As if it weren't enough for Annika Sorenstam to blitz the record books with a 59, her foreign colleagues on the LPGA Tour have been inflicting steady grief on local practitioners, of late. Indeed the first 10 events on the tour this year have been won by overseas players. All of which has prompted a suitably patriotic reaction from the great Nancy Lopez (right).

"If I could play every week, I would try to beat those girls from the other countries," said the 44-year-old. "They're good friends of mine and good people, but I'm an American and I want the Americans to win." Just like we have the perennial wish of seeing a home player become Irish Open champion for the first time since 1982. Ah! If only it were that simple.