The WGC-HSBC Champions is the last World Golf Championship of the season. When it began in 2006, it was simply another event on tour but last year it was ordained a World Golf Championship. An interesting thing is that the event was actually played twice last year, once as a World Golf Championship and the other as just the HSBC Champions. It is a highly lucrative event with the prize fund being an estimated $7,000,000 which equates to just over €5,000,000. This is a prize fund that will offer a huge winning prize fund of well over €800,000, which of means many of the top players in the world are in attendance. The venue itself is a 7,266 yard long par 72 that, judging by history, suits longer players that don’t necessarily have to be accurate but do have to hit a lot of greens in regulation. As well as that, the event favours high profile players and surprise winners have been scarce. It is also a historic event in terms of the world rankings because this is the first week that there has been a different world number one in some time. Last week Lee Westwood passed out Tiger Woods and the question now is, for how long? There are now a host of golfers eyeing up the opportunity to reach number one so changing of the guard should occur more regularly than it did during Tiger Woods’ 281 week reign at the top. With that being said, it’s on to this weeks tips:

Ross Fisher each way @ 40/1
I have a really good feeling about Fisher this week. We are looking for a good driver and Fisher springs to mind as one of the best in the world. At the Ryder Cup, he looked solid and extremely confident. His attitude towards every game that he played was extremely positive and even by his own admittance; it was a huge learning curve for him. Since Europe’s victory, he has played three events and has recorded two top fifteens and a top thirty, quite impressive when you consider he must have taken some time to recover from the mental and physical strain that week demands. Also, his finish of tied fourteenth last week was on a Valderrama course that was way out of his comfort zone, which didn’t suit his game one bit so I think his game is perhaps even better than results would suggest. Past form here?…..well he previously finished in a tie for second with Lee Westwood after losing out on a playoff to Phil Mickleson so that too is in our favor. Good current and past form and high in confidence is enough to tempt me to Fisher but their is one final piece of the jigsaw which makes it Ross an absolute must for my top tip this week…….his odds. At 40/1, he looks over priced and great value. The only negative may be a bit of fatigue but Im willing to overlook this.

Graeme McDowell each way @ 25/1
I realise how hard it is for someone to win two straight weeks in a row but I firmly believe G-Mac can do it. He did us proud last week and I see no reason to drop him as a tip. He really has had a terrific year and following the Ryder Cup, many people were saying that he has capped off a terrific year. We didn’t believe that here at wegetgolf.com however, hence the reason we backed him last week. Having won last week, he is right in the thick of the Race to Dubai, where he stands in second, roughly €530,000 behind first place Martin Kaymer. In terms of how he sets up to the course, I wouldn’t say he’s ideal but he’s certainly not far off. He isn’t the longest hitter which may be somewhat at odds with my opening paragraph. However, his ability to consistently hit greens in regulation means McDowell is a serious consideration. 25/1 is over double the odds we got on him last week and considering he has just broken into the top 10 in the world and continues to impress week in, week out, Im giving the Ulsterman the nod of approval again this week.

Nick Watney each way @ 25/1
I had a real selection problem with my last pick. I was left with Mr Watney, Rickie Fowler and Danny Willett. They are all very good drivers of the ball and are in good form so what I had to base it on was wins. Since Fowler and Willett have never won an event before and have no experience in this particular event I felt that the more experienced Nick Watney, who has won twice before, should take precedence. He has also finished in a tie  for sixth and a tie for fourth in his last two events so as far as form is concerned, we don’t need to worry. As for his past form here, he finished in fifth place last year, the first time it was christened as a World Golf Championship. Something to worry about is undoubtedly his ability to get in contention ans actually cross the line but he has recorded eight top tens this year and is twelfth in the Fed Ex Cup rankings so I feel he gets the benefit of the doubt. Odds of 25/1 appeal.

James View: Far be it for me to question mystical Ian after his superb 1-2 last week, but I think he may be off this week with his tips. Graeme McDowell is unquestionably in fantastic form but last weeks win was a grueling test, particularly the final 18 holes in such difficult conditions. Throw in a long trip across to China and I think tiredness may creep into McDowells game and result in enough unforced errors to rule him out of contention. As for Nick Watney, Ian is right, he has not contended and won as often as one would have hoped. With odds of 25/1, I want someone who I feel confident can actually get the job done and I don’t get that from Watney. True, he has each way potential but at 25/1, Im willing to look elsewhere. As for Ross Fisher, he certainly appeals at 40/1. Again I would be worried about fatigue but his odds justify backing him.

