Seven weeks and 13 tournaments to go before the Murnaghans, Kevin Barry, Paul Sheehan and the rest of our leading challengers are put out of their misery.

We've had a few requests from managers to publish the remainder of the 1998 Golf Masters' schedule, which includes two bonus tournaments, the European Open and the British Masters (when one-and-half times the regular prize money will be on offer), and the year's final Major, this week's PGA Championship, where players will win double the regular money. There's bad news, however, for managers of Darren Clarke, Bruce Lietzke, Mark McNulty, Bernhard Langer and Michael Bradley, all of whom have withdrawn from the PGA Championship.

Clarke has opted to miss what is the final major of the season following the birth of his son last week, Lietzke is suffering from a hernia, McNulty has an elbow injury, Langer has a strained neck and stomach problems and Bradley has a bad back. While PH Horgan and Robert Damron's bosses will, no doubt, wish the sick and injured well, they will be pleased to hear that their men are amongst their replacements in the field at Sahalee.

And good(ish) news too for Frank Nobilo's employers. Despite being hit on the head (just above his left eye) by a ball (struck by a doctor with a five handicap) in Florida a fortnight ago, the New Zealander will play at the PGA Championship, with bandages covering a wound which required 30 stitches.

Nobilo has won his 329 managers a modest £113,750 so far this season . . . but then he has had to cope with arthritis in his wrists, a strained hamstring, a broken tooth at last month's British Open and a doctor with a wayward swing. A win this weekend might just make up for it all.