Jack for The Masters

Jack, sorry Mr Nicholas to me, will be appearing at next year's Masters as an honorary starter alongside Arnold Palmer. Jack last played at The Masters in 2005, and had his last Open at St Andrews. I was there for his amazing farewell on the 18th. Well, in truth I was in the pub next door, having my first ever Magners Cider. So it was a doubly memorable moment.

Anyway Jack in now the 8th Honorary starter in the history of the Masters - a traditional that was started back in 1963, when he played his first Masters. I like the symmetry there.

JohnD

The Open Run In

Sad to hear the Phil Mickelson won't be at The Open. He will be sorely missed, just as Tiger was last year. Well, Tiger was missed before the event, but as soon as things got going and the weather blew in to create a golfing apocalypse, it was a bit of a case of Tiger who? Maybe exaggerating slightly, but the weather became the story, and then Greg Norman, and then Poults and then Harrington.

We spend a couple of hours each day on the 17th at Royal Birkdale, so when Padraig cracked his 5 wood on to the green on the final day, we appreciated just how great a shot it had been. In all the hours we had spent on the 17th before then, no body had managed to do much. We saw a lovely up and down from Lee Westwood from the green side bunker, but that was about it.

So, will there be a UK or European winner? Probably not. I hope Padraig will get in the mix; the hunger is so clearly there. Rory you would think could be in there - hits the ball high, which isn't great if the wind is up, but he grew up playing Northern Irish links golf, so he knows his way round. You'd like to think Poults will give it a go, but apparently he's never played Turnberry before, so might be at a slight disadvantage.

I'm just hoping it won't be an obscure American - no disrespect to Todd Hamilton or Ben Curtis, who I was delighted to see playing well at The European Open. Hats off again to the Heath Harvey at The London Club for putting on such as great show.

So no final decision as to where the Show Me The Golf fiver will be spent. Let's see what Padraig does today, and how the Scottish Open plays out.

JohnD