A week is a long time…
Supposedly in politics, at least – but the same could also be said of golf. Virtually all season whenever I have thought about the Ryder Cup, and I try not to do that too much until the event is almost upon us, it has been with a quiet, almost smug sense of confidence that Europe is going to bring Samuel Ryder’s small but perfectly formed trophy back where it belongs. We have, after all, 49 of the world’s top-50 players – or so it seems – and Europeans have won seven times on the US Tour this year (including Majors, and Justin Rose’s two victories). It is necessary to remind ourselves, perhaps, that a British or European winner in America, until comparatively recently, was as rare as Monty congratulating an on-course photographer for a job well done. Our marquee players were content to be the big fish of the comparatively small pond that is the European Tour but now they’re mixing it with the best in the world on a regular basis and, as it turns out, proving themselves to be voracious sharks rather than timid minnows (okay, enough of the water-borne metaphors, Ed). In addition, to boost our confidence even further, Tiger’s game remains in freefall, Phil Mickelson hasn’t won since The Masters in April, and several of the names already confirmed for the American team – such as Hunter Mahan, Jeff Overton, Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson, for example, don’t exactly clutch your heart with an icy fist of foreboding.

And yet… A little closer analysis suggests that the US side is shaping up nicely. The players I have mentioned are in the team on merit, and there looks to be a good balance of youth and experience, along with a nice mixture of dramatically exciting bomb it merchants, like Bubba Watson and Dustin Johnson, alongside steady-Eddie dependables such as Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker.

In Europe, meanwhile, Colin Montgomerie has painted himself into an uncomfortable corner regarding his captain’s selections. Being on record as saying: ‘I expect there will be about eight candidates for my three wild-card picks and it should be a given that they turn up at the final event,’ these words are now a hostage to fortune because we know that none of the ‘name’ players on the fringes of selection – Padraig Harrington, Paul Casey, Luke Donald and Justin Rose – will be at that event at Gleneagles on Thursday. So if Monty is true to his convictions, he will pick none of them, (but no-one believes he will be that bold) which leaves him having to go back on his word and disappoint people like Francesco Molinari and Simon Dyson, who have been working their backsides off to stay in contention.

Whatever Monty decides he will face serious criticism and quite possibly a divided team-room at Celtic Manor.

Ultimately, however, I think it may come down not to Monty but to his American counterpart, Corey Pavin. Two years ago in Valhalla almost every observer was struck by the unity, cohesion, and willingness to scrap for each other that characterised the US team, all qualities we had previously considered the exclusive trademark of the Europeans, and I think it was no coincidence that Tiger wasn’t in the side. If Pavin applies logic he won’t pick the world number one this time – his form simply does not justify it – and if that happens, I believe the Americans will be stronger as a result. However, I’m not sure Pavin is brave enough to be that radical and if so, the chances for Europe look just a little bit better.

Either way, it’s shaping up to hopefully be the closest Ryder Cup, certainly of those played in Europe, for quite some time.

Does size matter?
Watching Martin Kaymer’s impressive and fully justified victory in the US PGA championship, and the post-victory presentation, reminded me yet again that the Wanamaker trophy he held aloft is certainly the biggest, and probably the ugliest, major trophy of the four. And I don’t think it is a coincidence that the fourth Major of the year has always been regarded as the weaker or less prestigious of the big championships (despite the fact that recently it has also proved to be the most exciting and therefore best to watch) but has the biggest pot awarded to the winner.

On the European Tour over the last decade or so we have seen the Middle Eastern countries of Dubai, Qatar and Abu Dhabi trying to establish their golfing credentials and one of the ways, it seems, is to have the biggest, ugliest prize – witness the hideous, overblown coffee pot given to the winner of the Omega Desert Classic, which takes at least three strong men to lift. It used to be said that if you wanted to know how corrupt and dictatorial a South American president was, just look at his police force or military – the greater the despot, the more elaborate and be-medalled his flunkeys tended to be.

I think the same applies to golf trophies – the greater the feeling of inadequacy, the bigger and gaudier the prize.

Quote of the Week
If you think it’s hard to meet new people, try picking up the wrong golf ball.
Jack Lemmon

Thank you to everyone who entered, the committee had a tough job deciding, but eventually plumped for Dave Marriage’s graphic description of the fairways at his local. Dave will receive the original drawing in celebration of his literary genius.

