincing pre-putt routine - he rushes into some of them, and while his holing out from short range is pretty solid, he doesn't hole his share of 15 to 20 footers. Taken on their own, it's easy to disregard, but if you don't hole any in a round you won't win the tournament.

He also seems to put a hand out after every miss, bemoaning the break he didn't see, or the pace that wasn't there. I don't expect him to be happy with missing putts, but that can only make them linger in the mind. I don't know who his short game coach is, but there are some great putting coaches out there, including Ewen Murray and Mark Roe, and I'm sure that any of them would be delighted to get the chance to work with an exciting young prospect like McIlroy.

Despite this harangue, I'm confident of him this week, and expect him to be in the mix on Sunday evening.

For any of you who haven't already heard, I'm delighted to say that Seve is back out of hospital and appears to be recovering well. He had his fourth brain operation last week, and his doctors are very happy with the progress he's made. As always, our thoughts go to him and his family.

Michelle Wie has got her hands on a full LPGA Tour card for next year - providing her mum and dad don't caddy for her we might see her show some of the talent we know she has.

Congratulations to Padraig Harrington for picking up the European Player of the Year for the second year running. He definitely deserves it - a month ago I said that I though that Karlsson deserved the Order of Merit over him, but I don't think Harrington's spectacular season can go unrecognized. He's opened the door for major winners from Europe, of which I expect at least one this year.

A Man For All Seasons

P.G. Wodehouse, in The Letter of the Law, admitted that for all its grand-sounding name, the President's Cup at the Oldest Member's club ranked somewhere between the Grandmothers' Umbrella Competition and the Infants' All-Day Sucker (open to those not yet having finished teething).

 The World Cup. Those words invoke strong emotions, whether thinking about Pickles finding the Jules Rimet Trophy in 1966, Diego annoying Terry in 1986, or, for the Irish, David O'Leary in 1990 and Ray Houghton in 1994.

 The World Cup of Golf. While this name may not curry as much favour with TV fans, it still sounds impressive. However, if you expected Adam Scott and Robert Allenby to be teeing up against Phil Mickelson and Anthony Kim, think again. You'll be watching Brandt Snedeker and Brendan Jones. Top players will play the World Cup a couple of times at the beginning, and then get on with their own game. 

And so the World Cup goes largely ignored by a large proportion of the golfing population. This year, however, we were treated to a magnificent display of golf that can only help what should be a wonderful event. Will Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington ever play in it again? Probably not. But that doesn't mean it can't be a top-class event.

 Sergio's avoidance of the week meant a start for young Pablo Larrazabal, one of the brightest sparks on the European Tour. He teamed up with the legend that is Miguel Angel Jimenez, and they put on a display that will have the 2010 Ryder Cup Captain rubbing his hands with glee. Despite a disappointing final day, they played superb, passionate golf, and almost single-handedly made it a tournament worth watching.

 Other countries had great showings as well. Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka were a fancied team at the beginning of the week, and lived up to the expectations until a 73 today ended their hopes. Australia shot themselves out of contention on Sunday too, but Brendan Jones and Richard Green showed themselves to be quite a pairing.

However.

During the Ryder Cup, two tall Swedish men were paired together. As European heads were in hands (mine included), the one claim I stuck to was that if you have a couple of Swedes together, it doesn't matter if they're 2 or 3 down. They'll just calmly keep on playing, won't get hassled, and will do the business.

 Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson are two of the best players in the world today. Karlsson has had a busy year - top 10s in three majors, two victories, eight other top 10s, and an Order of Merit title. He's played the best golf of his life throughout the spring, summer, and autumn. Time for a winter break? Not at all! Get Henrik and we'll play a few games of golf!

They played wonderful golf all week, shooting 65-67-66-63, and justifying their status as pre-tournament favourites. Admittedly, their closest challengers helped them on the final day, but they did what they did best - calmly walked around, ignoring what other guys are doing, and getting on with business.

 Of course it's a different format, but this performance only accentuates what we've been saying for the last few months - one of these boys will have a major by the next Ryder Cup.

The Race to Dubai travelled to Australia this week, and Rod Pampling and Marcus Fraser set up a playoff for the home crowds to enjoy. The experienced Rod came out on top, but Fraser certainly showed signs of wanting to build on his steady 2008 season in the New Year.

Robert Allenby let me down again with a final day 73 - he's declared an intention to play in the Race to Dubai this year, and we're delighted to have him. However, if he's going to start winning again, he's got to start holing putts to supplement his magnificent iron-play. If he'd holed a handful more putts during the last year, he'd have been a multiple winner in America.

The Race has a week off now, before heading to Leopard Creek for the Alfred Dunhill Championship, where Lee Westwood will be looking to get his campaign off to a winning start.

There is golf this week though, with the Nedbank Challenge at Sun City. Trevor Immelman is defending champion, and will be joined by 11 other top players from around the world, including Sergio, Westwood, and those two Swedes again. I think I'm going to go with Stenson for the victory - he won't want 2008 going by without a win and the World Cup will have him confident.

