The Final Countdown

With just hours to go before Friday morning's pairings are announced, it's time for a last look at the captains' options for the first two days.

For each of the four sets of matches over Friday and Saturday, the captains must select eight players and omit four. There's been no word from Corey Pavin as to his methods, but Colin Montgomerie has guaranteed all of his players a Friday game, wither in the fourballs or the foursomes. Since Mark James's disastrous singles collapse in 1999, I don't think we'll ever again see any player, let alone three, rested until the singles.

So who will play in the first day's matches?

For Europe, there are the obvious pairings. Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will be first off the first tee. These great friends and great players have shown their mettle before, and I don't expect either one of them to miss a match - both will be key to European success. McIlroy may be a rookie but, like Martin Kaymer, we all know that that's a ridiculous description. He's going to be a star of the matches.

The second no-brainer is to play the Italian brothers together. Francesco and Edoardo Molinari, qualifying in such different ways, won the World Cup together in China last winter, and you have to expect them to get at least 3 of the 4 matches together. They know each other's games better than any other pairing out of either team, and their games should complement each other nicely - Francesco's steady, tee-to-green solidity, with Edoardo's fiery nature and magical putter.

You can put anyone with Martin Kaymer. I don't wish to disrespect him when I say that the man is a machine. Someone is channelling Bernhard Langer's spirit through this young man only they've picked up a better putter on the way. The rumours are that Lee Westwood will partner the US PGA champion, and no one can deny that it's a mouth-watering prospect. It would also be a clever move - no matter how well Westwood has recovered, it still stands that he's hardly played golf in six weeks, and Kaymer might be the perfect man to ease him back into the competitive zone.

I don't expect to see Peter Hanson, Miguel Angel Jimenez, or Ross Fisher in the morning matches. That leaves us with Luke Donald, Ian Poulter, and Padraig Harrington. Despite his Ryder Cup heroics, I'd leave out Poulter. He's out of form at the minute - give him a foursome match with Fisher in the afternoon, but for the moment stick Donald and Harrington together. Harrington has so much to prove in this competition, but his play in Paris last week (18 birdies in his last 36 holes) was perfect fourball play, and in steady Luke Donald Harrington would have an ideal partner.

Monty has said that all will play on Friday, but I don't imagine that he has his foursome pairings definite yet - he'll have an eye on Lee Westwood's calf and how it's holding up - if he needs to bring Jimenez or Hanson into Kaymer's team it won't cause too much hassle.

Poulter and Fisher have played World Cup together, and Poults will be anxious to continue his Ryder Cup charge.

There is no doubt about it - Europe's pairings are magnificently strong and it's tough to see any of them being beaten. They're not going to have it all their own way though, and we'll see how the American's will line up shortly.

Predicted European pairings:

Friday Fourballs:

1. Graeme McDowell & Rory McIlroy

2. Martin Kaymer & Lee Westwood

3. Luke Donald & Padraig Harrington

4. Edoardo Molinari & Francesco Molinari

Friday Foursomes:

1. Edoardo Molinari & Francesco Molinari

2. Ross Fisher & Ian Poulter

3 Peter Hanson & Miguel Angel Jimenez

4. Graeme McDowell & Rory McIlroy

Ryder Cup Watch

Last September, I drew up a list of the teams I thought would face off at Celtic Manor this October for the Ryder Cup. Having found the lists in an untroubled drawer, they make interesting reading, with only 3 months of qualification left. We'll get to the Americans next week, but let's have a look at who I thought Monty would have on the first tee in Wales.

Padraig Harrington

Lee Westwood

Robert Karlsson

Henrik Stenson

Paul Casey

Ian Poulter

Graeme McDowell

Rory McIlroy

Sergio Garcia

Ross Fisher

Martin Kaymer

Alvaro Quiros

Of Nick Faldo's team, I'd decided that Justin Rose, Soren Hansen, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Oliver Wilson would fail to reappear. Despite Miguel's win in the Gulf earlier this year, I'll stick by that decision. As for my 12 players - I'm happy with most of them, but there are a couple who look a little bit wobbly. What's more, there are guys not on that list who've mounted a charge.

