Topic: Golf Talk / Craig Jones fires record 59

Yes Have Clubs that was the reason we altered the original press release sent out by the PGA. I felt it have overlooked Brad’s effort.
The link to our article article spells that out.

I understand what they were saying in that it was the best in relation to par but perhaps that should have been made clearer and Brad’s effort mentioned. His of course was on a par 71 layout but his was still the first round of 59 in a recognised event in Australia as such.
http://www.iseekgolf.com/ne...

Topic: Ask Bruce / Billy Dunk

Yes Dunky, as his course record history would suggest, had a real capacity to go low.

He had an aversion to travel – in fact the two events I caddied for him in Europe was one of the few times he went there.

He played in Japan and I think he won twice up there but I think most would say he didn’t capitalise on what was an outstanding golf game, although that was obviously the way he wanted it. I can recall when he was on fire he absolutely peppered the flags with his iron play.

Lag there is a an old video on the history of Australian Open golf called exatly that which may have some footage on it. He never won the event but might have been in the mix in several. When I get a chance I will have a look.

Topic: Ask Bruce / Billy Dunk

lag

I’m not sure where you could get those. I have an old copy of Australian Opens and there might be some footage in there even though he never won one. I will try and have a look. If I can track any down I will let you know.

I caddied for Dunky at the John Player Classic and the Dunlop Masters in the UK one year and I can recall leaving the umbrella in the pro shop at Turnberry prior to one of the rounds at the John Player.

As we walked to the 17th tee there it started persisting down and when he asked me for the brolly I had to tell him I didn’t have it. Those glasses that could get steamed up at the best of times were very steamed up that day.

He never let me forget it for the next few years whenever he saw me!!

Topic: Ask Bruce / Ochoa - Total Dominance?

Seoul

I think you will find that Jan Stephenson’s comments were targeted at the Asian golfers and more specifically the Koreans and not the LPGA Tour generally and she copped a lot of grief for it.

Jan Stephenson is a great advocate of the LPGA Tour and Women’s golf

Topic: Ask Bruce / A job in golf

Hi Gun

To my knowledge there would be no specific level required other than an interest in the game and, as is the case in any other retail outlet, a good presentation and good communication skills.

If you are genuinely interested I would be treading the footpaths and knocking on doors to indicate to a potential employer your preparedness to get off your butt and do something about your desire to be involved. You never know who might have just laid someone off and you might just be Johnnie on the Spot.

You will certainly not get a job by just staying home and wishing you had the job.

Seeing someone being being proactive is one of the greatest incentives for an employer to take somebody on especially someone who they might want to employ as a front person.

Some such store owners might wish their staff to have a level of PGA qualification but I’m willing to bet their are plenty of job opportunities out there to unqualified but smart operators.

Topic: Golf Talk / Norman awaits historic day at Open

I stand corrected gentlemen – thanks

Topic: Ask Bruce / golf books

Hey golferman68

Interesting question. I just looked through my bookshelf and some of the titles that jumped out at me other than my many reference ‘year of golf’ type books include

Seve Ryder Cup Hero by Lauren St John

‘Nick Faldo Life Swings’

‘Rookie on Tour’ – Carl Paulson

‘A good walk spoiled’ by John Feinstein

Caddy for Life – John Feinstein – re Bruce Edwards

The Majors by John Feinstein

The Greatest game ever played – by Mark Frost – re Frances Ouimet

The Greatest of them all – legend of Bobby Jones

These I found to be interesting

Topic: Ask Bruce / The Open

Hi Lizzie – always good to hear from you at major championship time. Admin will be putting my thoughts on the event and the Australasians on the site soon but for your reference and hopefully guidance I provide the following rundown on the leading players provided for a betting website this week.

The weather is apparently a little damp early in the week and as far into the week as Friday but the weekend at this stage appears fine although predicting a weather pattern on the irish Sea is fraught with danger.

Don’t be too hard on the Americans mate they have won ten of the last thirteen Open Championships in all sorts of weather.

Here’s my thoughts:
http://forums.iseekgolf.com...

Topic: Ask Bruce / Ochoa - Total Dominance?

Just a little harsh Hybrid I would have thought.