Apologies to those of you who have visited over the last two weeks expecting up-to-the-minute self-satisfied over-opinionated twaddle, only to find that I was holding my peace (that's a self-satisfied phrase right there). Such a delay will not occur again. In the interim, Rory McIlroy narrowly missed out on a maiden victory in a playoff to Wen-Tang Lin, but I'm confident that young McIlroy will have a win under his belt by the end of the winter (which I, being Irish, extend to at least the end of February).

All the best. Take care.

It's On

I came to my computer today with a wonderful, catchy, unoriginal blog title in my head for this week's column, only to see that Ewen Murray nicked it for his Sky Sports article. So, "Let the Race Begin..." will have to wait until next year...

I've already spoken about the Race to Dubai, and how I've come around to its way of thinking. I must say, I'm confident now that it is the dawning of a new era for the European Tour. It will provide more competition for all, which can be tough on the journeyman pro, but in the long run, it's a positive. The first event sees Phil Mickelson, Anthony Kim, Mike Weir, and Camilo Villegas to name but a few teeing it up in Shanghai. Kim and Villegas are the new stars of the game, and to have them playing on both sides of the pond is a huge positive for world golf.

Congratulations to Soren Kjeldsen (I finally got a tip right in last week's column) and Robert Karlsson on taking the final Volvo Masters and the Order of Merit respectively. In the end the OM title was almost an anticlimax, but Lee Westwood put up a spirited battle until midway through Sunday. I said last week that Kjeldsen just needed to hole a few putts early, and that's exactly what he did. On Thursday, he only hit 9 greens, and yet had 8 birdies. He played great golf and ground out a win on a very tough course. 

 I hope Valderrama retains a place on the circuit - it's too good a course to miss out on having an event; it's never eaten up by the players and anything can happen down the last 3 holes, so a tournament's never over until the last putt is holed.

Before leaving Spain for Shanghai, just to update you on Seve - he's making good progress apparently, and was speaking to his family yesterday, but he'll remain in intensive care. As always, our best wishes go to him and his family.

So, who's going to lead the Race to Dubai after week 1? I'm going to stick with the guy I've been backing all month. He had a poor start at Valderrama put played solid golf in terrible conditions on Friday and Saturday to come in 11th. He lost in a playoff to Mickelson here last year, after a God-awful chip on the last that ran into the water, when he only needed a 5 for the championship. As long as he gets through that hole on Thursday ok, I think he'll be in the top few come Sunday.

Paul Casey's got a great record at the course - 3 top 10s from 3 starts. He's had a quiet time recently, but if he gets his putter going he'll be in there.

For once I'm not going with Karlsson and Harrington, and I'll probably be punished. I think Karlsson will just have felt such a relief in wrapping up the OM, and he needs a rest. Harrington had a torrid time last weekend, and he needs a good winter break to bring his game back to its best.

Anthony Kim is playing, and that makes it exciting enough. He had a phenomenal year on Tour, with 2 wins and a few more top 5s. He starred in the Ryder Cup, and he's declared his intentions to world golf. He wants to win, and he wants to win everywhere. Don't be surprised if he gets his European Tour career off to the perfect start.

Finally, Sergio. He had a quiet day on Sunday at Valderrame - he just never really got it going. The important thing is that he's playing good golf and putting pretty well. I expect him to be in the top 5 in this once again.

The best thing about golf is that the new season starts 4 days after the old one ends. I'm excited about this - the only problem is it'll be on too early in the morning for me to watch it.

I think it'll be a great event, and a great year for golf.

Enjoy.

The Final Countdown - Europe's No. 1

As has happened so many times before, it comes down to this.

Valderrama has seen quite a bit of action over the last 20 years. Forget about the Ryder Cup (if you can) - how many times has the Harry Vardon Trophy still been up for grabs on the last green? Ronan Rafferty did it in '89; Harrington nicked it from Casey by a mere €40k in 2006.

It's here again.

Four men can win it. Karlsson, Harrington, Westwood, and Jimenez. With over €700,000 as a 1st prize, it ensures an exciting finish. However, Miguel Angel effectively needs Big Bob to finish way down the list, and Westwood certainly couldn't afford to have him in the top 7 or 8. for a victory on Sunday to be enough.

Let's face it - Karlsson's played great golf all season - he's going to be in the mix again come Sunday afternoon. It's down to him and Paddy.

The Irish in me would love to see Padraig take it again - he's had good runs at Valderrame and, as a double major champion, he's done so much for European golf this year. But you can't argue with Karlsson's stats. He had 9 top 10s in the season 2 weeks before the Ryder Cup; he then picked up 2 wins and a 3rd. He's played 22 events to Padraig's 13. He's finished in the top 10 in 3 majors, and 20th in the PGA. He's risen to 6th in the world, one place behind Harrington. He has showed his class.

I can't see Karlsson losing his cool over a little matter like the Order of Merit. He'll be in the showdown, and I think Harrington's going to have to win to take his second OM title.

