On Tuesday I travelled back up to St Andrews.

Sometimes I drive and sometimes I fly but a few days ago I chose the train from London Kings Cross.

Infact I was an hour early and so I wandered over to St Pancras International station next door as I wanted to see the redevelopment in the flesh.

Why I love rail travel.

Quite simply rail travel means I don’t lose a day of work. The East Coast trains comes with WiFi allowing me to work throughout my journey. I also have a Vodafone datacard as backup.

I do marvel at how easy internet access is becoming, soon everywhere will be one massive hotspot!

Only today I was reading that Alaska Airlines will be offering WiFi on all their flights. You may have already experienced this whilst flying on American, United, Delta, and AirTran.

So there I was … checking the time on my phone … 10:29

My train was due to leave at 10:30

A second later it eased out of the platform and I wondered if I’m the only one that gets a pleasant buzz whenever a train leaves on time.

I know there are no guarantees but somehow you are optimistic that all being well you will arrive on time.

I was due to arrive at 16:00 in Leuchars.

Up until the early 1960s St Andrews had its own railway station, but the government’s Beeching report put paid to that.

If you are ever in the Dunvegan Hotel and Restaurant, a 9 iron from the 18th green on the Old Course, you can see some great photos of how the line used to run adjacent to the 16th fairway.

Leuchars (pronounced more like “lookers”) is a 10 minute bus ride from St Andrews and so the remainder of the jorney has to be by bus or taxi.

It’s always so cool to look up from my laptop and take in the breathtaking scenery as the train travels from England to Scotland through Berwick-upon-Tweed.

At points you are so close to the waves you can imagine you are riding them – or maybe that’s just me!

As my own journey came to its end, it was a pleasure to reflect back on the fact that during the five and half hours of my journey I had completed the new renovation of GolfInsideCircle.com

Now it might not be on a par of the fine work at St Pancras International station but nevertheless I’m proud there is now one place to listen to all the great guests we have had since September last year.

I’m also very pleased to introduce this month’s guest, she is Jennifer Scott a certified clinical hypnotherapist who has appeared with Kelly Tilghman on The Golf Channel and gives 2-hour seminars on how to play in the zone at The San Diego Golf Academy.

In fact Golf Magazine rated Jennifer’s audio 2 CD Program, “Own The Zone(TM)” with its highest rating. The program includes specific methods to improve your focus and ease any anger or frustration you may feel on the course. Additionally golfers are taught proven techniques to develop a pre-shot bubble where nothing can distract you.

Please head over to GolfInsideCircle.com to hear Jennifer speak and learn more about how her work can help your game.

Alternatively you can listen to her by clicking on the orange button below:

Jennifer teaches golfers to be free of confusing extraneous thoughts by using the power of the subconscious mind to relax and focus. These teachings put an end to your confusion and allow you to play “in the zone” for longer and longer periods of time. When you are in hypnosis you are in the zone and Jennifer teaches golfers how to get into this state effortlessly.

Discover more by visiting OwnTheZoneGolf.com

The 00’s have officially passed us by and with it goes one of the most memorable decades in major championship golf history. The dominance of Tiger Woods was a hallmark of the past ten years and while the great man did produce some of the most impressive golf in major history there were other players on the major stage that who shone brightly as well. That being said, here are my top ten major memories from the last ten years.

1. Tiger Woods – 2000 U.S Open at Pebble Beach- It was by far the most dominating performance in the history of professional golf- there is not even a second place. Only one player in history had ever reached double-digits under-par in the U.S Open before (Gil Morgan ten years earlier at Pebble Beach), and Woods not only reached that number- he stayed there. When he eventually finished his domination for the field he had finished at -12 for the tournament and won by and astonishing 15 shots, relegating runners-up Ernie Els and Miguel Angel Jimenez to merely a trivia question in golf history. Such ruthless dominance may never be seen again.

2. Y.E Yang – 2009 U.S PGA Championship at Hazeltine National- While the decade was defined by the dominance of one man with a part-Asian heritage, the last major of the decade would see the first Asian, a South Korean, ever take down that same champion in dramatic fashion. It may take years to really see the impact of Y.E Yang’s victory at Hazeltine, but when we look back at the landscape of golf over the next ten years, this victory may be the one that changed everything.

3. Phil Mickelson – 2004 Masters- It took a while. Actually, it seemed like it took half a lifetime. Phil Mickelson’s first major win was followed by a collective sigh of relief from the golfing world and finally made a major champion out of “Lefty“. For Mickelson, it was akin to getting not just a monkey, not even a gorilla, but King Kong off his back.

4. Tiger Woods – 2001 Masters- It had never been done before and it may never be done again. It was not achieved by Hogan, or Snead, or Nelson. Not by Palmer or, Watson, or Player. Not even by Nicklaus. By winning the 2001 Masters Woods became the first man to hold all four major championships at once and stamped his place among the greats of all time.

5. Geoff Ogilvy – 2006 U.S Open at Winged Foot GC- Despite Ogilvy chipping-in on the 71st hole, the 2006 U.S Open will always be remembered for “the massacre” that followed. First, Padraig Harrington topped his approach into the 72nd hole, dropping himself from contention.  Then Colin Montgomery made double-bogey from the middle of the fairway and Jim Furyk missed from five-feet, both on the 72nd hole. Finally, Phil Mickelson puts the icing on the cyanide-cake by hitting the wildest drive ever hit on the final hole of the U.S Open, ultimately taking double bogey. Ogilvy, it turned out, was the last man standing.

6. Padraig Harrington – 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale-  The next two majors make my list not because of the winner, but because who almost won. Ten years since he last made a serious run at a major Greg Norman almost became the oldest part-time golfer to ever win a major.  Ultimately he was trumped by the spectacular eagle Harrington made on 71st hole, one of the greatest clutch shots of the decade and the only reason I have placed this tournament ahead of the next one.

