Ruari

Too much science. Step up to it, hit it, trust your instincts. And may the Force be with you, Phil.

Yup. Another march to victory. But watch out for Poulter - not too far back, going out early (in the cool of the day) - expect a bit of a charge. 69 will be a great score tomorrow.

Umm...right. I think.

I have to agree. On both counts. I made no allegation of whether I thought anyone was a lesser golfer or not. It was a reply to the stats previously quoted about Vijay and Phil M, Tiger's two closest chasers in Major titles.

Thank goodness someone else noticed! I thought it was a flashback...

I'll have to check out how Watson, Miller, Casper, etc fared. And we mustn't forget that Trevino, Player, Watson et al were all playing against each other, as well as the mighty Jack. Interesting programme I saw on Sky yesterday, called 'Overcoming the Majors'. Larry Nelson, and a couple of others, said they couldn't put a cigarette paper between Jack and Tiger but thought Tiger may just have it - but he (Tiger) isn't facing the level of competition, the Trevinos, Watsons, Players, Palmers, that Jack faced. Now that could be because of the nature of him, that competitors simply melt when Tiger comes up the leaderboard. "But I really would like to see him face people like Watson and Trevino and the rest" said Nelson (I think - but memory plays tricks as one gets on...) Must also bear in mind - Monty has more victories than either Singh or Mickelson, and in more countries - with the exception of the USA. Not sure what that stat says.

well, if all goes pear-shaped, it will be easy to get one-inch long clubs into the trash can... my wife has started playing and is very keen. handicap just established (36, natch) and now it's a question of easing her into competitions and encouraging her to play with other people, not just me...

Nice one!!! the answer depends on temperature, wind direction and altitude. I stunned myself by hitting five-irons 220 yards on a recent visit to the Mid-West; normal in the UK - this summer, anyway - is 180-190. In the UK: 220 with total confidence; 240 if i really had to do it, all was lost and it was hit or bust time. But i'd use a previously-enjoyed ball!!!

Way to go, John - right on the button. And thumbs up to you, QQ, for spotting it.

Just a suggestion, which may have already been covered - this is a brief visit between sessions. When i use the range, I begin by warming up with some wedge shots - starting with chips, then pitches, then full-blown swings. Then - THEN - i play an imaginary round in my head, round my local club. I hit driver, then iron, then allow myself two putts (naturally, I'm on the green in my head!) and on to hole two - driver, long club (depending on the wind) and so on. if I hit a bad shot, I try it again. It's practicing with purpose and I feel it gets a better result than just slammin the balls with no objective in sight. Just my 10c worth.

I agree with the circus sideshow analogy and wish she'd focus on the LPGA - she could do very well, although her contemporaries (Linsicombe, Pressell, Creamer, and now Shin) are getting used to the competition and winning. As for that - crystal balls I'm fresh out of. Could you spare a good one for this week's Lottery?

I guess you can't have watched since the 2006 Open at Royal Liverpool (which isn't in Liverpool - we do that sort of thing for fun!). It was very sunny and not much rainfall that year; it wasn't sunny at Carnoustie last year and the first three days at Birkdale this year weren't even on nodding acquaintance with the sun - as some posters to these pages have noted... the greens were lush and verdant. Unless something you had consumed had affected your colour perception...

I'll check the reference out but you're probably right - can't remember exactly where I got my quote from. Yes, he did play only one and I believe he wasn't impressed with the prizemoney (you may be able to correct me!). But it is interesting that the only time the PGA was scheduled against the British Open, that was the year he played the Open. For that, we owe home a debt of gratitude - so does the world of golf, IMHO.

Hope I'm not too late and you're not already out practicing! Three steps to golf heaven; 1. Learn to live with your self and your emotions. 2. Learn to play with your environment - with it, not against it. Take joy in the challenge when conditions are tough. 3. Only when you have mastered steps one and two should you pay attention to your opponent. Most people don't get beyond stage one and very, very few get beyond stage two. So just go out and enjoy it. As Kenny Rogers once said You got to know when to hold them Know when to fold them There's be plenty of time for countin' When the dealin's done. (The Dealer) There's another bit but I've forgotten it for the moment!!