I don't care what sort of form Harrington's in. That no longer matters with him. It's like Tiger. If he needs to play well, he will. At the Ryder Cup, he wasn't playing well, but he still didn't miss a putt on Friday. He's the best clutch putter in the game at the moment, and you can bet your life on him making one if he needs to on the 72nd hole. Poor old Harry Vardon lost his touch on short putts after tuberculosis damaged his wrist, but no one today's going to win his Trophy if they can't make those putts when they count.

 Harrington will be in contention on Sunday afternoon; he's too much of a fighter not to be. Don't let his talk of Karlsson being a deserving winner fool you - he means it alright, and he'll be the first t congratulate Karlsson if he finishes the job - but he's going out there to win. He doesn't know how to do anything else.

Who else?

Westwood wants a win. He's going to get it soon, but will it be this week? As long as he holes his short putts, he won't be too far off and, to be fair, he's improved them all season.

Ryder Cup heroes Ian Poulter and Justin Rose have fond memories of Valderrama, and they're probably hungry for a victory as well. Poulter showed his strength and guts at Valhalla and he'd love to give the world a bit more proof of how good a player he knows he is.

 Graeme McDowell finished 4th here last year, alongside Harrington - he's had a quiet run since the Ryder Cup, but a win here could put him in the top 4 or 5 of the OM, and he's too good to stop playing well for long.

I've been picking Ross Fisher the last few weeks, and he's had a couple of top 5s. He's definitely ready for another win, but he just needs to keep his cool under pressure. At St. Andrew's we saw this failing with the driver on the 73rd hole, and he dropped 3 in a row two weeks ago to fall out of the running. If he can be calm under pressure, he'll be fighting for it on Sunday.

Finally, my last three picks. Kjeldsen, Dyson, and Soren Hansen. Hansen's form hasn't returned to its pre-Ryder Cup levels yet, but he'll want to ensure his place in 3 majors next season with a top-15 spot in the Order of Merit - he's in 15th now, but he won't be sitting back just yet.

Dyson and Kjeldsen both showed good form last week, and they lost out to Rose on a playoff last year; they'll want to go one better. Kjeldsen's problem last Sunday was his putting - nothing dropped for him, but his long game was steady. If he rolls in a couple early on each day it'll do wonders for his confidence.

I'm not going to go on, because I'll only end up naming every player in the field. That's how good this tournament is going to be, and I'm confident we won't know where the Vardon Trophy's going before the back nine on Sunday.

Enjoy.

We Have to Stop Calling Him El Nino

Much like his country in world and European football championships (until this year), he's been an underachiever. He's failed to finish the job on a number of occasions. His game hasn't been complete. From Thursday to Sunday last week, Sergio Garcia looked more like what we know he is - a world class golfer.

Sergio's always been as close to Tiger as anyone as regards natural talent. Over the years, his main failing has been with the putter, and he's won a handful of tournaments when he starts to hole a few. A couple of years ago, Adam Scott gave him a tip on the greens on Wednesday, and Sergio beat him by one on Sunday evening.

He putted solidly this weekend - the whole four days showed his class. He's risen to number 3 in the world, and now, surely, he's ready to take a major.

We've been saying that for quite a while now. Ok, the PGA in 1999 was spectacular, but he couldn't have been expected to finish it off at 19 - the last player to win a major that young was Johnny McDermott in 1910 or -11 - but he's had his chances since then. Paddy's nicked a couple from him, and the more you miss, the greater the pressure gets.

Will he win a major next year? No one can say. But he is now fully ready. His putting this year has been better than any year before - he won the Players, which is as close you get to a major - and don't underestimate the pressure as the home boy at Castellon at the weekend.

His mental game has improved enormously since he was the exciting, and excited, kid who scissor-kicked his way up the fairways at Medinah, and he just needs that final piece of self-belief.

Harrington has obviously been the headliner in the majors this year, but with Karlsson taking 3 top 10s, and Sergio and Westwood coming close again, you've got to believe in a few more European winners over the next dozen majors. Sergio, Westwood, Karlsson, and then the next level coming up - Fisher, Kaymer, and McDowell, to name but a few. The US will be putting up Mahan and Kim, but at a time when there are more Euros than US in the World's top 10, it's got to happen.

The Youth Movement Continues

Last week in this column I made a prediction. It involved Robert Karlsson and Ross Fisher. At about 16.30 on Sunday afternoon, I was feeling quite smug. Fisher was tied for the lead with some youngster called Alvaro Quiros, who'd been enjoying a good week, but was beginning to show a bit of tension. Karlsson meanwhile, was lurking two shots, visibly licking his chops as he crept towards a third successive win.

An hour later, Fisher had dropped three in a row, Karlsson dumped his ball in the water on the 17th, and Quiros was calmly holing out to take a two-shot lead up the last. Which he birdied.

Ok, we had heard of young Quiros before - he won at Leopard Creek last year on his first appearance with a full card (the rest of the year was fraught with injury), and had a decent season on the Challenge Tour the year before, but who would have bet that he would have managed himself so calmly down the stretch with the world's best player (at this time) breathing down his neck. He bombs the driver, but has a wonderful putting touch which saw him hole clutch putts on the 15th, 16th, and 17th. This boy is here to stay, and adds his name to the young guns powering through the fields these days.