7. Stewart Cink – 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry- Like the previous entry, this Open Championship may have been the story of the decade if it had turned out a little different. Sexagenarian Tom Watson captured our hearts for four straight days at Turnberry, but eventually he ran out of steam, or mojo, or pars- which ever way you want to look at it, and succumbed to Stewart Cink in a playoff. With 99.9% of golf fans pulling against him Cink went ahead and accepted the Claret Jug, and his gracious response to the victory and to Watson himself should not be understated- a more deserving major champion may not exist.

8. Shaun Micheel -  2003 PGA Championship at Oak Hill CC- Micheel’s win was the second consecutive come-from-nowhere victory in the majors following Ben Curtis at the 2003 Open Championship. Micheel’s win trumps Curtis and makes the list because of the dramatic way in which he won. Clinging to a one-shot lead and with the entire golfing world watching Micheel drew a 7-iron and hit the ball so close to the hole a beginner could have made the putt for birdie and not sweated it. It was simply jaw-dropping.

9. Tiger Woods – 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla GC- There were some great duels down the stretch over the past decade but none can match the one where a journeyman pro took on the greatest player of recent times- and almost won. Over the stretch of six hours that Sunday Bob May gave Tiger Woods all he could handle. That Woods came out on top was not a surprise- that May never once blinked was.

10.  Padaig Harrington – 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie GL- It was supposed to be Sergio Garcia’s Open Championship. He led after all three rounds and looked to have the tournament locked up before he was caught by Steve Stricker, then by Andres Romero, and finally by Harrington. All four players tried valiantly to lose the tournament and at one stage it looked like nobody wanted to take the Claret Jug home with them. Despite two trips to the burn on the 18th hole Harrington prevailed in a playoff and somewhere the ghost of Jean Van de Velde smiled just a little bit.

Sinking to his knees after converting match point in his Wimbledon semi final Andy Roddick mouthed “I’m sorry.”

In his moment of triumph the American immediately realised that his victory would cast him in the role of villain. By beating Andy Murray he had condemned British tennis fans to another year of misery. Elated by victory Roddick maintained the humanity to sympathise with those haunted by the ghost of Fred Perry.

In this most enthralling of sporting summers another American was destined to fulfill the same role of victorious villain on Sunday. Stewart Cink – quiet, methodical, modest – kept his head as others drifted last Sunday afternoon. His prize was the ultimate in professional golf but to hoist the Claret Jug he first had to hijack Tom Watson.

Watson, the eternal favourite of the Scottish links, had written his own script with a virtuoso display. As Sunday wore on we all began to worship in the Church of Tom, a sacred place where the impossible was suddenly so very, very possible. Like Francis Ouimet or like Jack Nicklaus on that fabled Masters Sunday in 1986, Watson stood on the brink of something heroically special, a victory that would transcend golf and become one of the most compelling sporting tales of our age.

And then along came Stewart Cink. The unassuming American is the very model of the solid professional golfer. Often in the mix but rarely the main attraction. Until his final, heroic birdie putt Cink had, like so often before, gone about his business under the radar.

But suddenly he had posted the clubhouse target. When Watson couldn’t beat him over 72 holes it seemed inevitable that Cink would take the play off. Destiny, fickle as ever, had overlooked the veteran and put its arm round Cink.

It was not the result that we wanted. We had tried to will Watson to the par he needed but we had failed. There was a feeling of emptiness during the play off, what we hoped for seemed so exceptional that anything else was an anti climax.

But we should not let our feelings for Watson and our sense of loss for what might have been cause us to overlook Cink. Make no mistake his play throughout the week merited the victory. He came to Turnberry with a job to do and he got it done over 76 gruelling holes. Links might not be his natural habitat but he has worked hard to master the ancient form of the game. Finally that work had paid off.

He was as gracious in victory as Watson was in defeat. He knew this wasn’t the ending that the press or the fans wanted. But he had become the champion golfer of the year by playing the most consistent golf of the week. He apologised for ripping up the script but no apology was needed.

Paul Lawrie’s win at Carnoustie in 1999 is still remembered for Jean van de Velde’s 72^nd hole implosion. But beneath the headlines about the wet footed Frenchman lay the truth of Lawrie’s remarkable 67 on the final day of that harshest of championships to pull off perhaps the most incredible comeback in Open history.

It is Cink’s misfortune to have won the “Watson Open” but, like Lawrie, it his good fortune to have his name on the famous old jug. The harsh judgement of history will record only the winners and losers. Watson provided the stunning subplot but Cink, head held high, emerged as the winner and nothing can take that away from him.

His Open pedigree has not been great – one top ten from 10 previous attempts – but, as Watson emphatically illustrated, form is not always a prerequisite on a blustery links. Where others flapped, flailed and ultimately failed Cink remained steadfast. He was the only man in the field that coped with everything that Turnberry could throw at him. That is the quality that wins Opens.

We will long remember everything Tom gave us over the week. But we shouldn’t let that blind us to Stewart Cink’s achievement. Once again the Open sifted through the field and selected the worthy winner. Modest as he is Cink deserves our acclaim as a fine and deserving champion.

If for some some reason you have missed the first two days coverage of the British Open and are only now tuning in you could be forgiven for thinking the tournament is in a rain delay and the networks are showing coverage of the 1977 Open at Turnberry.

As it stands, after two rounds the co-leader of the tournament is Thomas Sturges Watson. That’s right, 59 year-old, five-time British Open Champion Tom Watson. The man who last won a PGA Tour event in 1998 and last won a major in 1983. For the record, his playing partner the first two days, British Amateur Champion Matteao Manassero was born ten years after Watson’s last major vistory. First Greg Norman at Royal Birkdale and now this?!

