Shot

At 480 yards downhill to a peninsula green, the par-four 17th at Congressional had been the finishing hole when the US Open last went there in 1964. And where the destination of this year's trophy was concerned, it effectively retained that critical status.

For it was there, last June, that Ernie Els struck the shot which won him the title for a second time in three years. When he and Colin Montgomerie stood on the tee, they were tied on four-under-par: when they left the green, Els was still on four under but a stroke clear of his rival.

Both players hit three-wood tee-shots but Mongomerie's effort was longer. "I'm not saying I intended to be hitting first to the green, but I think I might have affected Colin's shot," said the South African.

In the event, Els hit a glorious, five-iron shot from a downhill lie, 212 yards towards the pin on the left side of the green. Some observers felt he had inadvertently pulled the shot which finished 15 feet from the hole, so bringing the water into play. If so, Els wasn't telling.

Finish

Twelve months previously, some of his fellow professionals had complained that Druids Glen was simply too tough. "Nonsense," or some such retort, came from the lips of Colin Montgomerie. When the big Scot retained his Irish Open title at the venue in July, he positively gushed: "This is a very, very good tournament venue."

No doubt, Montgomerie's mood was helped to a large degree by his final round accomplishment, a course record nine under par 62. "That's up there with the best of them," said Montgomerie.

Montgomerie's final round featured one eagle, eight birdies and a bogey which propelled him into a different stratosphere from the rest. He set the tone at the first where he hit a seven iron approach to 15 feet to start the spree and Montgomerie had seven further birdies (at the third, eighth, ninth, 11th, 12th, 16th and 17th).

Round

As German placenames go, Motzener See is as exotic as you get. So, it was rather appropriate that Bernhard Langer should choose the third round of the German Masters on the course outside Berlin to shoot the lights out. He required just 60 shots - which included 11 birdies and one eagle.

"That's as good as I've ever played," remarked Langer, of his feat in the first week in October. He became only the eighth player in European Tour history to compile a round of 60. And he went exceptionally close to becoming the first ever to shoot a round in the 50s, three-putting the sixth and witnessing a three-footer spin out at the 14th.

"I have no special secret," said Langer, "except, perhaps, that I am one of those people who is able to forget what is behind me and focus on what is ahead."