He played great all weekend, finishing his third round off solidly on Sunday morning before going out for the final act. He was put under pretty much as much pressure as you get outside a major championship and a pairing with Tiger. He showed both talent and guts, and, along with Pablo Larrazabal, will be flying the Spanish flag for a long time to come.

It was nice to see him cite Seve as an inspiration for the win; in my opinion, there are few players of his his age who wouldn't - Seve did so much to stir up excitement and love for the game, and I'm sure he'll continue to do so for many long years. (Just to keep you updated, Seve had a second operation at the weekend to remove a small piece of his skull which was placing pressure on the brain after the first operation. He is currently stable and in intensive care. Once again, we send him our best.)

Briefly, in America - Mark Turnesa picked up his maiden PGA Tour victory at Justin Timberlake's tournament in Las Vegas, holding off a pack of players including Ryder Cupper Chad Campbell, Zach Johnson, who continued his good form from the week before, and Chris DiMarco. I'm delighted to see DiMarco back in a bit of form - he's had a torrid year and he's too good a player to stay out for long. I'm confident we'll see him back in the winner's circle before long.

So, the Order of Merit race is still open, and will come down to Sunday evening at Valderrama. Who will take it? Well, Miguel Angel is playing this week in Spain, and he realistically needs a strong performance, as I somehow don't think big Robert will be too far from the action at the Volvo. I'd love to see Harrington do it again, but I don't think anyone can argue that it would be a just dessert for Karlsson, putting the finishing touches on a season that has seen him become one of the game's greats. 

As ever, it will be fascinating.

Given the current state of the world, I think it is important to remember our priorities, and, for now, I leave you with a quotation from Robert Lynd:

"It is almost impossible to remember how tragic a place this world is when one is playing golf."

Portugal Masters; Grand Slam

The European Tour stays in Iberia this week, as it heads to the Portugal Masters at the Oceanico Victoria Course.

Once again, there's a stellar line-up on the way, with six of Europe's defeated Ryder Cup men teeing up on Thursday.

Pre-tournament favourite, Robert Karlsson, is looking for a chance to extend his lead at the top of the Order of Merit, and force Padraig Harrington into needing a win at Valderrama. It's difficult to see him being beaten, I must say. He's not the sort of guy that gets tired too easily, he takes his wins in his stride, and he likes the event, having finished 2nd here last year. Don't be surprised to see him take his third title on the trot on Sunday evening.

 

However, Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer, the men he beat in the playoff at St. Andrew's are both here as well, Fisher after a week off and Kaymer continuing a run of three weeks play. They both had top 10s here last year as well, and will be looking to ensure a high finish in the Order of Merit, as well as a bit of revenge for the near miss at the Dunhill.

Aside from these three guys, I fancy Westwood. I reckon he's finally got a bit of energy back after a week off last week, he had a top 5 finish here last year, and, let's face it, after the year he's had, who's going to say he won't get a win before it finishes? He's still in the Order of Merit race, but a win here is pretty vital to keep his hopes alive, as it is for Miguel Angel as well, as you can bet Karlsson will be up there as well.

McDowell, Wilson, and Soren Hansen are the other Ryder Cuppers appearing here this week, all trying to consolidate their position inside the top 10 in the OM. Wilson's the only player to play in a Ryder Cup without a tournament win, but after the year he's had I can't see that duck lasting much longer. He's another guy who's been a bit tired since the Ryder Cup, but if he's got a bit of energy back I expect him to be in the mix come the back nine on Sunday.

Just a brief look at Bermuda, where the Grand Slam is being played. Harrington and Furyk are both -2 after the 1st of 2 rounds, while Goosen is on level par, and Immelman's shot himself out of it with a +6 76. It's not the biggest tournament on my radar, but I'd like to see Padraig pick it up, and I think he'll do enough to edge out Furyk.

The PGA Tour heads to Vegas this week, and I'm not even going to go into any detail on this. I think Hunter Mahan will win - he's had a good season, a great Ryder Cup, and he'll be licking his chops now regular tournament play is back.

Once again, I just want to send my best to Seve. I understand there was a biopsy yesterday, but I still haven't heard any more news. 

Take care.

Our best to Seve

I just want to briefly take the opportunity to send my heartfelt best wishes to Seve Ballesteros and his family. It must be avery difficult time for them now, and I hope and pray that Seve will be able to fight this illness and make it back to full health. He has been a wonderful ambassador for the game of golf and, by all accounts, a wonderful person. My sister had the privilege of receiving a lesson from him last year and I was unsurprised to hear that he was a true gent.

Take care Seve, we're all thinking of you, and we know that you have the strength to beat this thing and come back.

Race to Dubai

Over the last week or so, there's been a lot of talk about the upcoming Race to Dubai, the multi-million Euro 53-week long series coming to the European Tour. The number of tournaments required for a Tour player to retain his rights has been upped from 11 to 12, events have been cut and added, and some of the best from across the pond have started talking about getting in on the action.