Many, including myself, believed his remarkable 65 in the opening round was nothing more than a charming piece of nostalgia, and I was not alone in believing that the eight-time major champion simply could not continue to contend into the weekend. For the first nine holes in the second round, the naysayers appeared to be right. After birding the opening hole for the second straight day Watson then reeled off five bogeys in the next six holes to drop back to -1 for the tournament. But Watson, known for his swashbuckling style of play in his heyday, fought back gallantly, birding four holes against no bogeys the rest of the way and signing for an even par 70. The round was capped off by a monster putt of no less than 50 feet on the final hole that vaulted Watson back to the top of the leader board. At -5 for the tournament he currently holds the lead with Steve Marino.

“I expected the course to really be tough going out on the first nine holes and it was.” Watson said after the round. “I didn’t play enough quality shots. But I did turn it around at number nine and made a good putt from about 20 feet there. That stemmed the tide. I made a good birdie at 11 and then made two no-brainers on 16 and 18 to finish the day and got right back in the tournament.”

This story, like the one that brewed and bubbled last year with Norman, may turn out to be one of the more remarkable sports stories of the year. Surely, Waston can’t continue the fairytale run into the weekend? It’s also worth noting at while Watson is playing in the last group on Saturday at the Open Tiger Woods won’t be around to see it.

But should we really be that surprised at this run by the evergreen Watson? After all, the man is practically the mayor of Turnberry. Not only does Watson have the memories of the “duel in the sun” in 1977 to draw on, he also won the Senior British Open there in 2003. He is the crowd’s darling in Scotland, and the support he has seen in the first couple of rounds has been nothing short of adoring. But does Watson himself believe he can win?

“This is the 6th championship I have played here at Turnberry and I’ve had some good success here.” Watson said in what may be described as a massive understatement. “It’s as if the spirits are on my side. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t think I could win. I hope the spirits stay on my side.”

For the record, Watson is attempting to shatter the record for oldest major champion, eclipsing Julius Boris who was 48 when he won the 1968 PGA Championship. Watson won his first PGA Tour event just 6 years later.

In my (admittedly) lackluster academic career through high school and university I always hated mid-terms. The end of year pressure I could deal with. I expected it. It was supposed to be there. It was the mid-year exams, those that seemed to creep up without warning right as you were getting comfortable that I hated. I found that just as I was getting the hang of the course, the professor, the workload, I was expected to one day show up and put to paper everything I had learned up until that point. It never sat right with me

Now with that in mind, the Open Championship traditionally marks the halfway point in the golfing calendar. Two majors have passed, two are to come and we find ourselves smack-bang in the middle of summer on both sides of the Atlantic. I was going to write about who I saw as being the principal players at Turnberry this week, but instead I’m going to put on my tweed coat, pick up my lecturing stick, play “Professor Mackay” for a moment, and assess the performances of the players who began the year in the world’s top 10.

Class is in session.

1. Tiger Woods – Of all the players on the world golf stage, Tiger may be the hardest to judge performance-wise. Quite simply, this is because his expectations and the expectations of those who follow the game are two completely different things. While the “so-called” scribes may see a tie for 3rd at some random event as a failure to secure a win, Tiger does not. He takes something positive out of every performance, win, lose or draw. So far 2009 has not been a banner year for Woods the way say 2000 or 2007/8, were. But that doesn’t mean it has not been a success. Yes, Woods has failed to win either of the first two majors of the year, but what he has done is come back from a career-threatening injury and reasserted his position as the dominant player in the game. He has won 3 times in 9 starts has not finished outside the top 10 in any stroke play event. He is leading both the money list and the Fed-Ex Cup race on the PGA Tour, not an easy feat with just 9 events under his belt. Most importantly (especially to him) he is making advances in his game. His win at the Memorial was a different kind of golf than he has ever displayed, hitting fairways and controlling his ball off the tee the likes of which had not been seen since is Open wins at Hoylake or St. Andrews. His game is where he wants it to be and getting better, and that’s the scary thing for everyone else.

Grade: B+

2. Sergio Garcia – Sergio started the year in 2nd place in the world rankings, not far behind Woods who was still resting his knee back home in Florida. He won the HSBC Championship at the end of 2008 that counted towards the 2009 season, but other than that Sergio’s game has been anything but sparkling. His best finish is a T7 in Qatar on the European Tour and on the PGA Tour he has performed even more poorly. His best finish is a T10 at the U.S Open a few weeks back and he currently sits 118th in the Fed-Ex Cup. Many thought starting the year that the Sergio was going to be the player to put pressure on Woods for the top spot in the world. Nothing has been further from the truth as he has slipped to No. 5 in the world and never really challenged for a tournament win late on Sunday. With past British Open defeats still fresh in his mind, Garcia is going to have to perform admirably the latter half of the year if he is to save his 2009 from total disaster.

Grade: D

3. Phil Mickelson – If Phil’s golf game was a 5th grader his report cards would probably say something like this: “Phil show tremendous potential in all areas but must learn to apply himself correctly to reach his full potential.” Phil has always been a hard man to pin down- he is an enigma to be sure. His 2009 has been highlighted more by off course drama than on course heroics (or defeats, as is the case sometimes with Phil). His wife Amy was diagnosed with cancer a few months back and to make matters worse, his mother received the same diagnosis a week or so ago. Right now, I’m pretty sure golf is the last thing on Phil’s mind. On the course it has been a typical Phil year when it all boils down to it. He has won twice, at favourite haunts Doral and Riviera, but has also missed two cuts and finished outside to top 50 on three different occasions. For every late charge at the Northern Trust or major run like at the U.S Open, there are weeks where he doesn’t come close to resembling the No. 2 player in the world. Perhaps a lot of that is to do with the off course soap opera he is currently dealing with, but inconsistency has also been a hallmark of the entire Mickelson career. If he ever seriously wants to catch Woods (or at least push him) he must find a way to narrow the gap between when he plays well and when he does not. Of course, that’s going to be pretty hard with no tournament play on the horizon.

