News from Augusta

Ranking debate set for Ireland

Apart from offering one of the biggest prize funds of the year, some $7 million, the American Express-WGC Championship to be played at Mount Juliet on September 30th to October 3rd, which Tiger Woods will defend, will also be the venue for an attempt to revise the world ranking system.

As things stand, rankings are based over a two-year, rolling system based on the average number of points won in 40 tournaments. However, the belief is that the system is biased in favour of players who play less often than others, which is borne out by the fact that Vijay Singh, the second-ranked player, is finding it difficult to close the gap on world number one Woods, simply because the Fijian plays too many tournaments.

Those who determine the world rankings met in Augusta prior to the Masters and have scheduled further meetings at Troon during the British Open in July and, then, a final meeting at Mount Juliet during the AmEx in an effort to make the system more equitable.

Whistling Straits onto major rota

Where next? The next three majors of the season offer two classic venues and one complete newcomer: the US Open will be staged at Shinnecock Hills in Long Island, New York, in June; the British Open at Royal Troon in July, and the US PGA at Whistling Straits, Wisconsin, in August.

Shinnecock is one of the oldest courses in the US and was the site of the second US Open, in 1896. After dropping out of the rota of top courses that traditionally play host to the US Open, the links returned in 1986, when Raymond Floyd was the winner. Corey Pavin won in 1995, the last time the championship was played there.

Troon, a George Strath design that is more than 125 years old, has proven friendlier than most to American visitors. Of the past five British Opens at the Scottish links, all have been won by US players: Arnold Palmer started the trend in 1962, followed by Tom Weiskopf (1973), Tom Watson (1982), Mark Calcavecchia (1989) and Justin Leonard (1997).

Of the three venues for 2004, Whistling Straits, a Pete Dye design, is the baby. The links-style course on the shores of Lake Michigan opened for play in 1998 and was built on the site of an abandoned military base.

Where would they be without Woods?

If ever anyone needed to be reminded of the financial impact made on golf since Tiger Woods burst onto the scene, take a look at how prize money at the Masters has developed. This year's winner received $1,170,000 for taking the title from a purse of $6.5 million: when Jose Maria Olazabal won his first green jacket a decade ago, he earned $360,000 from a prize fund of less than $2 million. The first Masters champion, Horton Smith, received $1,500 from a $5,000 pot in 1934.

Augusta's bite worse than its bark

Aussie Stuart Appleby has his own view of Augusta National. "It's like an untrained dog. You walk up to it and think it is so pretty and you are all friendly with it. The next minute it takes your arm off. That's what Augusta is like. You've just got to try and befriend it, stay away from its bite and work with it."