Author: Guest Author

European Ryder Cup teammates Sergio Garcia, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Luke Donald command the leaderboard during the second round of the European Masters in Switzerland today, displaying the reasons they earned their places on the team.

Sergio Garcia goes into the third round 11-under par after pairing yesterday’s 66 with today’s blistering 65. Jimenez is one shot back at 10-under, and Luke Donald is three back of Garcia at 8-under.

While the Europeans may appear at the top of their game, cracks may be appearing in the team’s relationship. When 24-year old Sergio Garcia suggested that his 40-year old teammate Jimenez skip next week’s German Masters so he’d be on the top of his game for the Ryder Cup, Jimenez appeared to bristle.

“I don’t need people to tell me what to do,” said Jimenez. “I am 40 and old enough to know what I have to do.”

Of course, it could just be Spanish humor. I’ve never understood Spanish humor.

Michael Long looks to defend his title at the Virginia Beach Open next week in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Winning last year with a eleven-under 277, Michael and the rest of the Nationwide Tour field returns to the TPC at Virginia Beach for four days of golf.

Michael, who is happy just to be golfing after a scary neck injury five years ago, missed the cut at last week’s Envirocare Utah Classic. Brett Wetterich took home the purse from Willow Creek Country Club by continuing to pound the ball past his opponents. Wetterich, currently second in driving distance on the Nationwide Tour, joins Long next week in Virginia Beach.

With Hurricane Frances bearing down on the east coast, this year’s Virginia Beach Open could shape up to be as wet as last-year’s rain soaked event. Your Intrepid Reporter will be attending the final day of golf at the TPC and bringing you firsthand coverage of the event, with or without my trusty umbrella.

The Omega European Masters got underway yesterday at that-course-in-the-Swiss-Alps-which-is-actually-a-ski-slope-seven-months-of-the-year, otherwise known as Crans-sur-Sierre.

Some notes about the event:

• The course is 1,500 metres above sea level, so the ball carries about 10% further than normal. The caddies will be working extra hard on their math this week.
• Seve Ballesteros altered/remodelled/butchered the course in 1997, supposedly to make it “tougher” for the professionals and limit low scoring, like Colin Montgomerie’s -24 mark in 1996. What did he do? Well, first of all, he turned a short par 4 into a long par 3. Genius! There’s one shot per round saved already! He also remodelled all the putting surfaces, to make them not so much upturned saucers as upturned teacups. Now, if my career was flagging, and all I had left was a stellar short game and a #1 ranked touch on the greens, what would I do to improve my chances of winning? (It didn’t work.)
• The winner not only gets a nice pay cheque and a shiny trophy, but also a rather fetching red blazer… sorry, jacket. Almost makes you want to be a pro, don’t it? Well, if it’s presented by Cindy Crawford, then frankly, yes, it does.

Day 1 leaderboard: Miguel Angel Jimenez leads at -6 (65), with Sergio Garcia, Peter Baker, Peter Hedblom and Marc Farry a shot back.