GOLF TOUR NEWS:THE USPGA Tour advertises its wares by telling the world: "These guys are good." But if things continue the way they are going in US golf, "How low can you go" might be a more suitable tag line for the strongest tour in the world.

Australia’s Stuart Appleby closed with a 59 to win the Greenbrier Classic on Sunday, just three weeks after Paul Goydos broke the 60 barrier in the opening round of the John Deere Classic.

Last week, 18-year-old Bobby Wyatt shot a 57 at the Alabama Boys State Junior Championship while in May, Ryo Ishikawa hit a 58 to win the Crowns Tournament in Japan.

What’s next? A 59 in this week’s WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club where Jose Maria Olazabal and Tiger Woods already have 61s to their name?

“I don’t know if the Tour is trying to get some people to watch television again because they’re seeing a lot of birdies, and we’ve all said maybe birdies help viewership,” said South Africa’s Ernie Els.

“There’s even been two 60s, 61s, it’s starting to look like the Nationwide Tour, you know?”

He was joking about the Nationwide Tour but he isn’t joking when it comes to Firestone Country Club, where the cream of world golf will play for a top prize of $1.4m (€1.1 million).

“I would hate to see a 59 this week because then I’ll know I’m playing a different game,” he said with a grin. “I guess you can look at it both ways. I think it’s positive that these guys are good. That’s our slogan. But then again, you don’t want to make it look like a Mickey Mouse Tour, either. I’d like to see it a little bit tougher.

“But I must admit, to shoot a 59, I don’t care if you play it on a pitch and putt course. To shoot that kind of a number is a milestone in anybody’s career, and you’ve got to give them credit. But it’s soft conditions, again, just shows you.”

As Els spoke, rain was falling gently on the golf course outside. It’s soft and getting softer and Graeme McDowell certainly isn’t betting against a third 59 on the USPGA Tour in a month.

“I didn’t know a couple of guys had already shot 61s around here and there is definitely less rough than normal,” McDowell said.

“But if you get a day like today where it’s been raining and the greens are receptive, it could be on. I was proved wrong last week. I thought someone would do it in Killarney but the greens weren’t quite good enough for a 59. And they tucked the pins away.

“Shooting 59 is all about the conditioning of the golf course and putting. You can only hit the golf ball so well but at some stage you have got to hole some putts and greens here are awesome.”

McDowell has been paired with Pádraig Harrington for the second successive week and the Dubliner has some interesting theories on why scores are getting lower and lower.

“Golf, like all sports, is progressing and all records will continue to be broken unless there is some other limitation put in there,” said Harrington, who was second here last year.

“Players are getting better and the fact that more international players are out there, everybody knows that they have to be at their very best. Players are more aggressive and going for it from day one.

“Everybody now knows it is not about having your average week and hanging in there. That doesn’t seem to cut it any more. You have to go all out and take your chances.

“Better agronomy and better equipment has played a big part in it. But players are also more athletic. I think you will find players go flat out all the time. They hit it 100 per cent with driver everywhere.

“They are trying to overpower the golf course and just waiting for good days and good weeks. It is not a patience game any more.

“It is not about hanging in there. It is about going out there and going hell for leather after it, trying to make as many birdies as you can.”

Harrington wants to build on second-place finish in the 3 Irish Open by staying on the straight and narrow in Akron, where he was second to Tiger Woods last year.

Rory McIlroy has been drawn with Masters champion Phil Mickelson with England’s Lee Westwood paired with defending champion Woods.

Both Mickelson and Westwood can depose Woods as world number one this week.