The most obvious absence is Luke Donald, in the light of his performances over the last few weeks. Donald has had a great season, with a few solid finishes Stateside, before returning to Europe and collecting a 2nd place and then a win. His triumph on Sunday has hopefully silenced those who doubted his killer instinct. The pressure was on after his late, late disaster in Wentworth the week before, and he proved himself up to the task. He now looks set to be on the bus to Wales in the autumn, and with a record like his (5 1/2 out of 7), Monty will be delighted.

Donald is such a steady player that he suits the format perfectly - he'll keep a foursomes game chugging along, and can be the reliable player in a fourball to allow his partner burn it up.

Donald has a 4/4 record in the foursome matches, all played with Sergio Garcia.

Sergio's the man over whom the biggest question mark floats. He's had a lousy time of it. He won in the Orient in December 2008, and since then he's fallen off the radar. His mental game's shot, and his putting's still useless. Surely that makes it easy - he won't qualify, and he doesn't deserve a pick. Not quite.

Sergio's always seemed able to turn it on in the Ryder Cup. He's brilliant in the team matches, whether with Jesper Parnevik or Luke Donald. After missing every putt for months beforehand, suddenly they all roll in. He's a firey, energetic player, and you need a couple of them in your locker room.

When he fails to qualify, there'll be a lot of chat about the picks. Can Monty afford to give him one. If he shows any form at all in the summer he'll get one - he's got a couple of majors and a WGC to go at in the last 6 weeks. Without that justification though, it'd be a brave captain to choose him.

What about the Swedes? I'm still confident Karlsson will make it - he's got a win this year and he showed in Wentworth that his game's on the mend. He needs a little more consistency, but I see him challenging strongly at the Open this year, and I think he'll qualify.

Stenson is a trickier one - he's been out of form since winning the Players last May, and he's shown no signs of coming back. Unless he mounts a charge in the summer, he ca kiss his chance goodbye.

The man who might well jump into his shoes is Wales' one shot at a home boy. Rhys Davies has showed his talent this year, with a win in Morocco and a couple of runner-up spots. He's a good ball-striker, a wonderful putter, and has the grit that'll be oh so important come Ryder Cup Sunday. The way he's playing at the moment, he might make it on merit, but he'll certainly be at the front of Monty's mind.

Apologies to Simon Dyson and Ross McGowan, but I think they'll drop off the automatic spots pretty soon. One man who won't go away so easily is Francesco Molinari - he showed his team play with big brother Edoardo in the World Cup, and both bros are pushing for spots. Francesco's playing in Wales this weekend, and I fancy him to finish at least top-5.

So there you go. Really, I've no idea of what's going to happen. If I had to cut three from my list, it'd be the Swedes and Sergio. Ross Fisher has work to do, but he strikes me as a guy who makes most of his money in the summer months.

The team's going to have a mix of talents - steady grinding, scrambling, raw talent, big hitting, and deft touches.

One thing's for sure - it'll be a team bursting with quality.

The Home Straight

What did I say yesterday? That Mickelson and Westwood didn't have it in them this week because of their short putting? Maybe it's time for a rethink.

Yesterday was one of the greatest days of golf ever seen at Augusta, and one the best rounds you'll ever see anywhere. Phil Mickelson set the course alight for a 40-minute period in which he picked up 5 shots. Maybe his short putting isn't brilliant, so he decided not to bother with it. A 30-footer for eagle on the 13th, holing from the fairway for eagle on the 14th, and oh-so-close to a holed 70-yard wedge on the 15th. He had to settle for birdie there, but it was enough to put him, if not in the driving seat, at least in the front of the car.

Next to this dazzling display, you could be forgiven for thinking Westwood was failing to deliver. In reality, he shot a very composed 68, recovering well from a bogey at the 12th to take a one shot lead again by the end of the day. He's looked calm all week, and the putter didn't seem to give him too much trouble yesterday. Not to rule out the guys behind them, but if it is a two-horse race, it's going to be one hell of a race.

Tiger and KJ Choi will play together for the 4th day in a row, and on -8, they're still in the tournament. They need to get off to a fast start, but we all know Tiger's capable of anything. Choi probably doesn't have enough in the tank to win, but I'd expect him to turn in a lucrative 3rd or 4th place finish. Tiger's driving still looks a little too wild to rely on him to shoot a mid-60s score, and he missed some uncharacteristic putts yesterday. As always, I'm not saying he won't, but....