Poulter's putting a spurt on. Decent finish in the USPGA and he'll be there - and the challenge isn't as great as last time, when he had to shoot a 29 on the last 9 of something to get in - and he did. The European Ryder Cup team may include a half-Swedish, half-Indian 2-time PGA Tour winner whose favourite sport is cricket! So c'mon, Nick - pick Daniel Chopra for the curiosity value, if nothing else.

Same reason as most players don't use hickory shafts and persimmon-headed woods any more, no matter how well they hit them: the performance of the modern clubs is better, they're more forgiving of off-centre shots, they make the game more fun for the amateur and more competitive for the pros - there are going to be fewer catastrophic results of mis-hits. but i never could hit a two-iron to save my life.

Yippee! I just got filled my tank with regular unleaded at 5p less per litre than last week - just £1.13. That's £4.52/US gallon - which translates to just over $9 a gallon. Should you be afraid, very afraid, at what's coming or count yourselves lucky?

Or more and more ridiculous. Those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad.

I'd like to see it move around more, rather than stick to one course. Then, to me, the TPC will be the 4th major. It's not unknown for the pack to be shuffled. The Western Open used to be the '4th Major'. It was replaced by The MAsters. The key was Gene Sarazen's albatross (double-eagle) on 15 in 193X (1934? I'm probably wrong). That was 'the shot that echoed round the world' and it embedded The Masters in legend. Which was a shame for Tommy Armour, who won the Western in 1930 ( the year Jones won the Grand Slam) and was the first pro golfer to achieve the career Grand Slam.

"The Legend of Bagger Vance", Steven Pressfield. You can read the precis on Amazon. You really want me to do it? OK. It's based on the Mahabarat, one of the great stories of Indian literature - specifically, the part named the Bagavad Gita. The caddie - Vance - helps the hero - Rannulph Junnah - to understand the role and nature of the warrior. You can love your opponents, as the tiger loves the buffalo, but still you have to be prepared to beat them - which may mean, kill them. You have to discover your own swing - the rhythm that God gave you. That is your heart. When all else is stripped away (which Vance makes clear by destroying the world and recreating it, in a moment) all that is left of you is your swing. Believe in yourself. Play your own game. Look after the kid who may be telling the story, 50 years hence. Told you you'd prefer the Amazon summary. But believe me, this is the greatest book about golf and life you will ever read. I love it - I bought 10 copies, the other 9 to give to kids, women and other learners who I thought would benefit. They all think I'm nuts - except for the three who actually read it.

Interesting. How many of you have bought new clubs in the past year/two years? I got a new set of Callaways, complete with the Mickelson wedges. they are rubbish out of sand. That concave sole just digs in and robs you of control. I've gone back to my £30 Progen 60-degree, with a fat, convex sole. It has transformed my bunker play back to what it should be.

I think you are, too. Swing easier, get on the fairway and two-putt - damn, you could turn pro! Seriously, work on cutting out the mistakes - the quad on the 18th, for example - and your scores will tumble. Cut out the trick shots - just chip out onto the fairway. That will save a couple of shots when you go into the trees. You may not par but you won't crucify yourself.

Oh, man! I get annoyed at Sky Sports' coverage and all the breaks for commercials but we clearly saw a lot more of Stricker than you did. He was followed for several holes as he was movin' up.

Ben Hogan said 'I'll never be counted among the greats if I don't win this thing'. He was talking about the British Open. Played: one. Won: one. Job done. Alternative Tour event? USPGA. Given the choice, he put the Open above the USPGA. Cheers, Ben. Ye're the man.

Yerright. But the USPGA championship? Are you excited? I am a bit, because it's a meeting place of today's leaders in golf (except for the club pro qualifying route) and there is that excitement at the top end. But, to be honest, I find the TPC more exciting. Even tho it's artificial - everything is around the 17th. But the field is more elite.