Grade: B

4. Padraig Harrington – What can you say about Paddy? Irish, lovable, committed. At the end of 2008 we thought he had it all figured out. With 3 majors wins in the last 6 events he had climbed to a career high of No. 3 in the world. Paddy seemed to be the guy that was going to become famous for being there at the end when the big ones are on the line. But so far 2009 has been a throw away year for Harrington. The man who everyone thought had it all figured out has missed six of 13 cuts on the PGA Tour and not done a whole lot better in Europe. With only one top 10 in 17 events worldwide, and a slide to world No. 14, it’s hard to keep putting him on the list of top players in the world. His friend and sports psychologist Bob Rotella said Harrington’s only fault is “tinkering” with his game too much- always seeking perfection. Clearly that formula has not worked for Harrington this season. What has worked is winning the non-sanctioned Irish PGA which he has done the past two years in preparation for the Open Championship. And lookie here, he went and did again last week. Maybe, finally, he’s back on the right track.

Grade: D-

5. Vijay Singh – The Energiser Bunny of the PGA Tour has shown no sign of slowing down playing-wise as he approaches the twilight of his PGA Tour career. The man who now owns the record for most wins in his 40′s is still playing more on the PGA Tour than just about every top player in the game. However, as opposed to previous years, the “Big Fijian” seems to be showing some signs of slowing down. So far this year he has fallen from 5th to 10th in the world, the lowest position he has held since he fell to No. 8 in 2002. Currently sitting in 48th place on the money list, he has posted just three top 10′s, and has not seriously contended for a victory all season. Although it is not well documented, Vijay has also been going through some off course issues the past year or so. For the man who is used to finishing in the top 10 during his poor weeks, 2009 must surely have him scratching his head. There’s one thing that is for sure though, he’s going to work his way out of it, and not a practice range in sight is going to be safe when he decides to get his groove back.

Grade: D

6. Robert Karlsson – Not much was known of Karlsson at the beginning of 2009 over this side of the pond. He is the quiet kid in class, the one that, despite standing out like a sore thumb, does not make a lot of noise. I am fortunate to work with the same swing coach that Karlsson employs and he gave me a little tip about 12 months ago. He said watch out for Robert Karlsson, if he refines his short game there is no telling how good he could be. Ending 2008 he was as hot as any player on the planet, almost pulling off three wins in a row to close the European Tour season. 2009 has been another story altogether. By playing in the Ryder Cup Karlsson was granted a PGA Tour membership, and like any top world player not from America, he has attempted to become a “world golfer” splitting his time between Europe and America. That was the plan, however, and what was supposed to be his breakout year has turned into one plagued by injury. He has played just eight events worldwide and has had to pull out of the last three events in Europe due to a nasty eye infection. Because of this I will have to give him a pass. He has fallen to No. 16 in the world, but it’s not totally is fault. I will need to see a note from his doctor though.

Grade: C (pending re-testing)

7. Camilo Villegas – The young Colombian had a break out year in 2008, establishing himself at the very top of the class. This season he has done little to suggest he will not stay in the upper echelons of the game for many years to come. With his strong will, mind and game to match he is very much considered the “most likely to succeed” of all the young guns on tour. “Spiderman”, as they call him, has put up some solid, if unspectacular numbers so far in 2009. He has recorded three top 10′s with a top finish of T3 at the Buick Invitational, missed only two cuts in 13 events worldwide, and currently sits 35th in the Fed-Ex Cup race. Although he has dropped back to No. 12 in the world, the statistics show that he has not performed poorly at all, in fact, throw in a win and Villegas would have a very solid 2009 going. He came on strong at the end of last season, winning the final two Fed-Ex Cup events, and with no lack in strength or fitness, there is nothing to suggest the rest of 2009 is not going to continue to improve for the young man from Medellin.

Grade: B-

8. Henrik Stenson – Like Villegas, Stenson came into 2009 with high hopes of making an impression on the very top of the world rankings. Also like Villegas, he has spent much of the year playing solidly but ultimately treading water. Stenson has made 10 of 13 cuts in 2009 and has thrown in four top 10′s for good measure, including a T2 in Qatar where he came up three shots shy of Alviro Quiros. His final round 68 at the U.S Open was bettered only by fellow Ryder Cupper Ian Poulter, however his 9th place finish at Bethpage came on the heels for two very comfortable missed cuts the previous two events in Europe. These inconsistencies have led to Stenson retaining his position at No. 8 in the world, but considering his talent and penchant for winning against high class fields, no doubt he will be hoping for a stronger end to 2009, perhaps beginning this week at Turnberry.

Grade: B

9. Ernie Els – We have come to expect a lot of The Big Easy over the span of his spectacular international career. He is talented, likeable and capable of absolute brilliance at times, but it seems as if the past couple of seasons Els has had a career handbrake on. Since his career-threatening knee injury a couple of seasons ago (which required a surgery similar to Tiger’s) Els has been on a constant slide towards mediocrity, something that he has never had to deal with in his career. At the end of 2007 he was ranked 4th in the world. At the end of 2008 he was back to No. 9. Now, a mere seven months into 2009 and he is all the way back at No. 24. Ernie Els, the 24th best golfer in the world? It seems preposterous to even consider such a notion. But the facts don’t lie, and although Els has produced five top 10′s around the world this season, he has fallen short in the games biggest events- the events he prides himself on wanting the most. A  T45 at the Players, coupled with missed cuts at both the Masters and the U.S Open spell trouble for the big South African. Whenever he is questioned by the media about his career trajectory Els inevitably responds by saying he is working harder than ever on his game and he is completely committed to winning the big ones. He is a contentious Hall of Fame lock and will forever be considered one of the best players of his generation. He turns 40 in a few months which means there are plenty of good years still available for Els to cement his legacy in the game, let’s hope for his sake the rest of 2009 brings about some major changes.