I don't see the winner coming from outside the final two pairings, and the guys behind Woods and Choi are playing for top-5s, barring heroics. The people's favourite Freddie Couples shot a great 68 yesterday, rolling in an eagle of his own down the stretch, and he looked to be in his comfort zone again. The dream is still alive, but only just. Knowing Freddie though, he's probably waiting a couple more years to win - a guy should have a bit of maturity. He's just waiting till he hits it a bit shorter.

It was a disappointing day for Ian Poulter, who never really got it going, and slipped back to -6. He won't be shrugging on the green jacket this year, but it's still been an important week for him in the major learning curve.

It's unusual for the winner in the Masters not to be in the final pairing, and with the 3-shot difference between 2nd and 3rd, that stat doesn't look like changing this year. There is one guy who might have a few words to say about that, but he's yet to win a major without holding the 54-hole lead.

Whatever happens on Sunday, we're guaranteed another exhilarating day of golf. That's what the Masters does. You're not comfortable with a 3-shot lead and four to play - there's plenty that can go wrong, or right, on that back nine.

That's Augusta.

Part 2

Once again, my favourite week of the year is living up to expectations.

It's been a great start to the 2010 US Masters, and will only get better in rounds 3 and 4.

Some big names have dropped out, most notably the Irish challengers, but there's plenty of talent atop the Augusta leaderboard.

Let's get one thing clear right away - it's great to see Tiger back where he belongs. No one quite knew how his return to the course would go, but it's been business as usual. The World Number has played two solid days to leave himself in a very dangerous position at -6, 2 shots off the English duo of Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood. Also tied with Woods are Phil Mickelson, KJ Choi, Ricky Barnes, and last week's winner Anthony Kim.

So what next?

Everyone knows Saturday as moving day, and all eyes will be on Tiger to see what he does. It remains to see how the course sets up today, but you've got to think he'll be looking to shoot something around a 68 and get to double figures. -10 could well be the lead going into the final round, and he tends not to lose a final round lead. In fact, the only man who's taken a final round major lead from him to win is sitting one shot behind him, at -5. You can still back Y.E. Yang at 30/1 with the bookies - if that's not worth a fiver each way I don't know what is. Once Yang gets into the mix in a tournament, he doesn't quickly fall away. He's in fine shape here, and has looked solid so far. The same goes for his fellow South Korean KJ Choi. He's a man who's returned to form this year, and before Yang exploded on to the scene he was set to be Asia's first major winner. Don't rule him out.

I wish I thought differently, but I don't think Lee Westwood is going to pick up his first major this week. He's definitely getting much closer, but his putting still isn't top class, and on the back nine on Sunday, that's what matters. Whose putting is top class? His playing partner, Ian Poulter. I can hardly remember him missing from inside 10 feet this year, and he's going to relish the challenge of the final group today. I think he's going to outscore Lee by 2 shots, and set up a great chance to take the green jacket.

It's the putting that stops me fancying Mickelson as well - in general it's been ok, but you can't win a major if you're worrying about the 3-footers.

Anthony Kim is the USA's answer to Ian Poulter - a fired up, cocky young man, who's full of belief after a win in Houston. He made a couple of great saves yesterday, and he's definitely in the hunt.

It was sad to see the old guard slip a little yesterday, but Freddie Couples and Tom Watson are still there at -3, and while a fairytale might be a little too far, a top-10 finish isn't.

The way the course is playing this week, I don't see someone bursting from the pack with a 65 today, but still in it at -3 is Dane Soren Kjeldsen, one of the solidest players on the European tour over the past 18 months. Again, I think a win is out of his reach at this stage, but don't be too surprised if he finishes in the top 5 or 6.

The Masters weekend is always a joy, and this year shows no signs of being any different.

More Than A Match For Anyone

"Don't get me wrong, I really respect every professional golfer, but I know I haven't played to my full potential and when that happens, it will be just me and Tiger."

When Ian Poulter came out with this statement in January 2008, irritated heads were shaken and indulgent smiles were smiled. It was just another wild comment from a player who had yet to show the game to back up the cockiness.

After this week's performance in the deserts of Arizona, all people are wondering is whether Tiger will be back to face him.

The top 6 in the World makes interesting reading: three Americans - Woods, Stricker, Mickelson, followed by three Englishmen - Westwood, Poulter, Casey.

Stricker, Mickelson, and Westwood are all fantastic players - don't be surprised if they pick up a couple of majors between them in the next two years, but there's something different about Poulter. He's got that fire behind his eyes, that frightening stare when he's in the zone, and that strut. He's got more self-belief than anyone on Tour, and now, he's shown the world he's got the game to match.