My top 3 are somewhat different to Ian’s however. I want players who are in form and are somewhat rested. Great odds for world number 1, Lee Westwood @ 18/1. I know he is only back from injury but I think that rest will have done him good and I don’t foresee it having much effect on his game. Being the quality player that he is, Westwood will have no problem adapting to the change in climate or the various grasses in Asia. One of his partners at the Ryder Cup, Luke Donald @ 20/1, is certainly one of the best iron players the game has today. Although not long off the tee, he is such a good player with a fantastic temperament that it is difficult to imagine him not contending every week. The fact he played last week in Asia means he has less travel than many others to endure, a major plus in my view. My final selection, a blast from the past somewhat, is mine and every Irishmans favorite, Padraig Harrington. His recent win in Asia should give hime confidence and he will be eager to kick on and prove he is once more a force to be reckoned with. The jury is still out but at 28/1, and have acclimatized for the past weeks in Asia, Im hoping Padraig has a big week.

For the second time in three weeks, two of Ians tips finished in the top 5, bagging our readers some tidy profits. Not only that but Ian went a step further this week by correctly selecting Graeme McDowell as the Andalucia Masters winner in Valderrama at 12/1. Mc Dowell was never out of contention after an opening round of 68 and once he got his nose in front early on day 2, it was clear he was going to be the man to beat. He did briefly lose the lead to Damien McGrane with a few holes to go on Sunday afternoon but his experience in crossing the line in big tournaments clearly stood him in good stead. It caps a remarkable season for McDowell who know must surely have his eye on the season ending “Race to Dubai”. Martin Kaymer still leads but who would bet against the Northern Irishman capping off his season by adding the flagship season ending event to his repertoire?

McDowell winning was the big one this week for Ian and We Get Golf but the icing on the cake was his other tip, Soren Kjeldsen, finishing in a tie for 2nd at 28/1. It was Kjeldsen’s superb final round of 69 in extremely testing conditions which saw him shoot up the leaderboard and allow us to pocket some cash. Here’s hoping for more correct picks from Ian in the weeks ahead

Straight into Ians tips for this week:

The Andalucia Valderrama Masters will be played at none other than the Club de Golf Valderrama. Despite being a new tournament on tour, the venue is not. Before the European money list changed from the Order of Merit to the Race to Dubai, the final event of the European Tour season was played here. I will base some of my research on this and it is also important to try and find players that are quite accurate as the course is lined with trees and will punish wayward shots.  Being a par 71 that is slightly less than 7,000 yards long, it will be favourable to tactical players who like to plot their way around a golf course. Despite being a short course, scoring will be high and five or six under could win this event. Also, if Martin Kaymer wins this week, finishes second on his own or finishes second with one other player, he will become the world number one.

Graeme McDowell each way @ 12/1

I’m a huge fan of G Mac and I feel that he is the man for my top tip this week. To say that Graeme has had a ‘great year’ is an understatement. He has raised his game to an amazing quality and thanks to this he has achieved a two wins on tour this year, one of these being a US Open and he clinched the final point in the Ryder Cup to win it for Europe. In terms of past performances here in the Volvo Masters, he was tied eighth in 2008 and tied sixth in 2007. Also, he is a player who statistically suits any course, but in particular, he should find this course to his liking. He’s not overly long but then again neither is the course and he is extremely accurate and hits a lot of greens in regulation.

Peter Lawrie each way @ 55/1

I’m absolutely delighted that I can tip the Irishman at 55/1. For someone who is already a winner in Spain and has finished in third and sixth place for his last two finishes, the bookies don’t think that much of him. Lawrie is playing well at the moment and should be able to cope with the strong field that are attending this week’s event. This course should suit him because like McDowell, he isn’t the longest hitter but is very accurate and hits a lot of greens in regulation. At 55/1, Lawrie is a steal.

Soren Kjeldsen each way @ 28/1

It was very hard for me to choose a third tip because I had an abundance of talent to choose from. I was left with Kjeldsen, John Parry and a number of Spanish which included Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Ignacio Garrido and Alejandro Canizares but in the end the past performances of Kjeldsen at this course made him the obvious choice. In 2008, he won the Volvo Masters at this course and in 2007; he finished in a tie for second. He isn’t in the best of form at the moment but this course is sure to bring back good memories and will undoubtedly lift his performance. Like his fellow tips for this week, he is very accurate and hits a lot of greens in regulation. He makes up for his lack in length with a sharp short game and is a great putter.