Ochoa, as you may be aware as someone who appears to be a keen observer of the game, has suffered from the death of two of her close family members in recent weeks and given the family type she is then it may be that her mind has been elsewhere of late.

What’s all this anti women golf sentiment in your responses? This isn’t about drawing comparisons betwen men and women’s golf as there is no comparison at the elite level in terms of ability to produce similar scores on the same layout.

Six wins, two other top fives in and two more top tens in 12 starts this season and 40% more in prizemoney this season than her nearest pursuer suggest to me she is the dominant player in the game.

Topic: Golf Talk / Sir Bob Charles: A Modern Day Marvel

Guru having had the good fortune to caddie for Bob when he has been putting close to his best I would agree with your friend Dart. I caddied for Bob when he won the Swiss Open one year and in about four other events.

One of the things that made him so impressive was his capacity to judge pace so well. Clearly he was good at most aspects of putting but in my experience he was one of the great judges of pace on his putts. Not to mention a great ability to read greens well.

I must say however that having spent a bit of time watching at last year’s NZ Open where he did so well his ball striking is almost as good now as it has ever been. He is freakish.

I see he again broke his age overnight in Ireland – 71

Topic: Golf Talk / Surprise leaders at US Open

Tai

I think if you read my note you will find I have not called them ‘no names’ at any time. That was your interpretation of my article.

I would be the last to sugggest that anyone who makes a US Open field can’t play but I stand by my claim that Hicks is like many others who have had a day out by leading the US Open in round one and then faded over the next few rounds. Good on him and I hope he does well from here but I can’t see it. He has done well just to be here.

You will also read my assessment on your friend Kevin and the fact that he was in second place leading into the weekend at this very course at the Buick earlier in the year. Where did I say he ‘got lucky around the paddock’?

Topic: Golf Talk / Jason Day Audio Interview - June 2008

Thanks guys. It has been interesting to witness the growth of Jason as a individual as well as a golfer over the past couple of years since he has been playing in the US.

His answers now are much more expansive and I thought he gave us a good and ‘from the horses mouth’ insight into where he is at with things at present.

Sorry about the actual sound quality but we are working on that and have it improved for future interviews. We hope now to do more of those with players on iseekgolf in the future.

A couple of other interviews that might be of interest are those I have done with Peter Lonard (recovering from a back injury) and Nathan Green for their respective sites this past few days.

www.peterlonard.com
www.greenygolf.com

Topic: Ask Bruce / US Open form guide

Thought I would include my thoughts on this week’s chances in this area of the site.

Tiger Woods returns to the fray after a break of two months for arthroscopic knee surgery and his subsequent recovery. He only played his first full round since the operation last week. While there is a lot of hype about his return – and given his place in the game so there should be – it should be remembered that it has been six years since Woods last won this event and given his recent layoff the shorts odds being quoted are perhaps too short for my liking.

Phil Mickelson – like Woods, this golf course holds a special place in Mickelson’s heart. His origins in the game were not far from here and as a three time winner of the Buick at this venue, he has all the credentials to do well again. His season to date has included two wins and a runner up finish in addition to several other solid weeks. He won the Crowne Plaza tournament two starts ago and finished 20th at the Memorial at his last start. There is a lot to suggest this could be Mickelson’s week.

Adam Scott – there is still the question mark about Scott’s capacity to win a major but it is fair to assume he is closer to doing so than at any other stage in his career. It is nearly twelve months since Scott missed a cut, indicating a far greater consistency in his game now than ever before. His improved short game will stand him in good stead this week but I am still to be convinced on his capacity to win.

Ernie Els – gets a mention because of his standing in world golf but his recent form hardly suggests he will contend this week. After winning the Honda Classic earlier this year, Els has missed five of his last seven cuts and only a 6th place finish at the Memorial gave any indication that this was indeed world number four. I can’t get excited about his chances.

Geoff Ogilvy has some very good form this season and, importantly, as a major winner already, he knows he can do it rather than thinks he can. He was 7th at the Colonial and 9th at the Memorial which is good lead in form. Ogilvy has developed into a big event player, having a US Open and two World Golf Championships on his resume.

Justin Rose – is closing in on the category, along with Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and Luke Donald as the best players in the world without a major to their name. He has performed well in major championships in recent years, including being four times inside the top 12 in 2007. His runner-up finish at the Memorial highlights the current state of his game and he has a chance.