When asked for a turning point in Ian Poulter's career, I can pinpoint it to the minute - Sunday afternoon in Royal Birkdale, final round of the 2008 Open Championship. Poulter was playing ahead of Padraig Harrington, who would go on to win. He faced a 12-foot putt on the final green, which he had to make to stay just two shots back, and give himself any chance of staying in contention. He made the putt.

We all know what happened then - Harrington played the shot of his life on the 17th - a 5-wood to three feet to set up an eagle to allow him a canter down the home hole.

But look at it from Poulter's point of view - that putt on 18 was for him, a putt for a major championship. He piled the pressure on himself, and came up trumps. When the chips were down, he faced the music. I don't know how many more clichés I need to explain it any more clearly.

That putt told us, and more importantly him, that he had what it took. Nick Faldo put his trust in him at the Ryder Cup later that year, and he delivered. Europe lost that week, but the one image I always have is of Graeme McDowell ("G-Mac") and Poults high-fiving after beating im Furyk and Kenny Perry 1 up in the Saturday fourballs. It was terrifying. I have never seen two more pumped golfers in the one moment. It looked like they'd need a ten-mile run to calm down.

It took Poulter until November 2009 to register his next win, but he's clearly on a new road. He came so close to winning in Abu Dhabi this year only to come up a shot shy, but his performance at Tucson was magnificent. He had some tough matches - he was nip-and-tuck with Justin Leonard in the first round before prevailing on the the 19th, and he never led Thongchai Jaidee until the 17th.

In the semi-final and final, he was in a class of his own. He drove the ball superbly, hardly bothering to look where it went. His ironplay was devastating, and he's never putted like that before. He holed over 90% from 10 feet and in this week - I can only remember him missing one in the last two matches, and even that just lipped out of the cup. It was fitting that his final stroke of the week was a 10-foot putt on the 34th hole - he brushed it straight in the middle once again.

Ian Poulter has hit the afterburners, and he's not going to slow down anytime soon. The WGC titles are second only to the majors, but he won't want to be second only to anything. He's got his sights firmly set on Augusta, and don't be surprised to see him in the hunt there as well.

It would be unfair not to mention Paul Casey - he played some fantastic golf this week, and was part of one of the most amazing matches the Accenture has ever seen, when it took him 24 holes to dispatch Camilo Villegas to the consolation match. He showed his mettle on those extra holes, rolling in a couple of important 5-footers to stay in the match. In the final, he looked to get off to a flyer, stitching his second at the 2nd for a kick-in eagle, but he never got the momentum back. Twice he pegged Poulter back from 4up to just 2, but he could get no further. The match was won on two holes, for me - the 12th, where Poulter shortsided himself on the par 3, and got up and down for par, and the 15th, where Poulter stitched a tricky chip shot to two inches, leaving himself a birdie. Even before Casey's own birdie attempt slid agonisingly by, you got the feeling it was game over.

English golf was the dominant force between about 1890 and 1920, deposing the Scots from the top. Since then the Americans have been in charge. With three Englishmen in the top 6, and just seven Americans in the top 20, it looks as if that sands might be shifting once again. It won't be English dominance, but it could well be European, with so many fine young players on the up and up. Certainly, the European challenge going into every major has never been so strong.

The Ryder Cup is later this year, and Colin Montgomerie's team will be out for revenge. Yesterday's finalists will be there, you can be sure of that, and I, for one, can't wait to see those eyes of Ian Poulter staring down a putt on the 18th in Celtic Manor.

Falling Stars

Another day, another host of birdies, eagles, upsets, and all-round great matchplay golf.

Top seed Steve Stricker went out yesterday, and the favourites continued to fall today. Indeed, of the 16 players left in the field, only Paul Casey and Ian Poulter remain from the top 12 seeds at the beginning of the week. Casey continued his blistering progress with a second consecutive 5&4 win, while Poulter produced another gritty performance to defeat Adam Scott on the 17th. With Stricker, Harrington, and Robert Karlsson gone, the Bobby Jones bracket looks well set up for Poulter, and you can bet your bottom dollar he won't settle for a semi-final spot.

