Tuesday wrap up

The tension is mounting as the first tee time on Thursday at 7.40 a.m. approaches and most agree this is a very wide open Tournament.

The first shot will be hit by Arnold Palmer with his inaugural tee shot, and then the Tournament will be underway.

A huge storm on Monday night, and heavy winds on Tuesday, have meant that the groundstaff have had to work even harder than usual to get the place into the immaculate condition the patrons expect.

Several trees on the property were blown over, most notably one of the Magnolia Trees on the famous Magnolia Lane (there are now 60 rather than 61) a huge magnolia on the right of the 1st fairway, and a huge branch on the left of the 14th.

The branch on the 14th, fell in mid-morning on Tuesday, with players out on the course and huge galleries watching; and it was miraculous that it missed everyone, because it was big and heavy enough to kill several people if they had been underneath.

Thankfully, the forecast is for the wind to subside over the next few days; and for the winds to calm. All the players agree the course has been set up for low scoring; so this should be a return to the glory days of old when the roars could be heard rebounding off the dogwoods.

England’s Ian Poulter has spiced things up (as if they needed to be) by saying he thinks Tiger has “no chance” of finishing in the top-5. Tiger didn’t look too impressed (not for the first time) with Poulter’s comments.

Several players start the week looking as though they are reaching peak form; noticeably Phil Mickelson who won last week in Houston. And while Phil is the bookies favourite (8-1) the favourite among the members of the press seems to be Bubba Watson, who – with his huge fade – shapes it perfectly for this course, and has the length to match.

Meanwhile, there must be a great chance of a first European victory since Olazabal in 1999. Lee Westwood, the world number two, will be hoping to clinch his first major; not that his week started particularly well.

After finishing mid-field in Houston last week, he took a flight to Atlanta; but mid-flight the plane had to turn round because there was smoke coming from the cockpit. When they landed they were met by several fire engines. Sympathetically, Luke Donald tweeted to Westwood that it obviously wasn’t his putter that was on fire!