Paul McGinley is to have his first experience of the Florida Swing next spring, as part of his build-up to a US Masters debut at Augusta National in April.
It will mean limiting his European activities to no more than two tournaments during the first three months of the year. "Playing in the Masters is such a wonderful milestone in my career, that I want to be sure I'm properly prepared," said McGinley yesterday.
"The indications are that I will play six or possibly seven events in the US, starting on the West Coast Swing and including my first visit to Sawgrass for the Players Championship."
When his World Cup partner, Padraig Harrington, made the Masters field last year, McGinley became the only member of Ireland's big three, not to have experienced Augusta. At the time, he admitted that it hurt being at home that week, but he wasn't looking for any shortcuts.
"Friends have offered me the chance of playing Augusta, but I am determined to get there on merit," he said last April.
Now that he has realised that ambition, he plans to make the best of it.
Meanwhile, Tiger Woods has been describing the longest drive of his life, to readers of the current issue of Golf Digest magazine in the US.
As it happened, it wasn't on a golf course but in a car, all the way from St Louis, Missouri, to his home in Orlando Florida.
After the announcement on September 12th that this year's staging of the American Express Championship has been cancelled, Woods decided to head home, alone.
"Some people might think I'm nuts for driving halfway across the country by myself, but it seemed like the thing to do," said the world's most valuable sportsman.
He went on: "Besides, negotiating 1,000 miles would require concentration, something I welcomed after the events of the day before."
Woods prepared for the trip by stocking up on protein bars and bottled water. He also relied on music from the car's radio/CD player and on mobile-phone calls to friends in his native California.
Though he didn't eat dinner, he had four stops for petrol when he also went to the toilet and, remarkably, he was never recognised during the 13 and a half hour drive.
"I learned a long time ago how to limit pit-stops on long trips," he added. "The key is not to overload with liquids. I sipped just enough water to keep the protein bars from tearing up my stomach."
Averaging 75 m.p.h. for the trip, he pulled into his driveway at the Isleworth resort at 6.0 a.m..
"Home never looked so good."