Steve Stricker – would have been considered one of the favourites for this event three months ago but he has lost his way big-time since. It will be hard to turn around the downward spiral that four consecutive missed cuts have him in and unfortunately I can’t get excited about a player that has been one of my favourites in recent major championships.

Jim Furyk – has not been his normal sharp self in recent weeks but as the runner up in this event in each of his last two years and a winner in 2003, he could still do well. His top tens at Doral, Hilton Head and Quail Hollow, give an indication of his form in at least recent months and he could well challenge again.

Vijay Singh – missed the cut at the Players Championship and then withdrew through injury at the BMW PGA in England. He played last week’s event in Memphis and did well and his form earlier in the season was very good. Although it has been nearly 18 months since Singh won in the US, he has finished inside the top ten in seven of his fourteen starts in this event. The concern for Singh fans however is his lack of success at this venue having never finished inside the top ten at the Buick Invitational.

Sergio Garcia – his win at the Players Championship is a clear indication that when the Spaniard puts it all together he can beat any field on any course. He followed that win up with a very mediocre effort at the Memorial and last week in Memphis finished close up after a final round of 66.

Stewart Cink – is one of the form players of the year with six top ten finishes including when third at the Buick Invitational on this very course. He is the grinding type of player who should in theory do well in this type of event but in recent years he has struggled. The Cink of 2008 appears a rejuvenated player however and he could do well.

K.J. Choi – seems to have lost his way of late after an impressive start to the year. The US Open has not exactly been kind to Choi, a 15th place finish at Pinehurst his best in seven appearances. Despite the class player he is, his recent form makes it hard to get excited about his chances.

Padraig Harrington- is a player whose game seems ready made for the US Open and five top tens in the event back up that claim. After a brilliant start to the season, Harrington’s form has not been so good in recent weeks although the British Open Champion had a much better week last week in Memphis when finishing inside the top five.

Luke Donald – arrives at Torrey Pines off the back of two very good weeks at the BMW PGA and at the Memorial. He has only played this event on four occasions but has a couple of top twenty finishes to his name amongst those. He has a great record at Torrey Pines at the Buick Invitational having twice been runner up.

Aaron Baddeley – led into the final round of this event last year before finishing 13th. While his game is not quite at the same level as was the case leading into this event last year neither has it been bad and if he was able to get himself into a similar position this year after 54 holes there might be a different scenario at the end of the event.

Robert Karlsson – is playing as well now as he has even done and his 8th place finish at Augusta suggests that another top ten finish, or better, is not out of the question this week. He followed up that week at the Masters with three third placed and one runner up placed finish and so comes into the event with his game in great shape. He has struggled in major championship golf but his game is at a different level in 2008.

Henrik Stenson – seems almost the forgotten man of world golf of late but his recent form has not been all that bad. He has only played ten events this season but six of those have been top ten finishes including a recent 10th place finish at the Players Championship.

Trevor Immelman’s surprise win at Augusta brings him into calculations for this event. Until his near miss last week in Memphis, he had not played all that well since, after a run of three or four events where he was perhaps coming to terms with the magnitude of his achievement in April. Memphis tells the story of an Immelman back in focus.

Justin Leonard – has played solidly for much of 2008, including a very hot start to the season. His great week in Memphis last week further confirmed his readiness for this event. Interestingly he has yet to record a top ten n this event but the form he is in gives him a great chance of that milestone at least. He finished 5th at Torrey Pines earlier this year.

Stephen Ames – has played very well in recent weeks and is a noted wind player which may well be a prerequisite to success this week. He has two top tens at the US Open and at longer odds appeals to me as the sort of player who represents value. He backed off a little in Memphis last week after being in contention heading into the final round.

Tim Clark seems to have struck form at the right time after what had been a slow starts to the season. Clark has the type of grinding game that suits US Open golf. He has been inside the top 20 in three of his last four starts in the event and after a second place at the Colonial and another solid week in Memphis, he will have his admirers.

Andres Romero – continues to impress with his performances at the highest level. His near miss at Carnoustie last year and his 8th place finish at Augusta were further enhanced by wins on the European and PGA Tours in the past 10 months and if he was to become the second consecutive Argentine to win the event it would not be a great surprise.