Your Name:: Top Cat
Your Address::
Your Telephone::
Your Email::
How you found us:: Other
If Other, please Specify:: My friend Joyce has one and raves about it

Your Message:: I could not take it any more…Joyce wore me
down….”get a gokart… get a gokart. It will half your handicap, it
folds down into a tupperware box, it will make all your dreams come
true”…all rather hard to believe. But now that I have visited your
website I love the product, and I love your sense of humour. Even if I
don’t improve my game I feel I have made a new friend…someone I can
call and talk to about my round…thank you for promising such excellent
service. Thanks for having such a straightforward, no nonsense
website… I have a good feeling about this relationship. I think we
are going to go the distance. I will have a farewell game with my
p**ak***y trolley tomorrow and look forward to welcoming my little
red devil gokart.
Best Regards
TC
PS Don’t publish my name as I have creditors chasing me…

Going Low 1
Unless you’re the sort of person who slows down to look at the scene of an accident in the hope of seeing a bit of blood, or still enjoy pulling the wings off butterflies, you will take no pleasure at the sight of Tiger Woods hacking it round like a high-handicapper, and being unable to find a fairway with GPS a compass and several guide dogs. Whenever great champions go into decline, no matter where they fit into your own list of personal favourites, it should arouse sympathy and I find myself averting my eyes, so as not to share the anguish a moment longer than necessary. The problems faced by Woods are too well-known to be regurgitated here but whatever your opinion on the circumstances that have led him to this nadir, you would need the heart of a stone, or banker, to not feel just a smidgeon of concern for his plight. He is clearly desperately unhappy and his one place of refuge, the only part of his life where he previously felt not only unassailable but where, perversely, he could exclude all outside influences and get on with what he does best, is now denied him. Being inside the ropes with his caddy was always his sanctuary and now even that, it seems, offers no solace. Let’s face it, his form is such that he couldn’t beat a fat man in a race to the bus stop.

Under these circumstances, and considering the way he is playing, it seems remarkable that the issue of whether or not he merits a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup is even being discussed. Of course he doesn’t, and to suggest otherwise is to blindly ignore the mountain of available evidence, like some golfing creationist. There is having faith, and then there is wild-eyed, irrational refusal to take note of any proof, substantiation or confirmation that your belief may, in fact, be predicated on extremely unsound data.

And then, as if to confirm that the world really is in the grip of some bizarre, shared delusion, comes a press release this morning (Monday) reporting that bookmaker William Hill is offering Tiger at 10-1 for the US PGA Championship, which starts Thursday – on a course that demands long, straight driving above all other virtues. Right now I would imagine his odds of making the cut are about 40-1.

Big Girl’s Blouse
A few years ago, before Phil Mickelson made his breakthrough win in Majors at the 2004 US Masters, I nicknamed him Phyllis because it seemed that every time he was in contention for one of the Big Four, he would, like a big girl’s blouse, find ever more inventive (and dumb) ways to screw up. It was a monicker I was delighted to stop using but it may have to be resurrected in light of the big man’s continuing inability to put in the one performance needed to become world number 1. As in those distant pre-Major days, he plays as we know he can – which is sublimely – and then goes into meltdown just as the prize hoves into view. He looks like a nervous teenager who, having successfully negotiated every aspect of their practical driving test, crashes into a wall as they return to the test centre.

I do wish he would stop.

Going low 2
From being the near-unattainable holy grail of golf, the score of 59 is becoming almost commonplace. A few weeks ago Paul Goydos achieved the feat in the first round of the John Deere Classic (where he didn’t win, incidentally, but finished runner-up to Steve Stricker). His score was made over the TPC Deere Run course measuring 7,257 yards. Then, in the run-up to the Irish Open Graeme McDowell reported that during a practice round at his home track of Royal Portrush (albeit on the smaller Valley Course, at 6,203 yards) he also cracked to 60 barrier. And lest we forget, as recently as May, Japanese phenom Ryo Ishikawa  went one better, with a 58. Then, course, just over a week ago week Stuart Appleby tamed the Old White Greenbriar Course, a par 70 of 7,020 yards by firing 59 on the last day to win.

The portents had been favourable, as the day before in the same event JB Holmes carded a 60 and fellow US Tour pro DA Points had a 61. As yet there has never been a 59 on the European Tour but the way things are going you might want to see what odds you could get on it happening before the end of this season – William Hill (I’m not being paid to mention them, I promise) is currently offering 25-1, which seems pretty good to me.

Quote of the week
Golf is a game invented by the same people who think music comes out of a bagpipe. Anon.

Where did the Season go? Here we are at the last major. Not to worry, we have ages to go before the weather gets grotty and the evenings too short.

So, you know the form, predict the winner of the 2010 USPGA and, for a tie breaker, the winning score. We’ll give GoKarts to the first two correct entries out of the hat after play finishes on Sunday (there’s a rollover from the British when nobody guessed the winner, hence the extra prize!).

To make your entry, type your name and email address below, and put your prediction for the winner, and their final score, in the comment box. Only one entry per person and the polls close as soon as play starts on Thursday.

This year’s event is at Whistling Straits, the same course where Vijay won in 2004 with eight under (the par is 72). It hosted the 2007 US Seniors which was won by Brad Bryant at six under.