Grade: C-

10. Lee Westwood – During the opening match of the Ryder Cup at Valhalla Lee Westwood took is unbeaten run to 12, setting a Cup record for most matches without a defeat. He ended 2008 at No. 10 in the world, a position that most would agree sits pretty well with Westwood. He has always been a European Tour stalwart, and since his game has re-surged over the past couple of seasons he has taken back his rightful place at the top of the European Tour pecking list. That being said, 2009 is just starting to really get going for Westwood who has slipped back to 17th in the world rankings. Although he has missed just one cut in 16 events against some of the strongest fields in golf, he has not put up the sort of results he would have anticipated at the start of the year. That was until two weeks ago when he closed with a spectacular 65 at the Open de France to force a playoff with red-hot German Martin Kaymer, only to be defeated on the first playoff hole. He followed that narrow loss with T8 last week at the Barclay’s Scottish Open signaling that his 2009 might just be getting fired up. There is no doubt Westwood is a player capable of winning a major as he proved in 2008 at Torrey Pines, and for a player with all the game and confidence in the world that is the logical next step. With the current form he is carrying, who is to say this week won’t be his week?

Note: For those wondering, here are the current top ten players in the world and their movements since the beginning of 2009.

1. Tiger Woods – Same

2. Phil Mickelson – Up one spot

3. Paul Casey- Up 38 spots

4. Kenny Perry- Up 10 spots

5. Sergio Garcia- Down 3 spots

6. Steve Stricker- Up 9 spots

7. Geoff Ogilvy- Up 5 spots

8. Henrik Stenson- Same

9. Jim Furyk- Up 4 spots

10. Vijay Singh- Down 5 spots

The Open Championship returns to Turnberry after far too long of an absense from the west coast of Scotland. The Open hasn’t been contested at Turnberry since 1994. Which means the last time the Championship was contested there, I was 10 years old, and had never even held a golf club. The Aisla Course is lauded by pros and pundits as being one of the finest Open venues. Having never seen the course on television before, the one thing I keep hearing about Turnberry is that it is a shot maker’s paradise which always identifies the best player in the field. In fact, Turnberry has hosted the Open on three prior occasions with the player ranked number one in the world at the time (Tom Watson 1977, Greg Norman 1986, Nick Price 1994) holding the Claret Jug at the end of the week.

The Favorite: Tiger Woods. No surprise here. But, what is surprising is how much of an overwhelming favorite he is. Woods is installed at 2/1 to win his 4th Claret Jug, where as the next closest option is Sergio Garcia at 20/1. To me this is just a testiment as to how wide open the field is this week, with the exception of Woods. With Mickelson back home, and Harrington struggling to make cuts, the tournament is there to be had for whoever wants it. But, I just think Tiger is due. And history is on his side.

Contenders: Sergio Garcia. Always the bridesmaid and never the bride, Garcia has had his share of disappointments and heartbreak at the Open Champion more so than any other major. After nearly going wire to wire to win at Carnoustie in 2007, before painfully losing to Padraig Harrington, I wondered if he would ever win. But, this could be his best chance yet, with several heavy hitters either missing or struggling.

Paul Casey: The newly minted world number 3, and a guy who has a game for seemingly every golf course he steps on. Casey is easilly one of the best ball strikers in the world, who has the ability to control his ball in the wind better than almost anybody. With the weather forecasted for the week, negotiating the wind and elements will be crucial.

Camilo Villegas: Another low ball hitter who has the all around game. This guy is a stud who is going to win a lot of golf tournaments during his career. I would be surprised to see him outside of the top ten at weeks’ end, and could end up in the winner’s circle.

Hunter Mahan: The one American player not named Tiger that I really like this week. The guy is just a grinder who will not be phased by potentially awful weather. Hunter could have won the U.S. Open last month but caught a HORRENDOUS break when his approach shot smacked the flagstick at the par 4 16th and careened off the green. Mahan has played well all year, and I expect it to continue.

Dark Horse: David Duval. This pick is almost too obvious, but I would love to see it happen. Does Duval’s comeback story have a second act? It was eight years ago in the Open at Royal Lytham and St. Anne’s where DD last won a professional tournament. On a sidenote, I also really like Geoff Ogilvy at 30/1 and Henrik Stenson at 33/1.

Enjoy the golf everyone, I will be setting my alarm to wake up bright and early. Cheers!

-Patrick Keegan

When discussion arises about the next European golfer to win a major, the names that surface are usually pretty predictable. Garcia, Stenson, Westwood, Casey- so the list usually goes. And while most pundits are proclaiming Rory McIlroy the next superstar of European golf (and rightly so), another youngster has quietly been going about his business, amassing tour wins and Race to Dubai points at a rate few have matched this year. I’m talking about the man that has won the last two events on the European Tour- Martin Kaymer.

I first recall hearing about Kaymer a couple of years ago when he was playing on the EPD Tour in Germany. My Scottish roommate at the time was going through the scores on the various European tours and came across something remarkable. Somebody had shot 59 on the EPD Tour, and it turned out to be Kaymer. After shooting such a low number my roommate and I kept and eye out for his name in various events. A couple of months later we noticed that he had won on the Challenge Tour despite not having a card there at the start of the season. Three months later and he had won again, finished in the top 5 6 times, his worst finish a tie for 13th, and ended the season 4th on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit despite only playing 8 events. “Who was this guy?” we wondered.

Wonder, we no longer do.

In his two and a half seasons on the European Tour Kaymer has made a name for himself as one of the top young players in Europe. Still only 24 years of age, he has recorded 4 tour wins since 2007, been named rookie of year and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the Nick Faldo’s Ryder Cup side.

His performance the past two weeks on tour has sounded his name as one of the favourites for next week’s Open Championship at Turnberry. Kaymer though, is quick to dismiss the claims.

“Last week and this week was a good field already, but next week is going to be the best field that we have this year probably. So I’m really looking forward to next week’” Kaymer said following his victory in Scotland. “I think I’ve been there before, but my manager, he played there a couple of weeks ago and he said it’s going to be really, really difficult, which is always good – if you play Majors, they should be difficult.”

The win has moved Kaymer to second in the Race to Dubai behind Paul Casey and to No. 11 in the world rankings, but most importantly he takes incredible form into Turnberry as he attempts to become the first player in 2009 to record three European Tour wins.