Angel Cabrera – gets a mention only as the defending champion but his form leading into the event is not good and it would surprise to contend.

Robert Allenby – Even before his great week in Memphis last week, his form in 2008 has been very solid, making 14 consecutive cuts. He has been a notable absentee from contention in major championships with only three top tens although one of them was when 7th in this event in 2004. Is this the week for Allenby to take his game to another level? His current form suggests it could well be.

Miguel Angel Jimenenz – was second in this event in 2000, albeit 15 shots behind Woods when the event was played at Pebble Beach. The Spaniard withdrew from the recent Wales Open but he has been in fine form of late including his big win at the BMW PGA Championship. A knee injury forced his withdrawal from the Wales Open but provided it is healed there is reason to believe he can do well this week.

Lee Westwood – has been playing very well in 2008 and although he withdrew from the BMW PGA with food poisoning it should have no bearing on this week’s events. Westwood has had several reasonable weeks at the US Open including when 5th at Pebble Beach which does have some similarity to Torrey Pines.

Boo Weekley – may not be an automatic consideration to win a major championship but he plays good golf courses well and is playing well enough to perhaps be a factor this week. He has only played in four major championships but has made the cut in all including an impressive 15th place on debut at Augusta earlier this year.

Topic: Ask Bruce / Putting Stroke

jnr the length of the backswing in relation ot the follow through is very much a personal and feel thing based on my experience of working for one or two ruly great putters including Bob Charles

In essence the blade needs to be picking up speed on the way through the ball but I have seen some great putters with short backswings and others with slow smooth backswings.

I think if you work on the idea that you need to ensure you are not slowing things down on the way to the ball then the length is almost immaterial and becomes an experience and touch issue.

Topic: Ask Bruce / golf rules

Bernw -John is right in as much as when you take relief you must take full relief. ‘The ball must be redropped without penalty if, when dropping your ball it rolls to and comes to rest in a position where there is interference by the condition from which relief was taken in the first place (in this instance a local rule offering relief from staked trees).

Many people assume that a staked tree is a universal invitation to take releif but it must be included as part of local rules.

It is incorporated in Rule 20-2 c and is to my understanding two shots

Topic: Ask Bruce / Scott Draper talks

Stokesy

I wrote an article on Nikki for a women’s golf magazine recently and while I haven’t actually seen her play myself, one of Gary Edwin’s guys, Peter Krawitz, who gave her a couple of lessons a while ago said “Nikki has a lot of natural ability and hits the ball as far as I have seen most of the leading lady golfers hit it.”

I don’t think she has any real illusions of grandeur but after the Olympics she is keen to throw herself into golf more and see how far it can take her. She is going to join a club and begin to play more competitve golf rather than just the corporate and social golf she plays now.

She appears to be a very driven individual and who knows she might just get to be pretty good at the game but then playing it for a living is another issue.

Topic: Ask Bruce / This week's reviews

For those of you who are not always aware there is a front page to this site. Here is my take on the events this week plus all the scores. Click on the AUS/NZ tab to see an ANZ only scoreboard for each tour.

http://www.iseekgolf.com/to...

Links to each article:

http://www.iseekgolf.com/ne...

http://www.iseekgolf.com/ne...

http://www.iseekgolf.com/ne...

http://www.iseekgolf.com/ne...

http://www.iseekgolf.com/ne...

Topic: Ask Bruce / Webb

Hi Lizzie

Perhaps just a little harsh. She won in Australia, finished 5th in a very strong field in Singapore, third after a brilliant last round of 64 in Florida in her second last start. I know where you are coming from though.

She did only ok last year but won five times in 2006 after being in the wilderness for a while then so she might get fired up again.

She said a couple of weeks ago she was happy with the way she was hitting the ball but struggling with the putter. She is a bit of a big event player so we might get a better feel for where she is at in the majors coming up such as the LPGA, the US Open and the British Open.

These were her comments this week at a pre tournament press conference.

“Well, I’ve been swung at it well for probably the last—well, for the whole year, I felt like I’ve swung at it pretty well and just the two Top-5 finishes were weeks that I putted pretty decently. And on weeks I’m struggling to keep up with the low scores that are being shot out here, really I’ve got to get the putter to start working a little bit better and once that happens, I think it sort of flows to the rest of your game to the point where you swing at it better because you can swing at it more confidently and know that if you do miss a shot you’re going to get it up-and-down because you’ll make the putt for par.”