Is it a good idea? At first, I must admit I was against it. It sounded too much like the FedEx Cup for me, which simply hasn't worked so far in the States, and I'm not convinced it will ever, to the extent that it improves the Tour. Golf may be about a lot of money these days, but I don't think it should be about €20 million prize funds, or $10 million bonuses.

 However, it will place more focus on the European Tour, and that is definitely a positive. The European Tour has continued to get stronger and stronger over the past years, and is now nothing less than world class. In my opinion, the standard is just as good if not better than the PGA Tour, and it certainly makes guys into more all-round golfers. They play on different and diverse courses, even within the labels of parkland and links. They face weather conditions and temperatures that Boo Weekley's probably never even heard of, let alone played in. The young guys on Tour - Martin Kaymer, Ross Fisher, Oliver Fisher, Oliver Wilson, Pablo Larrazabal - don't be surprised if these guys start picking up majors over the next few seasons, and as for Kaymer, he's a potential World No. 1. I know a guy who might have something to say about that though...

There'd be greater focus on the Tour if Phil, Kim, Vijay, and others kept their word and made it over for a few events. It would prove the quality of the European players. Don't be surprised to see some of the above Europeans going head to head with these guys and beating them. 

Robert Allenby is another player who's talked about coming over - I'd love to see that - he's a beautiful player to watch; there are few guys who strike their irons as well as him.

I'm delighted that the number of events has been raised from 11 to 12, including at least 2 in Continental Europe. At the moment, you can play 4 majors, 3 WGCs and only leave the US once, and can make up the rest with a few Irish and Scottish tournaments. The French, Italian, Spanish, and many other Opens are fantastic events on fantastic courses and deserve to be recognized as such. Harrington's 2nd on the Order of Merit - he's played 13 events this year and has only left the US, Ireland, and Britain once. I'm not criticizing him - he's got his own schedule and I respect it absolutely - but it does show that it's possible to gain the benefits of Tour membership and still bypass some great events. Karlsson's a consummate European golfer - he's played 21 events this year, has only come outside the top 20 5 times, and has 11 top 10s, including wins in his last 2 events. He's worked around Europe all year, and he's only a few bob ahead.

If the Race to Dubai brings more exposure to the superb players on the European Tour, and allows them to compete against more of the games top players, then I'll be happy to accept it as a positive step in the life of this wonderful game.

Dunhill Championship, Order of Merit Race

Hello again,

It's easy to forget what a joy links golf is when you don't play it for a while. It's even easier to forget how great it is to watch links golf, and what a feast the Dunhill is each year. Four days of golf around Kingsbarns, Carnoustie, and St. Andrew's - what more does a real golf fan want?

 It was, once again, a great tournament this year. Going into the final day there were still a dozen guys with a great chance of winning it. By Sunday morning I had it between Kaymer, Karlsson, and Harrington. Unfortunately Padraig had a rough day at the office, but that's surely a sign of the fatigue he's still battling. Only the truly great players could have put in the fantastic performance he had over the first 3 days, and still give himself a chance at a third title on Sunday. He showed us again why he's a double Open Champion, and you can bet your bottom euro he'll be right up there at Turnberry next July.

 Robert Karlsson. Once again, in what was his 11th top-10 finish of the season, Karlsson played great golf. He's won two events back-to-back with a solid Ryder Cup performance in the middle, and he's risen to 8th in the world rankings. I can't remember the last time there were 4 Europeans in the top 10, and now they're in with 4 Americans, a Colombian, and that fine Fijian fella. 

Karlsson has a pretty good run in the majors this year, and he's got to be a good bet for one next year. His putting has improved tremendously over the last few years, and he is in such great control of both his body and mind. He's not a guy who gets rattled easily - he'd have no trouble whatsoever playing with Tiger or Phil in front of a partisan crowd. He also showed his class on links, which obviously pays off big-time whenever the Open comes around. You can expect to see him challenging in the majors next year, and I won't be surprised if he ends the year with a new jacket, jug, or really big trophy. 

As to the Order of Merit, what's going to happen there? Harrington was top until Sunday, but remember that he got there with over 70% of the winnings being from those 2 majors, not that that's a bad way of doing it. He's only played 13 events in the year whereas Karlsson's played 21. That commitment to the European Tour looks like it's going to pay off. Can you see Big Robert not making a title challenge at Valderrama? It'll take some great golf from Westwood, Padraig, or Miguel Angel to take it off him now. Wonderful! We're set for a hell of a finish to the season. When Padraig picked up his maiden OM title in 2006, he only scraped by Casey to do so, and it can come down to the last few bucks. I think it was Eamonn Darcy, who either just got into or just lost out on a Ryder Cup spot in the 1990s by less than £100.

It'll be exciting again this year, but I think Karlsson will hold on, and with a season like the one he's had he deserves it.

The Greatest Ryder Cup

I almost don't even want to write anything. Anyone who has been watching the last three days knows exactly what I mean. That is the reason we look forward to this week for two years. There are no words that can express the emotion and awe I am feeling at the moment. As a European, I am disappointed. However, it is the finest Ryder Cup I've ever seen, and I can't imagine a better one to come.