“This week was very special, because I think if you win in the home of golf in Scotland, it’s always something special, and I really enjoyed the last two days,” he said. “Everybody asks me about the third win in a row, but we are playing a Major next week, and the field is going to be the best we have all year long.”

During the filming for the latest episode of HomeofGolf.TV we were nearly hit by a golf ball from the second tee on the Old Course. Luckily a shout of “fore” meant we ducked and could continue filming on the 17th hole with no harm done!

If you have a favourite Open Championship hole I would love to hear from you by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page:

The Road Hole At St Andrews With Caddy John Boyne – Episode #9

Angel Cabrera won his second professional major Sunday afternoon at Augusta National Golf Club. Cabrera has now won the Masters and the U.S. Open. For someone from South America, you can’t pick two tournaments you would rather win than those two. No disrespect to the Open Championship and the U.S. PGA Championship, but the U.S. Open and the Masters are as good as it gets in the Western Hemisphere. With two major wins in the last eight majors contested (same as Tiger Woods), Cabrera has seemingly turned into the most accomplished player in the history of his continent overnight. It’s a great story. It’s an amazing story. Unfortunately, it was not the story that dominated headlines at Augusta on Sunday, and in the papers on Monday morning. Kenny Perry had given the tournament away in a most painful manner.

After jamming his tee shot on the par 3 16th hole to within two feet, assuring himself of a birdie and a two shot lead going to the 17th, Perry’s long awaited first major seemed to be a lock. Then, out of nowhere, it was almost as if he realized what he was about to do. Kenny hadn’t made a bogey since his back nine on Friday, and then he made back to back bogeys on the 71st and 72nd holes. Perry looked rattled, and did not commit to a single swing he made on the last two holes. Once the playoff started, I gave Perry no chance to come out victorious. And after Cabrera’s unbelievable par on the first playoff hole, eliminating Campbell, it left him one-on-one with Perry. The rest is history. Cabrera makes a routine par, and Perry is left to contemplate what might have been. If this was the Shell Houston Open or the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, I have no doubts that Kenny finishes the job on Sunday. That is what makes major championships so difficult to win. The pressure gets cranked up several notches, and some people just can’t handle it.

This Masters will be remembered by many as the tournament that Kenny Perry gave away, and not the tournament that Angel Cabrera outlasted the field for his 2nd major title. If you’re looking for more evidence of what I’m talking about, go ask Geoff Ogilvy how many questions he answered about Phil Mickelson’s finish at Winger Foot in 2006, as opposed to questions he answered about his own. Ogilvy was the only player in the last four groups to make a par on the 72nd hole. He hovered around the lead all week, but all anyone could talk about was how Mickelson gave the tournament away. Perhaps a better example: I polled six of my friends, all of whom I would consider to be very golf knowledgeable, if they could tell me who won the 1999 Open Championship? I obviously knew the answer because I have no life and I’m a major championship guru. Only one out of the six of them could tell me that Paul Lawrie was the 1999 Open Champion, but all six of them could tell me where they were when they watched Jean Van de Velde implode on the 72nd hole at Carnoustie.

The bottom line is that people win golf tournaments every week, some spectacular, some not. But, it’s rare when you get to see someone lose in an unusual or unfortunate manner, and that is often which sticks in our minds, which is a shame.

- Patrick Keegan

From:
Andy Brown
Enjoying a Cappuccino at -
The Rule, 116 South Street, St Andrews
Saturday, 13:01 p.m.

Dear Friend,

I trust you are having an enjoyable Saturday.

Firstly I’m sending you a “Happy Burns Night” – a celebration of the life of the great Scottish Poet Robert Burns.

Secondly I have an idea, but would really appreciate your feedback.

You see I’m passionate about St Andrews and I wondered if you would like to see more of the old grey town in terms of video clips. In fact I was thinking of a regular TV show where I get to share this magical place with you.

The internet now allows anyone with a camcorder, even mobile phone, to share interesting and fun footage with everyone around the world. It therefore seems an amazing opportunity to have a wee dram, flip on the camera and open up the world of St Andrews and other great golfing towns and courses to you. How about I shoot up to Royal Dornoch and give you a feel for this hidden gem?

I currently have no script, just loads of ideas – but in a way they are worthless if I don’t provide entertaining video that you want to see.

Therefore if the idea of watching a fun online video show based on St Andrews and the world of Scottish golf appeals please take a minute to send a comment below. I would also love to hear your stories about St Andrews and particulary the type of things you would like to see on video.

Many may be travelling here for a golf holiday this year and therefore I can easily offer my recommendations on hotels, restaurants and pubs!

How long should the show be? Maybe 3 – 10 mins every day or 15 – 30 mins every week. Only with your ideas can I produce a format that brings the Home of Golf to your desktop!

I look forward to reading your comments.

Finally today marks the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns’ birth and the official start of the Scottish Homecoming – an events programme celebrating Scotland’s great contributions to the world. Check out the video below for a flavour of the event – I just find it amusing to watch Sam Torrance sing at 13 seconds in!

Have a great weekend and if are indoors Sunday night, why not log on to this virtual whisky tasting as Andrew Dubber and Clutch Daisy taste the Isle of Jura 10 year old, the Aberlour 10 year old and the Laphroaig 10.

Happy Burns Night

Cheers

Andy

P.S. Follow me here

It was a matter of time before golf courses go eco-friendly and, true to the sport’s tradition, Scotland is leading the way.

The Machrihanish Dunes on the west coast of Scotland is due to open next Spring, billing itself as the first true links course in that part of the country and the only one ever to be built on a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

SSSI status means there are flora and fauna that should be protected in the area and for Machrihanish, it includes species of rare orchids such as March, Frog and Pyramidal.

According to a report in The Telegraph, many of the plant species need the grazing of animals in order to thrive. The golf course’s answer to this is sheep, which do an expert job in this respect.