James View: I completely agree with Ian on his Peter Lawrie selection and am amazed he is 55/1, considering his recent good form and ability to produce good golf in hot climates. His putting has looked incredibly sharp over the past few weeks and having been to Valderrama before, I can assure you this is a key component, along with accuracy of course. Elsewhere, Martin Kaymer is on fire and I am a huge admirer. Although the chances of winning 4 tournaments on the spin are unlikely, I find it difficult not to include him in my top 3. In saying that, odds of 6/1 are ridiculous and I shall not be tempted. Instead, Edoardo Molinari at 22/1 offers much better value and although not in the same rich vein of form, he gets the nod ahead of Kaymer this week. Finally, Gonzalo Fernandez Castano is a streaky putter at the best of times and could very well come unstuck this week on these greens. Last week though, he putted quite well and with odds of 28/1 for such a good player from tee to green, Im willing to part with a few euros each way on the Spaniard.

While I am hoping the wind picks up and dries the course out somewhat so that it plays more like a links course, Phil Mickelson is suggesting that while it may look like a links, it will play like an American course. That may not suit some of the shorter players considering the length of the course but if the greens are soft, the players rarely have much problem these days. This observation is further enhanced when you consider that Firestone last week measured over 7,400 yards and yet still, despite it being only a par 70, the course yielded plenty of birdies.

Highlights of round 1 from the WGC Bridgestone Invitational, brought to you by Casey Black (who looks striking in red don’t you agree?). It was a good day for scoring with Bubba Watson leading the way at -6 but Mickelson, McDowell and co are in hot pursuit.

It was not a day for Tiger Woods though as he slumped to a horrible four over par 74. The worst thing for Tiger is that he cant simply point to one part of his game being the problem because every aspect of it was horrible. On numerous occasions, he missed fairways by 40 yards+. his distance control was average at best and his putting was terrible. The world is now wondering are we now witnessing the demise of the great one? I’m reserving judgement for now!

Finally, Ive decided to take a swipe at golf commentators, surprise, surprise!! For those who watched on the Golf Channel yesterday, the commentary was brought to you by Ewan Murray, Craig Perks and Ian-Baker Finch. Now while I generally enjoy listening to them, I sometimes wonder do they suffer from amnesia or something during the days play. For instance, let me explain what annoyed me yesterday.

Lee Westwood starts off yesterday one group ahead of Padraig Harrington. Westwood is known for his immaculate play from tee to green but suspect short game. Harrington is the complete opposite, a somewhat wild, inconsistent ball striker with probably the best short game in the world (possibly joined by Phil Mickelson but I still think Harrington has a wider array of shots in the bag).

So, as the round gets going, Im watching and commenting on how Lee is enduring such a non-Westwood like round as he sprays the ball off the fairways and misses countless greens. Meanwhile, Harrington is still missing fairways but his greens in regulation are pretty good so all in all, its not bad from Padraig. Bearing all this in mind, you can imagine my surprise then when as Westwood approaches the end of his round, Ewan Murray suggests Lee has been a little unfortunate with his round in that he hadnt played badly and gotten nothing out of it. Meanwhile, they are still harping on about Harrington’s erratic driving and how he has gotten the max out of a substandard round. Here were three “professional”commentators who were completely disillusioned with their stereotypical views as opposed to analyzing the game that was being played in front of them. Im not saying that going forward, Harrington will be a more consistent player than Westwood but on this particular day, Harrington was less erratic than Westwood and it was Lee who got the max out of his game with some great sand saves etc. To back up my conclusions, I checked the stats and here they are:

Driving Accuracy: Lee Westwood – 50%, Padraig Harrington – 50%
Putt Per Round: Lee Westwood – 28, Padraig Harrington – 28
Greens In Regulation: Lee Westwood – 50%, Padraig Harrington – 67%
Sand Saves: Lee Westwood – 100%, Padraig Harrington – 50%

So to sum up, Westwood hit 9 greens while Harrington hit 12 greens in regulation. Considering the superior short game of Harrington, you would think that Harrington would have outscored Westwood by 4 shots or so! Not the case though as Lee hung in there and ground out a 71 while Harrington returned a 69….One would hope that these commentators could conduct a similar analysis and maintain perspective throughout a round rather than making silly unfounded claims.