Defending champion Geoff Ogilvy had a unusually comfortable victory yesterday, and it clearly doesn't suit him. The Australian was outclassed by fiery Camilo Villegas, and his stellar record at this event takes a big hit. Villegas looks in the mood to rattles some cages, and will fancy his chance tomorrow against Ben Crane, who dealt with an out of sorts Y.E. Yang in round 2.

Luke Donald continues to be my fancied pick for the week - he played another glorious round to defeat Robert Allenby 6&5, and faces fellow Englishman Oliver Wilson in the third round. Wilson lost a 2-hole lead against Rory McIlroy, but held his nerve to close out the match on the 20th hole, sending home another of the pre-tournament and crowd favourites.

Lee Westwood has never had a great record in this tournament, and Nick Watney kept the US hopes alive by beating Westwood 2&1. Watney played solid golf, making 5 birdies, and Westwood never really got into the game on the back nine.

Sergio Garcia produced a great fightback to beat Anders Hansen by 2&1, but the Spaniard still looks far from convincing. Tim Clark will face him after a 3&2 win over Martin Kaymer, and I think Clark's clever game will be too much for Sergio.

Another fantastic match should be Charl chwartzel against Stewart Cink - the Open Champion came up wit another fast finish to recover from 2 down and beat Sean O'Hair, while Schwartzel played some beautiful golf to beat Jim Furyk. The young South African lost a lead on the back, but kept his composure and won 3&2. Don't be surprised if the winner of that match makes it to at least the semi-final.

It would be wrong not to mention Thongchai Jaidee, who, after beating Padraig Harrington yesterday, crushed a lack-lustre Robert Karlsson in round 2. He faces Ryo Ishikawa in the third, after the Japanese teen survived another close finish against Ross McGowan. It may not be the 3rd round we expected, but that's what matchplay's about.

The final match to finish was a clash of the titans - Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, each trying to resurrect his game and relive the glory days. It wasn't a display of great golf, but enthralling nonetheless. Nip and tuck till the finish, Els looked to have let it slip before he holed a beautiful birdie putt to take it to extra holes. Ernie had to do the same on the 19th, before Goosen played the shot of the match to set up a winning eagle on the 20th. He's not going to beat Nick Watney with golf like that though, and I'm sure he'll give himself a talking to tonight.

It's getting tough to pick winners now - we've seen enough upsets to be cautious of making any predictions, but I still can't resist. Here's my call for the 3rd round - whether I'm right or wrong, it's sure to be another great day of golf.

Jaidee to beat Ishikawa

Poulter to beat Singh

Clark to beat Sergio

Donald to beat Wilson

Watney to beat Goosen

Villegas to beat Crane

Cink to beat Schwartzel - match of the round, could go all the way

Casey to beat Gay

One On One

Certain weeks of the year are special. Augusta. Open Week. The Ryder Cup is perhaps at the top of the tree. But the Accenture World Matchplay isn't far behind.

Whether to play or to watch, matchplay is exciting. It's a totally different game - the player who churns out 4 70s every week can pack up early - you need to be able to turn on the gas to triumph this week. 64 one day mightn't be enough, a 73 tomorrow could win 3&2. Every shot your opponent hits changes your own game plan, no matter how many pros say they just play their own game.There'll be matches ending on the 12th green, and players still going on the 24th teebox.

So who's going to win? Some players suit the format - in the early 1900s US amateur Jerry Travers was practically unbeatable in matchplay but couldn't string 4 rounds together in strokeplay. Geoff Ogilvy is the latest Accenture king, with 2 victories and a runners-up spot in four appearances. With a win from his only tournament so far this season, and a third child for him and his wife, the easygoing Australian will be feeling good again. He faces Swede Alexander Noren in the first round, and you've got to think his pedigree will count against the rookie.

That being said, we'll have upsets in the first round, as always. Matt Kuchar could be a decent long odds bet against Ryder Cup hero Anthony Kim, and expect Padraig Harrington to have a tough ride against Jeev Milkha Singh. Francesco Molinari will be looking to continue his good form into a win against Zach Johnson, and Chris Wood will fancy his chances against Lee Westwood, who has had little success in the Matchplay for a player of his talent.