“I still have the desire. I still want to be as good as I can be. I know I’m not fulfilling my potential as a player right now. I know I can play better than what I’ve been playing. You know, there’s the desire to prove that to myself and to prove that to anyone who doesn’t believe that. So you know, it is a little bit different. I think I still work as hard on my game, but I just try not to be as hard on myself as I was in my 20s. I think that’s probably the only difference.”

“I guarantee you I have a few more chances of winning if I can get the putter working and seeing the ball go in the hole.”

Topic: Ask Bruce / Unrepaired divot hole at Masters

Mormc

I am very mich of the opinion of both Chris 81 and u8ergolfer that it should remain as rub of the green and take your chances.

The decision making process would – as Chris says – become far too discretionary and slow play down even further where disputes arise. Hit it, find it, hit it again I say.

It generally all evens out in this game.

One area where there might be a chance for a change is in the area of the forced ball drop area where in an area of say one metre square there might be 20 divots and a guy forced to take a drop in there has a significant chance of his ball finding a divot. I think there is an argument for placing in that situation but as far as general play is concerned I think it should remain as it is.

cheers

Topic: Ask Bruce / Ochoa - Total Dominance?

Liz

I agree if there was a way to get her down here for either the ANZ or the Aust Open it would be great. The good thing about Ochoa from my understanding is that she is not driven by money or appeancce fee in terms of traveling but I would imagine it is at least an issue to some degree. She did come down here in 2003 but it may be a little more difficult now given the demands on her time.

The other issue that gives Australioans a chance of seeing her at some future stage is that she is manged by her brother so decisions on those sort of things are a family and personal decision rather than a corporate design by a management company.

Ochoa’s seems to get a bit of media here I think – certainly on iseekgolf, the biggest and busiest golfing only website in Australia, we cover not only every LPGA event but ladies events in Japan and Europe, especially when an Australian has done well.

In other golf related media work I do I will always mention the LPGA events where appropriate and I think Fox do a pretty good job of covering the LPGA Tour.

Yes Ochoa I taking a deserved break and yes I think Pettersen is peaking. She made a slow start to the year but she is very much on track now. This is a new course this week with no previous form to give us a hand other than it is a Robert Trent Jones layout (redesigned supposedly by Ray Floyd).

If form and class is anything to go by she has a great chance but that Tseng just keeps getting better and will break through before long.

Topic: Ask Bruce / Ochoa - Total Dominance?

Tell me you are kidding Fyiripu beacuse if you re not then your are obviously not up to speed with the world of women’s golf!!

In my opinion Ocoa is one of the most engaging chrismatic personalites the female game has had for a long time and she can flat out play to boot.

Are you suggesting thet Sorenstam and Webb are more charismatic – give me a break

Topic: Golf Talk / Golfing around Omaha, New Zealand

racinfarmer

I played Omaha about two years ago and they were in the process of making changes to the course and at the time it was a mixture of good and bad. It is a pleasant enough golf course but don’t expect anything too great. Great beach at Omaha spoiled a little by the amount and style of real estate though – so what’s new?

Mangawhai Heads further north is not a bad country type coastal layout although not what you would call a links course as such.

If you are looking for something more elaborate then you might try Gulf Harbour about an hour south of Omaha which has a mixture of some good holes but some very ordinary ones also.

Peninsula Golf Club is another about an hour or so form Omaha towards Auckland that has some merit so as long as your expectations are not too high you an at least have some fun on thise courses.

Topic: Golf Talk / Steve Williams Interview: The Masters

Yes Guru in a recent interview Woods also said that of Steve – namely that he is a very competitve guy and that is yet another reason why they relate so well.

Topic: Ask Bruce / Masters Form Guide

For those interested in a wager at Augusta some of my thoughts on the leading chances

Tiger Woods – Little more needs to be said other than mentioning the name. The game’s greatest looks for his 14th major championship and his fifth green jacket. Woods has been in scintillating form in 2008 with four victories and one fifth place finish in five starts. Just how they are going to beat him is anybody’s guess but golf can be a funny game and it should be remembered he has won only one Masters in his last five visits to Augusta. At even money, some might say it is too short for comfort but as the saying goes no-one ever went broke backing winners.