It’s a shame that Lee Westwood has pulled out with a leg injury – always a popular bet and surely will walk away with a major soon.  Next year Lee!

If you find that all the popular players have people betting on them already, maybe try to find a player who hasn’t had any votes. We’ve had some obscure names raking in the trophies the past year or so. So it’s worth a punt and good luck!

The winners for the last decade;
2009 Yang Yong-eun, Hazeltine National Golf Club (−8)
2008 Pádraig Harrington, Oakland Hills Country Club (−3)
2007 Tiger Woods, Southern Hills Country Club (−8)
2006 Tiger Woods, Medinah Country Club, (−18)
2005 Phil Mickelson, Baltusrol Golf Club (−4)
2004 Vijay Singh, Whistling Straits (−8)
2003 Shaun Micheel, Oak Hill Country Club (−4)
2002 Rich Beem Hazeltine, National Golf Club (−10)
2001 David Toms, Atlanta Athletic Club (−15)
2000 Tiger Woods, Valhalla Golf Club (−18)

Here are the players;
Ames, Stephen
Andersson Hed, Fredrik
Appleby, Stuart
Balin, Daniel,
Barnes, Ricky
Beckman, Cameron
Benzel, Ryan
Bettencourt, Matt
Bohn, Jason
Bourdy, Gregory
Brooks, Mark
Cabrera, Angel
Campbell, Chad
Casey, Paul
Choi, K.J.
Cink, Stewart
Clark, Tim
Clarke, Darren
Crane, Ben
Curtis, Ben
Daly, John
Davies, Rhys
Davis, Brian
Day, Jason
de Jonge, Brendon
Donald, Luke
Dufner, Jason
Dyson, Simon
Elkington, Steve
Els, Ernie
Fernandez-Castano, Gonzalo
Fisher, Ross
Flinton, Kyle
Fowler, Rickie
Fujita, Hiroyuki
Furyk, Jim
Gallacher, Stephen
Garcia, Sergio
Gay, Brian
Glover, Lucas
Goosen, Retief
Goydos, Paul
Haas, Bill
Hansen, Anders
Hansen, Soren
Hanson, Peter
Harrington, Padraig
Hebert, Scott
Hiratsuka, Tetsuji
Holmes, J.B.
Horsey, David
Howell III, Charles
Hutsell, David
Ikeda, Yuta
Immelman, Trevor
Ingraham, Stu
Ishikawa, Ryo
Jacobson, Fredrik
Jacquelin, Raphael
Jaidee, Thongchai
Jimenez, Miguel Angel
Johnson, Dustin
Johnson, Zach
Jones, Matt
Karlsson, Robert
Kaymer, Martin
Kelly, Jerry
Khan, Simon
Kim, Anthony
Kim, Kyung-tae
Kjeldsen, Soren
Kuchar, Matt
Labritz, Rob
Laird, Martin
Lamely, Derek
Lehman, Tom
Leishman, Marc
Leonard, Justin
Liang, Wenchong
Love III, Davis
Lowe, Mitch
Lowry, Shane
Mahan, Hunter
Marino, Steve
Matteson, Troy
McClellan, Robert
McDowell, Graeme
McGowan, Ross
McIlroy, Rory
McNeill, George
Merrick, John
Micheel, Shaun
Mickelson, Phil
Molder, Bryce
Molinari, Edoardo
Molinari, Francesco
Montgomerie, Colin
Moore, Ryan
Moss, Robert
Na, Kevin
Noh, Seung Yul
Oda, Koumei
Ogilvy, Geoff
O’Hair, Sean
Ohr, Keith
Oosthuizen, Louis
Overton, Jeff
Palmer, Ryan
Pare, Troy
Pavin, Corey
Perry, Kenny
Petrovic, Tim
Pettersson, Carl
Points, D. A.
Poulter, Ian
Quiros, Alvaro
Rose, Justin
Sabbatini, Rory
Schmuhl, Jason
Schwartzel, Charl
Scott, Adam
Senden, John
Sheftic, Mark
Sim, Michael
Singh, Vijay
Skinner, Sonny
Slocum, Heath
Small, Mike
Smith, Bruce
Snedeker, Brandt
Stadler, Kevin
Steinmetz, Rich
Stenson, Henrik
Stricker, Steve
Sullivan, Chip
Sutherland, Kevin
Taylor, Vaughn
Thelen, Tim
Toms, David
Trahan, D.J.
Van Pelt, Bo
Verplank, Scott
Villegas, Camilo
Walker, Jimmy
Watney, Nick
Watson, Bubba
Weekley, Boo
Weir, Mike
Wi, Charlie
Willett, Daniel
Wilson, Oliver
Winner of the WGC
Winner of the Turning Stone
Wood, Chris
Woods, Tiger
Yang, Y.E.