 I thought Europe would win. I thought they would win easily. How wrong I was. The United States showed the skeptics like myself that they weren't just trying to keep up their spirits with the positive talk - they knew what they were doing. Paul Azinger was a magnificent captain - he had a plan that he got across to the team, and they all played for him as well as for themselves and their country.

 

The Europeans can't be faulted - they all put in so much, and most of them played some of the golf of their lives. Robert Karlsson had seven birdies in the last ten holes on Friday afternoon, and got a half a point. Graeme McDowell played beautiful golf all week, and yet after two matches of stellar golf he was on half a point. 

The Americans just made so few mistakes. WHen Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim - when they had putts, they made them. They took all of their opportunities, and gave precious few to the Europeans.

 They were a phenomenal team. They used the crowd to their advantage, and guys like Boo and Holmes really got them fired up. I thought it was great - the crowd were extremely respectful with only a few blips that you get anywhere.

 The guys I feel sorriest for are McDowell and Poulter - they continued their superb golf into Sunday, and by the time they won their matches it mean very little - the adrenaline was gone and the fist-pumps were omitted.

 I was one of the loudest critics of the decision to leave out Clarke for Poulter, and while I said it wasn't Poulter's fault to be chosen, I still didn't accept that he was right for the team. On seeing him take that point with McDowell last night, I took back everything, and vowed not to criticize him again. He was fantastic for the team - Faldo got that absolutely right - when it came to making birdies and pars to win and halve holes, Poults knew what he was doing, slammed them in the back, and fed off the excitement. He's a brilliant Ryder Cup player, and I'll be delighted when he makes it into the Celtic Manor team on Merit.

 I'm not going to mention my predictions too much, as most of them were wrong, but I managed to get one or two right. I thought Boo would be huge for the States, and I honestly believe they would have found it much tougher without him. The crowd love him, and he kept things lighthearted. Kim, my other pick for the US, got off to a poor start on Friday, but came into his own then, thrived off the atmosphere and Mickelson's great play, and finished it off in style by clobbering Sergio today.

 I really hoped Oliver Wilson would get a few games, and although he only had one appearance before the singles, he played some of the best golf of the Europeans. He showed how level-headed he is, particularly today, where he kept his match against Boo going for a couple of holes more than it looked like. He had a great up and down on the 14th, and then holed out from fifteen feet on the 15th. He played lovely, steady golf today, and got beaten 3&2 by a guy who was about 8 under. My favourite moment of the weekend was his putt on the 17th on Saturday morning to win his foursomes match with Stenson - he's a quiet player, but he deserved a bit of a roar then. He showed himself to be a great player under pressure, and he'll be back in Wales as well.

I'm delighted for Azinger. I'm delighted for the US team. Most of all, I'm delighted for world golf. People were worried the Cup would get boring if Europe won again - by Friday afternoon we could tell that wasn't true, but it is great for the US to take this won. I have never seen a group of 12 golfers play better. Kenny Perry and JB Holmes were the perfect home boys, with Boo Weekley pretty much adopted by the time it started.

 Hunter Mahan showed what a class act he is - the putt against Casey on the 17th today is an image that will be seen for decades, in what was one of the best matches I've ever seen.

If I go on, I'm just going to keep saying how great everything was. It was great. It's the best event in the sporting calendar - 3 days intensive golf. The quality of the golf this time was quite literally unbelievable, and I don't think it will ever be matched.

I'll be back in a day or so with anything else that comes to my mind, and a bit of a post mortem.

All I can say for the moment is congratulations to everyone - they did the golfing world proud.

I can't wait for Celtic Manor already, but let's appreciate Valhalla.

Valhalla Pairings?

Hello again and welcome.

I hope that everyone's looking forward to the Ryder Cup as much as I am - only a week more to go before we see Europe take it for the 4th time in a row. I'm not trying to sound cocky, but I can't see it going any other way.

 Interestingly, Paddy Power have tilted the odds in the last few days to make the US marginal favourites. Now, the only reason I can see for this is that they've been taking in a lot of money on the States...my brother advanced the theory that with Clarke out of the frame, the Irish have lost faith in Faldo's men. I personally am going to go out on a limb and predict an 18-10 victory for Europe. You'd probably get about 66/1 on that, and I won't even charge a commission.

Recently, I saw the Sky Sports men discussing their favourite Ryder Cup moments in history. I'm happy to say that mine is particularly relevant to this particular match, as it involves Paul Azinger. Who could forget his heroic bunker shot on the last in the Belfry in 2002, snatching victory from the hands of Nicals Fasth and Europe, and keeping the Cup alive, even if only for another hole. Even at the time, I was delighted to see it drop, although I was watching it in the bar in my own golf club, and I've never heard a louder profanity shouted in unison when the ball disappeared.

Anyway, who's Faldo going to send out on the tee next Friday morning? It's an interesting question; some captains have held rookies back, even waiting till the singles (1999 - Sandelin, Coltart and Van de Velde only got one match each, on Sunday). This year, though, you just have to look at the quality of the rookies. Justin Rose, a rookie? Surely not!

