He was concerned that some years he might not reach the 11 and then be banned for two years.This is about as likely as John Prescott becoming the next world heavyweight champion. If he joined, Woods would probably be awarded honorary membership, which does away with the 11-event minimum. In fact, the European Tour HQ bods are probably working out if they can give honorary membership to a non-member. Given that Woods would have won the order of merit in the last two years, and would already be leading this year's list, Montgomerie and Westwood would vote against.As for Woods being surprised about some of the surprising shots he brings off surprisingly often, he said: "Of course, I'm surprised It doesn't happen that often. Believe me, I hit a lot of balls and most of them don't go in." Room for improvement, then..
Sergio Garcia is back in the world's top 10 following his first victory in the United States. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who spent one week at 10th in the rankings at the start of last season, had gone 19 months without a win before his closing 63 at the Colonial Tournament in Fort Worth on Sunday night. Sergio Garcia is back in the world's top 10 following his first victory in the United States. The 21-year-old Spaniard, who spent one week at 10th in the rankings at the start of last season, had gone 19 months without a win before his closing 63 at the Colonial Tournament in Fort Worth on Sunday night. Having started the day five strokes behind the world No 2, Phil Mickelson, Garcia won by two strokes and, as well as lifting him six places up the rankings, the £450,000 first prize also moved him up to 15th on the latest US money list.At the end of a week which had seen him both fined by the European Tour for a temper tantrum in Australia in February and fall to 12th in the Ryder Cup points table, it was the perfect answer. But unless he gets back into the top 10 in the cup race, he will have to rely on a wild card from the captain, Sam Torrance, to play at The Belfry in September.The youngest member of the US Tour, Garcia will now be trying to use a victory over Mickelson as a platform to try to beat Tiger Woods. His next chance comes at next week's Memorial Tournament in Ohio and two weeks after that, at the US Open at Southern Hills, Tulsa, Oklahoma.Woods and Garcia were involved in a memorable battle for the 1999 US PGA championship in Chicago.
Woods won that, but as a result of his second place Garcia became the first teenager ever to appear in the Ryder Cup and at Brookline he was joint top points-scorer. In the following two weeks he won the German Masters and the Dunhill Cup. But until this weekend that was his last victory.Yet while Woods was sweeping up in the majors, Garcia became an also-ran in them. He did not have a top 30 finish in any of the four last season and he missed the halfway cut at the US Masters last month.Torrance would have appreciated it if Garcia had taken a break from the US Tour this month to play in the Benson and Hedges International at The Belfry, or last week's Deutsche Bank-SAP Open or this weekend's Volvo PGA championship at Wentworth; or all three.A victory in any one of them would have virtually sealed his cup place, but, by staying away, Garcia now has only a few chances left to get back into a top 10 place in the table, which guarantees selection.. Dominic Peters, London born and bred, has been declared an honourary Lancastrian for the Origin Match against Yorkshire next month. The London Broncos winger has played his way on to the rung of representative rugby immediately below Test level in two games since returning from major shoulder surgery. Dominic Peters, London born and bred, has been declared an honourary Lancastrian for the Origin Match against Yorkshire next month.
