The Year Ahead

Come on tours, lighten up, this is not exactly on a par with Brexit or whether Donald Trump is sane and fit to rule the world. Take the plunge and in no time everyone will wonder what all the fuss was about. Any professional who dislikes the concept can of course still wear trousers and anyway it would probably only be permitted in the hotter climes. How many of us play golf in Hong Kong between April and November in anything other than shorts?

The Ryder Cup is still a long way off, but the recent one-sided EurAsia Cup (in which Darren Clarke's European side stuffed a strangely muted Asian team led by Jeev Milka Singh) prompted much chat amongst the paid observers as to the likely composition of Europe's team to face America at Hazeltine in late September. McIlroy, Rose, Stenson, Garcia, Willett and Kaymer are currently the highest placed Europeans in the world rankings and it would be pretty surprising if they're not all in the team. Just for fun: I'll take a punt on the other six now and you can shoot me down in flames come autumn; Dubuisson, Pieters, Fitzpatrick, Poulter, McDowell and (Francesco)Molinari. That could be a long way off target, but you can bet Darren Clarke wouldn't mind that twelve, with just three rookies. He passed the EurAsia Cup test with flying colours, with players and observers alike full of praise for his skilled captaincy. The Ryder Cup is a massively different proposition and it will be fascinating to see how he handles himself when his side come under real pressure as they undoubtedly will from what's shaping up to be a very strong home side.

Clarke is a perfectionist, which curiously hasn't always served him well as a player. I've watched him on the range hit ten perfect shots before the eleventh veers five yards left. He would turn and snap at Ewen Murray or whoever was coaching him that week, "what was wrong with that"! Ewen would merely shrug his shoulders and say "you're human". That lust for the perfect swing, the perfect shot can get in the way of just making a score and frequently has done. Darren's perfectionism though should ensure that the visitors arrive in America as well prepared as any recent team. He'll leave nothing to chance and it will be amazing if it's not another humdinger of a contest.

Before then there are four majors to be decided and squillions of dollars to be distributed. It's already been an incredible start to the year with Spieth, Fowler and McIlroy all on fire. Are we to get one of those magical seasons when the Big Four dominate? For my Lunar New Year predictions I'll take Jason Day to become only the second Australian winner of the Masters Tournament, just frustrating McIlroy's bid for a career Grand Slam. The venerable Oakmont Country Club stages the US Open for the eighth time since 1927, more than any other venue. It boasts Hogan, Nicklaus, Miller and Els amongst it's champions, with Angel Cabrera taking the title the last time in 2007. The Big Four will all contend, but Justin Rose will throw in another bravura performance to win his second US Open.

Royal Troon stages its ninth Open since 1923. It's a classic out and back links that saw victories for Locke, Palmer, Weiskopf and Watson before more surprising winners like Calcavecchia, Leonard and, most recently, Todd Hamilton. I foresee a return to the glory days with McIlroy claiming his fifth major; BUT the weather can do horrendous damage there. That leaves Spieth and Fowler winless going into the PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Only an idiot would predict that ...

Now, stripes or plain shorts today, and where's the sun cream?

Kung Hei Fat Choy!