Okay, perhaps I’m being just a wee bit nationalistic here by claiming The Irish Open is the 5th Major but for every Irish golfer, it certainly is one they would like to get their hands on. The Irish golfing public has been fortunate enough to witness 2 Irish winners in recent year with Padraig Harrington doing the business in a play off against Bradley Dredge at Adare Manor and who could forget Shane Lowry’s monumentuous win last year in a play off against Robert Rock at rain drenched Baltray.

Thats was then and this is now though. Fortunately, the cream of Irish golf have turned up for this weeks event. Boasting 4 major wins out of the past 13, McDowell and Harrington will be sure to have their fair share of followers. However, in this golden generation of Irish golf, we also have one of the worlds greatest talent in Rory McIlroy, backed up by such talents as Clarke, Lowry, Lawrie, McGrane, Hoey and Thornton.

The venue is Killarney Golf Club, one of my absolute favorite places to spend a weekend and play golf. The course is not long but the scenery is sublime, especially on a beautiful summers day. throw into the mix that it is a bank holiday over here and we are hoping for fine weather and record breaking crowds. the only thing that may draw from it is the fact the Galway Races are on this week also……and of course the fact that the Recession is alive and kicking on these shores.

So, with the introductions over, its time to turn to out tipster Ian who’s form over the past few weeks reminds has been far from impressive. Having reminded him of such this week, he has been grinding through the history and statistic books more than ever to provide you with his first winner since his appearance here (in fairness, its only been a couple of weeks but there are standards to be met here). Without further procrastination, here are Ian’s selections:

“Our National Professional Golf Open returns once again to Killarney Golf and Fishing Club. The last two times it was played at this course, in 1991 and 1992, Sir Nick Faldo walked away with the title both times. A lot has changed since then however, both on the course and in terms of players. The greens have been remodelled to USGA specifications and some work has been done with the tees as well. The course should offer low scoring, with the risk of it turning into a ‘birdie fest’ if the conditions are right. Heavy rain has plagued the Killarney area over the last couple of weeks, but the weatherman tells us that conditions will be pretty good for the Irish Open. With some big names in golf arriving in Ireland, it should make for some exciting viewing. Marcel Siem, Graeme McDowell and Damien McGrane were all vying hard to make my final 3 but each just came up short for various reasons. Now for the final 3:”

Rory Mcilroy each way @ 8/1
The odds aren’t great for the young Northern Irishman and it takes a pretty special player to get me to back them at such short odds but Mcilroy is that special player. Two words spring to mind when people mention Mcilroy’s name to me and that’s ‘Quail Hollow’. The quality of his final two rounds there showed just how good a player he is and showed why there is no doubt that he will be world number one someday. But back to stats; Mcilroy booms the ball off the tee at nearly a 294 yard average. Granted that his accuracy isn’t fantastic but he is driving the ball better presently than he did at the start of the season so his stats don’t tell the full story of his present game. The good thing about his accuracy is that he doesn’t seem to have one of these Phil or Tiger shots that will go a country mile off line. He hits nearly 78 percent of green and that with improved putting make him almost the ultimate player. In fact, he has managed to improve his putting by an average of nearly one putt per round. Irish fans will be cheering him on this week and he will want to do well for all his fans. Even at these short odds, Mcilroy seems well worth a bet.

Bradley Dredge each way @ 45/1
The Welshman has been in great form this year and had it not been for his inability to close off tournaments, he would have one or two in the bag already. He hasn’t won in four years which of course is a worry but his play suggests another might be just around the corner. Long off the tee, albeit not always the most accurate, he hits over 67 percent of greens in regulation and a lot of players would kill for his putting. Also he should have good memories from Ireland after coming second in 2007, losing to our own Padraig Harrington, and from finishing tied eighth in 2008. Another thing was that he commented that he wanted to make Monty’s Ryder Cup team. With valuable Ryder Cup points on offer, Dredge is eager to put on a good show. Hopefully that added pressure will prove a boost for Dredge as opposed to a burden, but I am confident he has the mentality to cope. Clearly the bookies are coy on Dredge’s chances but that gives us the opportunity to snap up what appears to be a great value bet, with Dredge priced at 45/1

Alejandro Canizares each way @ 50/1
Canizares is another man who is in the form of his life. He has done all but win this year and coming out the wrong end of two playoffs has only spurred the twenty seven year old Spaniard on. On paper, his game seems suited to all golf courses and there are no glaringly apparent weakness. He averages nearly 287 yards in driving distance and couples that with both driving accuracy and greens in regulation percentages of nearly 69 percent. Moving on to the flat stick and he aint half bad either with an average of 28.21 putts per round and 1.7 putts for greens in regulation. The more I look at these stats, the more appealing this bet becomes. His odds of 50/1 are ridiculously high and should be taken advantage of. His past results in the Irish Open are quite poor but don’t let this put you off as the old Canizares wasn’t a patch on the one that showed up this year.

