Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
Colin Montgomerie must be a very happy man this week; although events from the weekend may only serve to give him a few selection headaches as the race to win a place in his European Ryder Cup Team hots up alongside the summer weather.
Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell, both prominent figures in Nick Faldo's team last time out at Valhalla, but both struggling for form so far this season turned on the style to claim superb victories either side of the Atlantic.
McDowell, the Northern Irishman, who made his Ryder Cup debut in 2008, shot a superb final-round 63 to card 15 under par and beat Wales' Rhys Davies by three shots at the Celtic Manor Wales Open.
It was thrilling stuff as both players hit top gear, Davies firing a stunning course record of 62 to set the clubhouse target, but McDowell, after negotiating the first 11 holes in a phenomenal 8 under par, showed composure and class to win his fifth tournament on the European Tour.
England's Luke Donald finished two shots further back on 10 under but a third top ten in a row capped a fantastic three weeks for the US-based player who must surely now be firmly penciled into Montgomerie's final 12.
The £300,000 first prize is McDowell's first victory since his 2008 triumph at the Scottish Open and takes him to the verge of qualification places to make Colin Montgomerie's team to take on the United States. The 30-year-old is now up to 12th on the European Tour's Race to Dubai money list after almost doubling his season earnings with victory at the Celtic Manor.
England's Rose claimed his first win on the PGA Tour after a closing 66 at The Memorial Tournament in Ohio. Rose shot a bogey-free six-under-par final round to win by three shots from 21-year-old American rookie Rickie Fowler.
The 29-year-old, who announced himself to the golfing world as a 17-year-old at the 1998 Open Championship, had dropped down to number 66 in the world rankings, out of the top 50 who qualify automatically for the majors.
Since winning the European Order of Merit in 2007 Rose has based himself predominantly in the US and following a mini slump, he has changed his coach, his swing and now seemingly his fortunes. This victory will lift him back into the world's elite as well as boosting his hopes of a return to the Ryder Cup team in October.
Rose started the day four shots adrift of third-round leader Fowler but a run of four birdies in five holes to finish the front nine moved him to the top of the leaderboard.
With his rivals faltering over the Muirfield Village lay-out, Rose added further birdies at 14 and 16 to close out the victory and become the first Englishman to win The Memorial.
I don't think it is a coincidence that 2010, with Tiger struggling for form, is providing us with a host of new golfing superstars; I hesitate to say it is a changing of the guard because I'm sure Tiger, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and the like will have something to say about that, but there is a sudden influx of prodigious talent showing us what they can do. It may well be a case of follow the leader and as one makes a breakthrough the others believe they can follow and say 'I can do that too'!
Fowler, although he came up short this week, is a shining example of the new age of American talent coming through to challenge the likes of Rory McIlroy, Rhys Davies and Chris Wood. He is exciting to watch, not just for his interesting choice of clothing but for his fearless 'go for broke attitude', much like the aforementioned McIlroy.
At 29 he might be a late bloomer, but Rose may well be starting to develop into the player he promised the world to be back in 1998; to see if that happens time will tell, but one thing is for sure, golf has never been so strong, despite the continuing struggles of the game's number one.
Next week sees the second major of the year as the eyes of the world focus on Pebble Beach and the 110th US Open; to try and pick a winner this year will take a bit of luck as well as judgment as it is truly wide open!