 It's easy to oversimplify pairings, and suggest that fellow countrymen partner each other, but it can't be denied that it can often be the right choice. I for one think that Jimenez and Sergio would complement each other extremely well, and Graeme McDowell's already put forward a fervent hope that he'll get to play with Padraig Harrington.

 I'd be a little surprised if Faldo sent out Oliver Wilson on Friday morning, but I'd be delighted. I think he's going to be a Ryder Cup hero in many matches, including this one. He's a magnificent player, and the guts he showed last Friday week in Gleneagles are just the sort you want inside a player who you're counting on to make the shot or putt when you need it.

I think he'd be great with Harrington, Sergio, and McDowell in particular, and I hope Oliver gets a run out in both a fourball and a foursome (at least) before Sunday.

 If McDowell wants to play with Harrington, then that's probably the best for him - it's what he's most comfortable with, but we'll have to see. I think he'd be a great partner for Paul Casey and Lee Westwood as well.

 I suppose you've got to look at who's going to be out there everyday. Realistically, and for Faldo ideally, he's going to play Sergio, Westwood, and Harrington every match. That only leaves five spots for the first four sections.

When Poulter comes out to play, I'd like to see him with one of his countrymen, Rose or Casey, and I think I'd go with Casey. I think the wildcards could team up well to take a point or two. Casey and Rose themselves would also be a great pairing.

 What about the Scandinavians? I'm not the greatest Stenson fan, but I reckon he'll get two or three games before his singles match, possibly with Karlsson, again, going with the pair of Swedes. I think Karlsson could be the ideal match for our final rookie, Soren Hansen - I'll plump for them in a fourball on one of the afternoons.

As you can see from the last however many lines, Europe can pair most players with any others and have a great partnership. 

Europe's esprit de corp has always been our greatest strength, and I'm convinced it's going to take us over the line once again, added to the fact that this time we actually do just have better players. 

I'm not going to bore you with what I think Zinger should do - I'd love to see Boo Weekley and Anthony Kim pair up - I think they'd be a formidable duo, but he might want to use them to prop up other pairings. Cink will be a mainstay of the team once again - he's been out of form of late after his great start to the year, but I'm confident he'll up it again for the match. Just remember him kicking the stuffing out of a till-then impeccable Sergio on Sunday in 2006 - pity he was the only USAsian who was making them look good.

Anyway, I'm sure I'll be back again with more of my thoughts, so I'll say goodbye for the moment, and I hope you enjoy the weekend. There's some great golf being played in Germany this week, and after one round I'm going to go with the man two shots off the lead, the man who was so close to making Valhalla himself, and who'll feature in several Ryder Cups in the future.

Good luck Ross Fisher.

Take care.

Ryder Cup Selection Process

Omega European Masters

To be honest, this week has a sense of anti-climax about it as far as the European Tour is concerned.

 The Ryder Cup team is finalised, everyone's talking about it (not all enthusiastically, not least myself), and we're ready for it. Unfortunately, it's not going to happen for another couple of weeks. We back to the week-in-week-out golf. The tension and incentives for various players have been removed, so don't be surprised to see them taking a well-earned rest. Congratulations in particular to Soren Hansen and Oliver Wilson, who played some great golf last week to make sure of their places in the team. Wilson in particular played the best back nine of his life, given the circumstances, to improbably survive the cut and fight all the way to the end.

This week - all eyes have to turn to Jimenez first of all - he's the senior man here, and will be looking to put together a bit more of the form he showed early this year before the Ryder Cup. This year, he's very much one of the elder statesmen, without the likes of Monty and Clarke, and other players will be looking to him. He's quietened down a little over the past weeks, but expect him to be back this week.

 Another player I'm backing this week is Welshman Bradley Dredge. He's had an up-and-down year by his standards, but he's won on this course before (2006, I think), and showed some good play last week despite not quite being in the final reckoning. Bradley's an excellent player with an excellent temperament, and earlier in the year I'd hoped that we'd see him make a serious bid for a Ryder Cup spot. Unfortunately that didn't materialise, but I'm sure he'll be there in the future.

 Marc Warren and Mikko Ilonen are two other players I'd like to see have a good week, and wouldn't be at all surprised if they did. Warren had some pressure on him last week as defending champion, but now he's back to the sort of week he's used to. He's been playing good golf recently and it might well be time for another good finish.

 Ilonen has come on leaps and strides in the past couple of years, and I'm always excited when I see him on the entry list for a tournament. He's got buckets of talent and this could well be another of his weeks.

A word for last week's champion? Havret played beautiful golf to pick up his third Tour title, and his second in Scotland. He's definitely a player who thrives on confidence from previous weeks, and as long as he didn't spend too much time celebrating this week, don't be surprised to see him in the mix again come Sunday afternoon. Until a couple of years ago, Gregory had a problem with finishing the job, even for a top-5 finish, but he's come on enormously now and has experience down the stretch in the final round.

As we head into the third playoff event in the States it's worth having a look at that as well. Vijay is back playing the sort of golf he did in his 9-win 2004. I haven't yet seen whether he's confirmed that he'll play this week in the BMW - having won the first to playoffs it's not essential, but Vijay's not a player who minds several-week stretches of golf, so I'd expect him to play, and quite possibly win again, this week.