Oh how I wish we hadn’t stated which Molinari would win at Loch Lomond and instead just simply claimed, “Mr Molinari” was our tip here at We Get Golf. Ian will be quietly content to have had an early placed finish at 28/1 with Francesco Molinari, which more than makes up for the other calls of Kaymer and Ferrie (who both missed the cut) and McDowell (who I suggested might tire as the weak wore on).

However it was his brother, Edoardo Molinari who claimed the spoils at Loch Lomond this week. The first 3 days were majestic from Edoardo and the final day was a lesson in conservative, do-enough-to-win, style golf. When his nearest challenger Darren Clarke dropped 3 shots in the first 3 holes, Edoardo never looked back. One poor tee shot on the 15th cost him a double bogey but his tee shot into the par 3, 17th and his drive down the 18th took a lot of nerve and for me, it really epitomized the fact that Edoardo is one serious golfer who we should expect to see a lot more of.

Darren Clarke was impressive too and will be comforted by the fact his second place finish gets him into the British Open this week. At odds of 80/1 and sure to feel right at home on the links of St.Andrews, many people will be having a flutter on Darren next week. You will have to wait and see if we are one of those people by checking in with us on Wednesday/Thursday in our preview to the Open.

Although our man Francesco only finished tied 3rd in the end, his long game was probably the best of anyone throughout the week. Time after time, he split the middle of fairways and gave himself birdie putts within 20 feet. However, that old saying “drive for show, putt for dough” certainly must have rang through in his ears. Francesco changed from the long putter back to the short putter a few weeks ago and as such can be forgiven for missing a few. Hopefully though, he can begin holing more putts because if he does, he will challenge for top honors. His form is scintillating right now so he remains on our radar and for as long as the bookies keep offering him at 28/1 in regular tour events, we will have to keep taking that each way value.

Finally, I was personally delighted to see our man, Shane Lowry claiming a top 10 finish. After a poor first nine holes, Shane rallied in the back nine and will be quietly content as he heads to his first ever major as a professional this week. I heard recently that Shane was down playing in my local club, Carton House. Should he return, I will have to dust off the microphone and bring you that interview……now where exactly did I leave that damn thing?….8 months is a long time!

Fresh off his victory in Adare Manor at the 2 day J.P McManus Pro-Am event, Ulsterman Darren Clarke was at it again, this time in Scotland. Shooting a blistering 6 under par, 65, Clarke leads by one from Graeme Storm, Edoardo Molinari and in form Damien McGrane.

What was notable in Clarke’s win last week was his second round of -4 in what were incredibly difficult conditions on a long testing golf course. There is no question he has always had the talent to compete with the very best but an inconsistent putter and quick (very quick) temper has all too often seen him slip down leaderboards in recent seasons. We don’t doubt his credentials to win but there’s a lot of golf left yet.

As for our tips, it was a steady opening round rather than spectacular. Francesco Molinari was only one shot off the lead playing the 17th but two bogeys dropped him back to -3 and nicely in contention. Elsewhere, Graeme McDowell birdied his final two holes to finish on level par. As usual, Graeme mixed his fare share of birdies with bogeys. However, McDowell is probably one of the best iron players in the world right now and if he can get on a hot streak in any part of his round, birdie blitzes usually follow. We remain hopeful he will catch fire at some stage but acknowledge that fatigue could of course be an issue come the weekend.

Martin Kaymer still doesn’t look himself and although he shot level par, it is somewhat worrying that his form is average at best. It is encouraging that he is still there or thereabouts but we are hoping something clicks over the next few days. It is only a matter of time before it does so why not this week? We shall see!

Finally, Kenneth Ferrie was our outside 100/1 shot and at level par, he hasn’t had a bad start. Looking through his stats, everything in his game seems to be in order except for perhaps his putting. When you see the professionals having 30+ putts, you know they feel they are conceding ground to their fellow peers. If Ferrie can get the putter working, he has to game to move up that leaderboard.

Elsewhere, I am delighted to see Shane Lowry playing well. Having had an early double bogey he had 5 birdies to finish on -3. With his love for links golf and his game looking very solid, Shane will be quietly confident about his chances in St.Andrews next week.

