Against the odds

After my remarks that Steve Palmer had provided me with winners, but not had the funds to back them, the Racing Post exacted its revenge. Jeremy Chapman tipped Tim Clark, the winner of the Canada Open, Jim Furyk second and Graeme McDowel ninth, but yours truly – with his normal incompetence – thought he had backed Clark at 66-1 when he had not. Still this justifies my small stake policy.

G-Mac’s return to form poses a problem for Ryder Cup skipper Paul McGinley who now has him, Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter to choose between for the two wild cards. It might also happen that Steve Gallacher overhauls Luke Donald so that he has to perm two from the four he would like in his team – McIlroy, Stenson, Garcia, Kaymer, Bjorn, Rise, Dubuisson and Donaldson being automatic.

American captain Tom Watson has an even bigger problem with Tiger, who is 70th in the standings and has not finished higher than 25th.

He has openly said he would pick Tiger if fit, but he surely would like to have Mickelson too – yet this would be to omit Patrick Reed, Brendan Todd and Ryan Moore.

Worrying too is the comparative loss in form of automatic selections Jason Dufner, Jimmy Walker and Matt Kuchar so at the moment I would have Europe as favourite.