Also, there are no chemicals, pesticides, heavy machinery or artificial irrigation systems in use on the course, which encompasses 270 acres and sits in Campbeltown near the Mull of Kintyre.

The course was created by well known architect David McLay Kidd and the report estimates that it will contribute £18 million a year to the regional economy.

However, it took a lot of research and evaluation of the environment before the plan was given the go-ahead. Stan Philips, of the Scottish Natural Heritage, was quoted as saying:

“We took a lot of convincing because the initial thought was this isn’t something we want to hear about – a golf course on a SSSI. The fairways went on the less interesting ground, the greens and tees went on the areas which weren’t of any special interest and those parts of the site considered important were declared out-of-bounds.”

Only seven acres of the actual area have been changed or cultivated and any substance to artificially control the growth of plants in not allowed anywhere except for the greens and tees. The grazing of sheep keeps the rough in check.

The Middle East, led by Dubai, is becoming increasingly influential in global golf. While there are no golfers of note from the region, there is, however, plenty of money.

And much of this cash has gone into the greening of the desert and the recognition of golf as a vital tool to lure tourists.

There are several tournaments in the Middle East sanctioned by the European Tour, which itself will rename its Order of Merit competition the Race to Dubai from November this year.

It is part of a qualifying process for the 2009 season-ending Dubai World Championship, the world’s richest tournament with $10 million in prize money and $2 million going to the winner.

The top 60 golfers in the Race will qualify for the tournament as the European Tour tries to compete with the PGA Tour for prize money and prestige.

Earlier this year, Dubai financiers joined forces with the Europeans to host the first Tour-sanctioned event in India, much to the anger of the Asian Tour, which eventually settled on a deal for joint sanctioning.

Now, the Dubai-based sovereign fund that is financing the Race to Dubai is set to buy the Turnberry golf resort, which is due to host next year’s British Open, for 55 million pounds.

According to a Press Association report, Leisurecorp, a subsidiary of the Dubai World fund, has agreed to buy the Ayrshire venue from current owners Starwood, one of the world’s largest hotel and leisure businesses.

Turnberry has staged the British Open three times in the past and has two 18-hole championships courses – the Ailsa and Kintyre. It is also home to the nine-hole Arran course and the Colin Montgomerie Links Golf Academy.

To Dumfries and Galloway on Scotland’s south west coast for the first golfing trip of the year. Another area of Scotland where golf courses abound, our choice for the one day of proper “competition” was an emotional one.

I’ve been playing Colvend Golf Club for as long as I can remember. Back in the day, brother and I would scamper round the course with our cut down clubs learning the game and discovering what playing in real wind is all about.

Like us the course has grown since then. The original nine holes have now be expanded into an 18 hole layout.

The expansion means the first eight holes play very differently to holes nine to 17. On the first eight the wind is your main enemy. Clinging to the coast the wind comes in more varieties than I can describe. This is the short part of the course and the three par threes give you the chance to build a solid card.

Keeping the ball low helps of course : as I found out to my benefit on the seventh when a horribly topped iron shot bounded down the fairway, kept going on to the green and ended up a couple of feet from the hole to secure a birdie.

The eighth is Colvend’s signature par three. A long carry over a burn to narrow green with out of bounds all around, the daunting tee shot will play mind games with a lot of golfers and it is not uncommon to see players laying up. Thankfully in both the morning and afternoon rounds I managed to guide a three iron to the centre of the green and happily took my two putts for par.

Crossing the road to reach the ninth hole you are presented with a new set of challenges. The holes are longer and the wind is less of a factor. The ninth and tenth are fairly simple par fours, the eleventh a gorgeous dog leg played to a green guarded by the ruins of an old house – the hole is called The Ruin.

The 12th is another gorgeous hole and brings water into play with both the drive and the approach shot (18 holes at Colvend without getting your feet wet is no little achievement) and the 13th is one of those curious par fours that always seems to play longer than it is.

Then comes the 14th, which I would argue is my only bugbear about the course: at over 500 yards the longest hole and the only par 5. The day we played the weather was fine. Sure it was windy on the first eight but you expect that when you play golf on a clifftop. The wind wasn’t an issue anywhere across the road except the 14th.

Unfortunately in both the morning and the afternoon the wind was in our faces. With the course still wet from a sodden winter, the 14th became an immovable object. We’re probably fairly average off the tee and can both hit reasonable fairway woods. Don’t mind doing that either. But when those two shots leave you with a long iron to the green, some of the fun goes out of the game. Both times we walked off the green happy with bogeys and feeling like we had been the victims of a “Tiger proofing.” I’m not convinced the average golfer really wants non championship courses to get longer and longer, But that’s maybe just me.

After that the course moves back to the road culminating in an intriguing 17th where the blind tee shot, if well executed, leaves a simple chip to the green. The very brave might even be tempted to carry the out of bounds and play for an eagle opportunity.

Crossing back over the road Colvend finishes with a fine 18th. A simple enough drive will set up a short approach to a green guarded by trees, out of bounds and water. A badly positioned drive will seriously cut down your options with your second shot and many players will happily sign off with a par.

The 18th neatly sums up Colvend’s finest qualities. The holes may look simple but the real challenge is thinking through every shot to try and take the pressure off your next stroke. This is a real thinking course.

Colvend is well worth a visit. At £30 a day ticket represents excellent value. The staff made us feel very welcome and we enjoyed a pleasant snack in the clubhouse between rounds. We will definitely be back, if only so my brother can have another go at the three shot lead I built up in the morning and managed, just, to hold on to in the afternoon.

As we’re in the area I should also mention Craigieknowes, a short par three course just along the road from Colvend outside a beautiful little village called Kippford. The longest hole is 197 yards, the shortest around 90 yards. This is a perfect family course but, be warned, the imaginative layout and well guarded greens can make for a tricky round. I played 18 holes on two separate days and thoroughly enjoyed them both.

