IN MY VIEW

What an interesting and at times exciting start to the golfing year it’s been. In men’s golf, contrary to the bookie’s and most people’s expectations, Tiger didn’t win The Masters, despite being within striking distance of the lead throughout most of the final day. For a moment, it looked as though we might have our first English winner since Nick Faldo, until Justin Rose sadly

double bogied the seventeenth hole. All credit to the eventual winner Zach Johnson, who held his nerve to clinch his first major Championship. Many people had been tipping Zach to do great things since he first arrived on Tour several years ago. Since his Augusta win, Zach has won again on the PGA Tour, and will play in the rest of this season’s majors, including next month’s U.S.Open at Oakmont full of confidence and starting as one of the favourites. Although Phil Mickelson’s recent performance in winning the TPC Championship at Sawgrass since recently working with Butch Harmon, augurs well for a battle of the giants!

I’ve enjoyed watching a lot of the men’s European Tour events from around the world, especially because they’ve been played at courses that I’ve recently played, including The Blue Canyon course in Thailand, the Thomson Pudong and Silport courses in Shanghai in China. I was particularly impressed with the young South African, Anton Haig when he won the Johnnie Walker Classic at The Blue Canyon Course after a three way play-off.

Since the men’s European Tour has returned to mainland Europe, it’s been particularly pleasing for Irish golf fans that Padraig Harrington became the first Irishman in twenty-five years to win the Irish Open, which this year was played at Adare Manor Hotel & Golf Resort.

This week’s BMW Championship at Wentworth has once again attracted a top class field, and is probably rated as “The Fifth Major” by European Tour players. After that, we have the men’s U.S. Open to look forward to from 14th-17th June.

Following Annika Sorentam’s enforced lay off due to back problems, as predicted, Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa has taken over from Annika as the world’s number one female golfer. Already sitting comfortably at the top of the LPGA money list, it would be a surprise to most golf fans if Lorena wasn’t still there at the end of the season, or if she doesn’t win one of the three remaining women’s majors. Unlike the men’s majors, which are spread out throughout the year, the women, have two in the same month, with the McDonald’s LPGA Championship being played from 7th-10th June, and the U.S. Women’s Open returning to Pine Needles at the end of June.

Morgan Pressel surprised a lot of people by winning the Kraft Nabisco Championship. Until the fifteenth hole, it seemed that Norway’s Suzann Petterson, was going to win, but she dropped four shots in the last five holes, eventually finishing in a tie for second place with Scotland’s Catriona Matthew and one of America’s other young stars, Brittany Lincicome. It has been well documented that Suzann has been working on the mental side of her game with Pia Nilsson. Rather than

being crushed by seemingly loosing the Kraft Nabisco when she had it within her grasp, Suzann came back strongly three weeks later to win The Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill in Virginia. At the time of writing this, Suzann is currently lying second on the LPGA $ list. I feel that Suzann could have a sensational season. I’m just glad that she will be on the European Solheim Cup team in September, and also that Lorena Ochoa as a Mexican isn’t eligible for the U.S. team!

On the Ladies European Tour, the first four events of the year were won by Australians, with Karrie Webb winning the first two held in her native Australia, and then last year’s Rookie of the Year in Europe – Nikki Garrett winning in Tenerife and Spain when the Tour returned to mainland Europe. Australia’s domination had a chance to continue in the Deutsche Bank Swiss Open when Anna Rawson found herself in a three way play-off with Spain’s Paula Marti and Germany’s Bettina Hauert. In a quite incredible finish to her round, Bettina was victorious at the fourth extra hole, having played her final three holes in regulation play in three under par, only to birdie all four holes in the play-off! Bettina’s win took her to fourth in the automatic Solheim Cup standings, and to the top of the money list ahead of Nikki Garre, and Paula Marti in third place.

I’m really excited about the forthcoming three major Championships in June. I will be a studio guest at Sky TV for the U.S.Women’s Open, and will be rooting for a British or European win in all three majors. Log on next month for more of my comments about the exciting month ahead!