Phil Mickelson used last week’s Houston Open as his warm up for Augusta and played solidly enough without threatening. Struggling a little with his putting at present which is a concern heading to Augusta but if he can turn that around he could take it to Tiger. With two victories at Augusta and four other top threes, Mickelson is somewhat of a course specialist. A win in Los Angeles earlier this year and three solid if unspectacular performances, since have him in good shape for another good week.

Ernie Els threw some concern amongst his followers when he played poorly at the PODS Championship and at Doral then withdrew from The Shell Houston Open last week. The reason for the indifferent form after his win at the Honda was a virus which has forced him to lay low. With such a disrupted preparation Els faces a difficult task.

Vijay Singh has had a tremendously consistent record at Augusta over recent years, in fact Singh has 10 top ten finishes to his name in the past 13 years including when winning in 2000. In some very good form at present, including when runner up to Geoff Ogilvy at his last start at Doral, everything points to the Fijian having a great week.

Steve Stricker does not have a good record at Augusta but he has seldom played there in recent years. He missed the cut in 2007 but he has become one of the game’s best players in the last two years and at number four in the world deserves some respect. He has played well in 2008 and was had a reasonable tournament in Houston.

Adam Scott was the cause for some concern when he withdrew from the Shell Houston Open after an opening round of 63 and a follow up round of 76. He was suffering from a virus so that, along with his indifferent record in major championship golf, is an issue to be considered for those who fancy his chances. Scott’s improved putting in 2008 will assist him in his quest to improve on his previous best at Augusta when 9th on debut in 2002 but there is still a question mark.

Justin Rose has made the cut in each of his three Masters appearances. He finished a very impressive 5th last year. He has played only a limited amount of events this year but his form has been very good when he has played and, although he has yet to win a PGA Tour event, it would not be the greatest of surprises for him to make the Masters his first.

K.J. Choi has been rock solid in events he has played this year and has a third place finish at Augusta to his credit in 2004. Now, with five Masters behind him, he is well placed to have another good week. He had a nice week in Houston last week without threatening the leaders .

Geoff Ogilvy has developed into a big event player since winning his first event in Tucson in 2005. Of the four events he has won in professional golf, one has been a major and two have been World Golf Championship events. He has played Augusta well in the two times he has played. He was well placed through 50 holes last year before a horror quadruple bogey at the 15th. He was a very solid 16th on debut in 2006 and in the form he is in now, including a great week in Houston where he is challenging for the lead as this is written, he has a great chance at Augusta.

Retief Goosen has produced four top three’s in his last six times to Augusta and as such is somewhat of a course specialist. Despite a slip in the world rankings in recent times, a runner up place finish at the World Golf Championship event at Doral suggests he is heading in the right direction. If he could reproduce that form at Augusta this week he stands a chance of winning his third major championship.

Jim Furyk has missed only one cut in eleven visits to Augusta but has a best of 4th in 1998 and 2003. His form has been mixed of late but a good runner up finish to Ogilvy at Doral indicates things are not too far from where he needs to be.

Padraig Harrington has regularly done well at Augusta and is in the middle of a consistently good run of form. He had a good solid warm up last week in Houston where a last round of 68 has him peaking nicely. Prior to that seemed to be in contention in everything he played in the past six months or so. Now a major winner, he plays with the knowledge he can win at this level and should do well.

Rory Sabbatini took four starts to get the hang of Augusta National but in his 5th time to the event last year he finished runner up behind Zach Johnson. Not everybody’s cup of tea, Sabbatini is nonetheless a very fine player and although his great early season form has dropped off a little, he might still do well.

Henrik Stenson missed the cut in his first time to Augusta two years ago, but improved to 17th last year. He has not played often in 2008 but has generally played well when he has including being twice runner up and once third in events in the Middle East and at the Accenture Match Play. He has the benefit of two time Masters winning caddie Fanny Sunneson on the bag.

Sergio Garcia has not missed a cut anywhere for ten months but there have not been a lot of high finishes amongst those events. The Spaniard’s best finish at Augusta National was when 4th in 2004 but his recent 15th place finish at Doral suggests he is not far from where he needs to be in order to have a good week. He has yet to win a major but has been close on several occasions including his playoff loss to Harrington at Carnoustie last year.