The Gary Player bracket looks to be particularly strong this year, with Ogilvy, Westwood, Henrik Stenson, and Ernie Els heading it up. Stenson is a former winner of this event, and at 30/1, Els is my pick for the championship. A quarter-final loss last year his best performance, the Big Easy nonetheless has a phenomenal matchplay record throughout his career, and with 3 top-12s from 3 this year so far, I think it's Ernie's time to shine. A win against Ryan Moore in his first round could set up a clash with Retief Goosen, another resurgent South African. Let's face it though - there won't be any easy matches all week.

Prime match-ups of the first round?

Robert Karlsson v. Rory Sabbatini

Ross Fisher v. Thongchai Jaidee

Padraig Harrington v. Jeev Milkha Singh

Ian Poulter v. Justin Leonard (Plenty of people expect the fiery Poulter to go far after his Ryder Cup success)

Luke Donald v. Graeme McDowell (Tough to call, but I reckon Donald's a good bet to reach the quarters)

Camilo Villegas v. Dustin Johnson (Johnson's coming off a win at Pebble Beach, and will fancy his chances against the Colombian making his first appearance of 2010)

Hunter Mahan v. Charl Schwartzel

Stewart Cink v. Edoardo Molinari (Cink has finished 2nd and 3rd here in the past, and after his Open win last year should put in another solid performance, while Molinari will be hoping to set up a clash with his brother in the quarter-finals.

Check out the comments below to see how I think the draw will pan out - at the moment my quarter-finals are:

Steve Stricker v. Ian Poulter

Ernie Els v. Geoff Ogilvy

Lucas Glover v. Luke Donald

Stewart Cink v. Paul Casey

Who knows just how wrong I could be - prediction is a fool's game this week, but who'd complain with those for our final 8?

Keep in touch here to stay up to date with the week as it progresses. Until then, enjoy the golf.

Abu Dhabi Doo!

The Abu Dhabi Championship may only be five years old, but already it has all the hallmarks of a classic. Today, Martin Kaymer claimed the trophy for the second time in three years as he overcame Ian Poulter by a single shot.

In 2008, Kaymer saw a six-shot lead disintegrate before managing to hang on to his maiden Tour title. Having finished runner-up last year, this year was different once again - leading by a stroke with 18 holes to go, neither Kaymer nor Poulter dropped shots in their rounds of 66, and it took a birdie on the last for the German to ensure victory.

Martin Kaymer is only 25, but already he looks supremely assured on the course - he shot 67-67-67-66 this week to win his 5th European Tour title, and seems at ease playing with the best. This win moves him up to a career-high world number 6, and the way he looked this week it's obvious that the best is yet to come. He has a wonderful swing, and his putting was key this week. He's shown bottle in all of his wins, including two playoff victories, and Colin Montgomerie will already be licking his chops at the Ryder Cup pairings he can plan for the young German.

When Ian Poulter is on from, he's on form. Give him a scent of the lead and he'll go after it like a terrier. We've seen him hold his nerve before - at the Open Championship in 2008, and the Ryder Cup later that year - this week's play suggests he's heading for a good year. He won in Singapore in November to bring an end to a 3-year winless streak - he might never go that long without a victory again. His runner-up spot this week has lifted him into the world's top 10 for the first time, and they'd better get used to him. He'll be disappointed that he couldn't put his approach to the 18th today a little closer to give himself an easier put for the playoff, but he knows his game is back, and there's no one more confident in his own ability.

Rory McIlroy left himself just too much to do in the end - an early bogey caused him to slip off the pace of the leaders, and while he picked up 4 shots on the back nine, he needed an eagle on the last to force a playoff. Once his drive found the thick rough off the right-hand fairway, his race was practically run. He's started the year well once again, however, and he'll be looking forward to defending his title in Dubai in a fortnight.

One more player who deserves a mention is Shane Lowry - the young Irishman failed to make ground yesterday with a 71, and a 67 today could only leave him in 4th place. Not bad however, for a man who was an amateur this time last year. Lowry has faced a lot of criticism since his Irish Open win, but let's face it - the move from amateur to professional is not easy, and it was always going to take him some time to find his form. He's started the year well, and if you remember his win in Baltray you'll remember his guts - he didn't have an easy time of it that rainy Sunday - he lost his lead and regained it, before eventually prevailing in a playoff. There's plenty more of Lowry to come in 2010.

The Tour stays in the Gulf for the next two weeks, and we head to Qatar on Thursday, where Alvaro Quiros, one of the most exciting talents on the Tour along with Kaymer and McIlroy, is defending. Join me again this week to have a look at what he faces.