Tonight Paul Azinger's going to reveal his own wildcard picks for the Ryder Cup. He's got four as opposed to Faldo's two, but I'm still not sure where they're going to go.

I'd expect him to take Stricker - he's an experienced Tour player and matchplayer, and is only just missing out on the automatic spot. I'd probably give one to Zach Johnson - hasn't had a great season, but was very impressive in his first appearance in the matches last time round. He's the sort of guy who can get people fired up as well, and I think Azinger knows that and will reward him.

The others are trickier - I'd probably take two out of Sean O'Hair, Rocco Mediate, Woody Austin, and D.J. Trahan. Nne of these guys necessarily shouts out Ryder Cup to you, but they've all been playing well this year - Trahan's had one of his best seasons ever. O'Hair's been quiet for a while, but he's got loads of talent, and I see him as the sort of young blood they need to put up against the likes of Wilson, Poulter, Casey, and even Sergio.

Ryder Cup Picks: Reaction

Ryder Cup Picks

Bank Austria Golf Open

Well hello. Our blog's maiden European Tour Tournament, and what news do I have for you?

The Austrian Open cannot be said to be the premier event on Tour. The fact that it comes the week before the US Open does not help its efforts to attract big names; many evidently feel that preparations for Torrey Pines in San Diego will not be found in Austria.

However, there are, as always, some top-class golfers here this week, not least defending champion Richard Green, seeking to become the first Australian since Greg Norman to win a Tour event back-to-back, and the first left-hander in history to do the double.

I like the look of Green; he's a very experienced chap with a demeanour most golfers should think about killing for. His putter also seems to be working - and although I feel that left-handers often look to have a steadier stroke, the statistics agree - he's 9th in the 2008 Putts Per Round stats.

Paddy Power put him at 14/1, just behind the tournament favourite Darren Clarke, at 12/1.

Darren. He's been my favourite golf for over ten years now, and it's great to see him getting back into a bit of form. I'm confident he'll make the Ryder Cup team on merit, but expect to see him in Valhalla anyway - he's well worth a wild card. 

This is his 3rd tournament in a row, but he's got the week off next week as he watches the action from Torrey Pines on the TV. He decided to play in Celtic Manor last week instead of trying to qualify, focusing on the Ryder Cup. A fourth place finish there seems to say it was a wise move, and I'm confident he can keep up the form here.

 As always with Darren, temperament is paramount. He's one of the most talented players in the world, and if he keeps his head he'll be right back up there. He does seem much more relaxed this year - he has put the game into the perspective it deserves, and accepts the ups and downs.

Michael Hoey won here on the Challenge Tour - I'm backing Darren to take another Austrian Crown back to Northern Ireland.

Marcus Brier is the home favourite, and three wins on the course and his status as touring professional there state the facts. He's coming off four straight missed cuts, but don't be surprised if he turns on cruise control this week at home.

Look out for Pelle Edberg as a 100/1 outsider - he's a player with a lot of talent, and I'm confident he'll pick up another win sooner or later. Shiv Kapur is another man whose form this year hasn't matched his capabilities, while I think John Bickerton of England is the type of steady player who could bring in a top-5 or better this week.

Don't see my mentioning of odds as an encouragement of gambling, nor do Paddy Power know I'm mentioning them - they just happen to be the online bookie I use (although a commission would be nice if any of the tips come off).

Just time for a quick word about the US tournament this week - the Stanford St. Jude Classic. David Toms has owned the course for the last few years, at 15/1 he's definitely worth a flutter, while Vijay Singh and Sergio Garcia, two of my tips for next week's US Open, might be on to something good this week too.

Tomorrow I'll be back with news of the Austrian golf, where we'll have no more vulgar talk of money - I watch golf to enjoy it, as my chances of making profits from it our long gone.

Till then.

4th June - Ryder Cup

Welcome

Hello and welcome to European Golf Blog. 

Here, I shall do my best to keep you posted on all aspects of the European Tour: news, players, reports, tips, predictions, courses, etc.

From time to time we might even have a look across the pond and see what's going on on the PGA Tour or in the World Golf Championships. 

It's a Ryder Cup Year - I'm confident Europe will take a team full of new faces to Valhalla and return with the trophy, but how will that change as the year progresses? We'll be taking a look at Faldo and Zinger throughout the year to keep up with their thoughts, my thoughts on their thoughts, and, of course, your thoughts on my thoughts on their thoughts.

I'll also try to keep your interest with an anecdote every day or so, just to let you know what golf's been doing for the last 150 years.

I do hope you'll glance over my musings, and that they'll provide an enjoyable break from the humdrum. 

Each week, in taking a look at the players, I might even let you in on my private bets (Robert Karlsson's come good for me each way the last three weeks).

All in all, I want to talk about golf, and anybody who wants to read is more than welcome. I hope that many of you will yourselves contribute to the blog with your thoughts and ideas.

We may not be Alliss, Longhurst, Feherty, Harmon, Murray, Brown, Carter, Boxall, etc, but we are golfers.

Till the next time.