Lesser lights get a chance to shine

THERE IS something of a contrast between the tournaments on the Golf Masters’ schedule this week, the US Open on Long Island and the St Omer Open in France.

The US Open, with double-the-regular-prize-money up for grabs, offers our struggling managers a chance to shine, not least the one in charge of Fargo 4, the worst performing team in the entire competition.

Put it this way, if the person in charge of Fargo 4 – hello DC – were to have transferred in the eventual winner of the US Open, in time for the tournament, that player alone would almost treble the team’s earnings to date.

While the St Omer Open has the smallest purse available on the European Tour, in the Golf Masters’ world the regular prize money is at stake. It is, though, unlikely to create any great excitement for our managers, considering how few of our players are in the field.

The tournament is a dual ranking event, with its prize money counting towards both the European and Challenge Tour money lists.

Roughly half the field is made up of European Tour members, very few of whom, however, have the proud distinction of earning their card for the 2009 Golf Masters’ Tour.

There are some exceptions, though, among them Gareth Maybin, Andrew Coltart and David Dixon, who are all due to tee off today, but we suspect no Golf Masters’ fortunes will be made in this particular event.

You’d never know, though. As the European PGA website puts it, “held in the same week as the US Open Championship, the St Omer Open provides a great chance for a lesser light to shine”.

That could be you. Or even DC.