91Èȱ¬

All you ever want to be in any golf tournament is the last man standing and that's who Graeme McDowell became as he closed out

There wasn't a spectacular moment that clinched it, this was a triumph of composure and nerve. He hung on to a lead to win by one shot while the best in the world floundered in their bids to overhaul the man from Portrush in Northern Ireland.

It was only around the turn in the final round at Pebble Beach that McDowell first glanced at a leaderboard. He was shocked. He had thought he needed to be doing more to be on top.

Dustin Johnson, the overnight leader, had already shown he wasn't ready to make the giant step into the land of major winners with his capitulation at the second and third holes. His three stroke lead heading into the final round disappeared in the blink of a disbelieving eye as he triple bogeyed the second and double bogeyed the third.

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seems to be winning over the American golfing public if the reception he has received at Pebble Beach is anything to go by.

Woods was warmly welcomed on to tees and greens throughout his opening round at the US Open, and there was only one discernibly uncomfortable moment for the world number one.

It came at the ninth when a lone fan made reference to Woods's reply to the question put to him during his pre-Championship news conference over the state of his marriage.

The snapped answer that Tuesday lunchtime was "that's none of your business".

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is unique among major championship venues and not just for its rugged beauty or supreme test of golf.

This stretch of on the central Californian coast is perhaps the most unlikely setting for a leading sporting attraction. Immediately inland from the course the area is heavily wooded and space is at an absolute premium.

Every nook and cranny is taken to provide the with its infrastructure. It's like packing your car for a camping holiday, with bits and bobs placed around the vehicle in whichever area they fit best.

As a result the media tent is a good 15-minute hike from the 18th green, parking is spread far and wide and an intricate bus system brings spectators, officials and volunteers to and from the course.

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You would have found long odds on this statement before November last year, but for the first time in 12 years .

The odds on him repeating his US Open victory of a decade ago here at Pebble Beach have lengthened as ; this year Phil Mickelson is equally fancied by the bookies to win his first title in the event.

But players remain reluctant, publicly at least, to write off the winner of 14 majors. Two-time US Open champion , who plays with Woods in the first two rounds, still believes the American is the man to beat.

Furthermore, as far as the South African is concerned, he remains the main man in their three-ball, which also includes the .

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"Do you believe it? Do you believe it?" They were words that accompanied the moment. We'd just witnessed the impossible.

had struck a two-iron tee-shot to the par-three 17th had settled in thick rough behind the green. His hopes of beating a resurgent Jack Nicklaus were barely alive.

A downhill lie, no room to work with and America's national championship was on the line. The commentators said it was all over.

But the man with the 'impossible' shot had other ideas. This was 1982, Watson already had three Open titles and a couple of Masters to his name and this was the one he craved - a US Open. He saw a way to play the shot that few, if any, could conceive.

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For most players a first full season on tour is an uncertain business. You're never quite sure for which tournaments you will be eligible. Was last week's finish high enough? Is or of sufficient stature? Have your agents secured you an invitation? Is it worth trying to qualify for a major?

These are the sort of questions that usually accompany a rookie year, but not for Rhys Davies. The 25-year-old from Bridgend knows where he is playing for the rest of the year and knows that he will be visiting the greatest venues in the game to contest golf's biggest prizes.

One question that remains is whether the will be part of that schedule but if he continues in his current vein of form that one will be removed sooner rather than later.

on the course that will stage this year's clash between Europe and the United States.

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Colin Montgomerie has given 91Èȱ¬ Sport the strongest hint yet that he is prepared to make an exception to his wildcard selection policy to ensure will be in his Ryder Cup team this year.

Montgomerie has risked backing himself into a corner by stating that he wants and expects all the contenders for the European side to compete at the last qualifying event, the .

"I want to see them showing support for European golf and the European Tour," the skipper said.

The problem is the Gleneagles tournament is staged from 26-29 August, the same dates as the The Barclays in America which is the first event in the PGA Tour's lucrative series.

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