Been an eventful week one way and another, but now in Minnesota for the year’s final grand slam event.

Enjoyed watching last week’s Bridgestone WGC tournament and a magnificent duel between Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington which the former eventually won.

The pairing sparked off a lively debate about slow play because they were put on the clock by the European Tour’s John Paramor and Padraig seemed to be affected the worst while Tiger criticised the decision to warn them about playing too slowly.

I know you can’t have one rule for one and another for another and slow play does nothing for golf’s cause, but this was an epic confrontation and they were the last pairing.  Two sides to that story and not everybody will be pleased whichever way you go. What gets to me most, however, is a player not being ready to hit when it’s his turn.  Whatever the cure, golf does need to get sexier.

Had an interesting call from England cricket captain Andrew Strauss en route to the US PGA.  He wasn’t particularly happy about some of my comments about Andrew Flintoff’s exclusion from the Headingley Test.

But my thoughts took on more credibility when the ECB announced that Fred was now fit and would be available for the deciding Test at The Oval.  Let’s hope he can produce the goods that turn the series our way just as his did four years ago.

I’m expecting a strong finish to the major championship season at Hazeltine this week.   We are now contending more and more in the big events and I don’t think there will be any change here.