Where do we seek comfort and reassurance when the certainties of life crumble underneath us? For the award winning Scottish poet and novelist Andrew Greig this was the question he faced as he recovered from a potentially fatal brain condition.

The answer for Greig was to take to the golf courses of Scotland. He charts his journey in Preferred Lies: A Journey to the Heart of Scottish Golf. Along the way he discovers questions and answers that he didn’t know he was looking for.

With his mother ailing, the golf courses serve as a reminder his duties as son, both to her and to the memory of his father. His father’s benevolent ghost haunts the book as it haunts Greig. As he conquers his own fears about learning to live again, his fears for his mother and his sadness for his father this becomes more than a golf book.

It is a book about life, a book about death. Eventually as his random tour of Scottish golf ends it is clear that it is very much also a book about living.

As a guide to the courses of Scotland this is quirky. Royal Dornoch features but so to does Bathgate and the less visited courses of Ronaldsay and Iona. Greig covers the rich variety of Scottish golf – and in doing so perhaps captures the very essence of the game in Scotland: the variety of courses and players makes golf in Scotland a unique experience.

Along the way he hooks up with a crowd of Buddhist golfers. Is this the spiritual moment when golf merges with something intangible and become a metaphysical experience? Not really. But this strange collection of people (brought to life warmly and amusingly) do teach Greig to relax and have fun on the course. Perhaps that is a more valuable discovery.

From his reaction to his illness to his facing down of his school day demons whilst playing Dollar, Greig delivers a narrative and prose that lift this above most sports books. The weaker moments comes as he describes some of his rounds in great detail (shot by shot accounts of rounds are dull in anybody’s hands), the strongest when golf becomes the lens through which he considers his relationships.

As he plays with old friends and his family, as he considers his mother and feels the shadow of his father and as he savours the family that he has recovered to enjoy, Greig’s journey takes him to his own heart.

And if he fails to find the heart of Scottish golf then that, in the grand scheme of things, hardly matters. If you do choose to use this book as a guide book then, like a kaleidoscope throwing pieces in the air to achieve something truly beautiful, you will enjoy a strange and wondrous journey in the home of golf.

If not then sit back and enjoy a man learning to live again, taught – as had been as a child – by the frustrations, joys, characters and scenery of the game of his homeland.

Why golf? I can’t answer that question, it only throws up more unanswerable questions. Why should golf, a game whose true intricacies I will probably never master, exert such a hold over me?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently. The winter and a new career in the voluntary sector have conspired to keep me indoors. The trials and tribulations of securing funding and a good blast of Scottish weather have made golf take a back seat.

And yet it’s always there. Perhaps the absence magnifies its looming presence. Why is it that as I snatch a few moments at my desk in the evening, writing for fun or for money (or both) the picture that grabs me is not of the football or rugby legends but the golfing legend I have never met. Jack Nicklaus, who in my unofficial hero’s gallery is probably the man I have least in common with, is the one I admire the most (this might be partly because a sympathetic lady member once told me on the putting green that my grip reminded her of the Golden Bear).

Why is it that not having played for a few months the new mind plan that gave me a reasonable season last year (playing the averages, staying calm) has been replaced in my mind’s eye by a new risk taking power game that I have neither the skill or a good enough back to pull off?

Why do the badminton racquet, tennis racquet and bowls that I have used more often in the past few months remain in the car boot but the golf clubs sit in the hallway, putter and balls out and asking for a few moments of practice?

Last weekend my brother came to stay. We made no decision about his impending stag weekend. But we are now committed to spending a weekend playing the course that we grew up on before he gets married. Neither of us have played there for ten years. Yet we could remember every hole, we could discuss the best approach to each hole, we could recall in incredible detail our finest displays on each of those holes (and some of our worst ones as well!).

I can still remember the first birdie I got on another course: not the name of the course (it was in Yorkshire) but I can still see the three wood, seven iron and five foot putt. I can still remember the feeling. I can remember shots I hit playing at Whitby with a Richard Briers lookalike whose name I never knew.

I can remember playing in Dumfries and Galloway with my granddad and brother, at first using cut down clubs. I can remember my first golf shoes (Dunlop, cheap and cheerful in a blister inducing way).

I remember my first driving range (out by Edinburgh Airport – followed by a meal in the airport which always seemed to taste better than any of it does now.) Or practicing on the open area next to Cockenzie Power Station. Or devising an elaborate course in the back garden to stage, and win, my own Open (and the feeling of wonder when I realised those plastic balls could easily clear the house and that the 18th hole could be truly spectacular if the green was placed in the front garden!).

I can remember my friend getting a bunker shot horribly wrong and smacking the head of the coolest boy in school. Our horror, the laughter of the men on the tee behind us and the realisation that a Maxfli to the back of the head must hurt like hell. I remember feeling hugely excited when I met Brett Ogle at the Open qualifiers held at Gullane and, five years before, insane jealously that my brother was actually working at the qualifiers at Longniddry.

And yet I can barely remember the games of rugby and football I played. I can hardly remember a game of bowls when I step off the green. And at school I was never the most dedicated player. Only occasionally would I be one of the juniors that played two or three rounds a day in the summer holidays. Never did I harbour hopes of being a professional. My parents never played the game. So why the obsession?

Maybe it is in the blood. Colin Montgomerie recently spoke of golf as being almost Scotland’s national game. Perhaps each of us feels an ownership of the game. My non playing dad is knowledgable and appreciative of the game. My non playing mother and grandmother used to love going to the Open practice rounds at Muirfield.

And, the funny thing is, I don’t think it’s unhealthy. I think we should rejoice that we are the home of this great game. That even now players, good and bad, and millionaires and billionaires want a small piece of Scotland to recognise our role in the game.

And I feel proud that Scottish galleries are so often praised for their knowledge and appreciation of golf. Not just of the holes in one and the target golf but of the gritty round when a players luck has blown away in the fierce seaside wind and scrapping is the only way to succeed. So let Scotland rejoice in our unwitting obsession and realise that golf lets the world see the best of us.