Luke Donald has played just three times at Augusta but his third on debut in 2005 was full of merit and he finished 10th last year suggesting that the Augusta layout suits his game. He has played well this year more especially when third at the Riviera tournament and runner up at the Honda. There is a lot to like about his chances of another good week.

Zach Johnson often plays well at this time of the year as he did when he won the Masters twelve months ago. While he has slipped in the world ranking since his two shot win over Woods, Sabbatini and Goosen last year there have been signs that a repeat victory at Augusta National is not beyond the realms of possibility. Interestingly his form this year is better than it was leading into Augusta last year, his 9th place at the recent C-A Championship a repeat of his same finish last year just prior to the Masters.

Stewart Cink was in very good form prior to his bizarre disqualification in New Orleans two weeks ago. He is a bit of a ‘no frills’ player but his form at present is as good as it has been in some time and despite a best of 10th at in ten visits to Augusta, things could get considerably better this week.

Possible outside chances

Tim Clark has a good record at Augusta because he is one of the game’s leading putters and is a grinder. He has started to play a little better of late after a slow start to the year in recovery from injury. Clark finished runner up to Mickelson in 2006 and led after 36 holes last year before a third round of 80 but still managed to finish 13th.

Jose Maria Olazabal is an Augusta National specialist with two victories and numerous top ten finishes. Olazabal returned to tournament golf only two weeks ago in Spain but last week in Houston he showed he has recovered well from a form of Rheumatism when he played well, especially early in the week. While a long shot, his regularly good form at Augusta gives him some hope a good week.

Fred Couples has never missed a cut in 23 starts at Augusta – a stunning record. Couples is a day to day proposition because of back issues but there have been some very good rounds of golf in recent weeks including a great week in Houston last week. It might be a little much to expect the 48 year old to contend but a good showing would not surprise.

Aaron Baddeley has a very ordinary record at Augusta but he has emerged as a world class player in recent times and is in good enough form for him to expect a much better week. His putting, which is such a strength in his arsenal, should give him an edge at a golf course where there is a huge premium on quality putting and now with three previous attempts at the tournament he has the knowledge he needs to take advantage.

Stuart Appleby was playing so well earlier in the year that he was being considered a possible Masters contender, especially having led after 54 holes in 2007 before finishing 7th. His form in recent weeks has not been quite as sharp but if he can find that early season form again he can expect a good week.

Topic: Ask Bruce / Ochoa - Total Dominance?

Hi Liz

Yes I too am a big fan of Ochoa’s and have been since she came to Australia in 2003 and won the hearts of all us media types with her media savvy ways and lovely polite demeanour. From what I am told there is not a person anywhere who would say a bad word about her.

She has it all in my mind. Charisma, length from the tee, great short game, improved accuracy, a great ability to go low and now with a major behind her it will be a big surprise if she does not start mounting up major titles this year.

I agree that she will again dominate the game in 2008 although there are signs that Sorenstam wants a bit more of the action in 2008 than she had last year. Ochoa’s effort in Mexico after her stunning 11 shot victory in Singapore was perhaps surprising but funnily enough she has never played that event well and you can imagine the distractions and expectations on her in Mexico City.

This week will be an interesting litmus test for where she is at in comparison to her rivals when she lines up against a very strong field at the Safeway event in Phoenix. She won by two over Suzann Pettersen last year with Pettersen later in the year beginning to challenge her domination.

Sorenstam has won twice at this week’s venue so everything points to a great week and perhaps an interesting guide to what lies ahead.

As her lead in the rankings would suggest Ochoa is a long way ahead of the others and provided she remains fit and healthy I can see her dominating the female game for several years to come.

Sorenstam might challenge her at times this year and Pettersen, Creamer, Kerr and Webb might have their moments but until the likes of Ji Yai Shin (who won in Japan last week but does not yet have LPGA Tour status) and Yani Tseng establish their credentials on the LPGA Tour it is hard to see any other golfer mounting a serious challenge to Ochoa’s domination.

I like the way you are thinking. If I was trying to find some value this week it might be Laura Diaz who finished third here last year and has played ok this year already.