Of the rest, how great is it to see John Daly at -4? For him to win, or at least compete again would be marvelous…..golf cannot replace aggressive golfers like him or Phil Mickelson easily. Long may they grace our TV screens!

It’s been a while since Ive typed in these pages due to other commitments that simply had to take precedence. However, with a bit of luck and one hours less sleep per night, Im hoping to post a bit more regularly going forward. Nevertheless, due to my time contraints, I have sought out help with the blog so it is with great pleasure that I welcome my younger brother Ian, to the We Get Golf Blog.

The good news for you guys is that Ian and I have had a very successful year with picking winners from the golf in 2010. I have been lucky to have had both major winners while Ian has had a host of high priced placed finshes as well as multiple winners. So, going forward, Ian (a golf-a-holic) has agreed to share his observations on upcoming tournaments in an effort to aid you in your research. Needless to say, past performance is not indicative of future performance, but I’d be surprised if we don’t unearth a few gems before the season is out. I will also be weighing in and discussing our picks before posting live to the blog so as to leave no stone unturned. With that being said, I always think the early part of the season is a little easier to pick winners than the busier, more illustrious summer months, but hey, maybe that’s just me looking for an early excuse.

Well, enough of my ramblings, here is Ian’s take on the upcoming Scottish Open in Loch Lomond.

The first player we have to look at is the defending champion Martin Kaymer. He came close in France last week and by his own admittance, struck the ball poorly. But if he can mix it up with the best in the game by hitting the ball poorly, then you have to give him every chance here. At 16/1, his odds are not exactly screaming value but at the same time, it stills offers reasonable each way value. Kaymer currently lies eighth in The Race to Dubai, a little over eight hundred thousand euro behind leader Graeme McDowell and with the winners share being a little over six hundred thousand euro; he could make up some serious ground on McDowell.

The second player to lo have a look at is Francesco Molinari. The Italian also came oh so close last week to picking up his second European Tour victory of his career. He was narrowly beaten in a play-off last week by Miguel Angel Jimenez and he is clearly hungry for more success. The Italian thus far has had a T2nd, a 3rd and a T4th place finishes this year as well as another top ten finish. His tied sixth finish here in 2008 shows that he has the history to back our selection. At 28/1 Molinari’s odds are fair for the quality he represents and the world number thirty five could well outshine the rest of the field and take home the title.

Graeme McDowell is also another man to look out for on Sunday. He has won the last two 4-round competitions he has played in, most notably winning the US Open by one shot only three weeks ago. He also has form in this event, winning it in 2008. So, just so long as McDowell isn’t sporting any kind of hangover upon his return to the Emerald Isle last week, we think he is worth a punt at 28/1

If you were looking to back a long shot, you could be tempted by Kenneth Ferrie. The Englishman would have had a very strong finish last week but he unfortunately found the water twice on the treacherous eighteenth at Le Golf National in Paris and ended up taking a nine. He still finished at T18th but he was T3 at the BMW International Open the week before. He has had two top fifteen finishes and two further top twenty finishes in this event. His odds of 100/1 represent good money for an each way bet.

There you have it, 4 players who Ian thinks could contend this weeks Scottinsh Open. Im busy looking into who I think will walk away with the coveted Claret Jug the week after but the above should keep you going for now. Aside from this, I also want to apologise to those who have left comments on the blog over the past few months and to which I never responded. I am only reading through the comments now but wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for your kind words and best wishes. I have just deleted over 1,500 emails from my inbox and if that’s not enough, there are 2,927 left to go. Im trying to read through as many as I can but simply will not have the time to respond to them all. Going forward, Im going to stay on top of this though and ensure I get to know more of you better. Feel free to email me at wegetgolf@gmail.com……Response guaranteed ☺

Early days yet but a great start for my two tips.

Brian Gay leads the way on -6 after a superb round of 64. David Toms is also well positioned in T8 after a solid opening round of 67. No surprise to see Toms leading the driving accuracy stats. Regardless of what happens the next few days, with his driving is in such good shape, he has to be a serious consideration for the US Open next week.

While it is true that you cannot win the tournament on Thursday, you certainly can loose it.

Other notables with good opening rounds were Jose Maria Olazabal and Graeme McDowell with 66′s, Jerry Kelly, Robert Allenby and “Boss of the Moss” Loren Roberts with 67′s and crowd favorite Phil Mickelson, who leads the driving distance stats, is 4 shots back after a 68.