With the Japan, LPGA and Champions Tours all taking a week off, and Danny Lee out of the FedEx Cup series, most New Zealand attention will focus on Ryan Fox on the European Challenge Tour, and Tim Wilkinson and Steven Alker in the Web.Com Tour playoffs. There’s also a trio of New Zealanders playing in this week’s PGA China Tour event.

European Challenge Tour

Ryan Fox has the chance to add another Irish title to his trophy bag, as well as further consolidating his position on the Tour’s OOM, and a full European Tour card for 2017. He tees off tonight in the Volopa Irish Challenge at Mount Wolseley Spa & Golf Resort in Carlow.

Web.Com Tour

Steven Alker and Tim Wilkinson are part of a field of 150 players competing for 25 PGA Tour cards, plus Web.Com status for 2017. They start in the DAP Championship at the Canterbury GC in Beechwood, Ohio. Canterbury is a traditional style course with nearly 100 years of history, including hosting the US Open and PGA Championship, plus their senior equivalents, and the US Amateur. This is the first of four tournaments in the Web.Com playoff series.

PGA Tour China

Play is already underway in this, with Mathew Perry, Campbell Rawson and Josh Munn all teeing it up in the Chongqing NewTown KingRun Open in Chongqing.

Ryder Cup

USA Ryder Cup captain Davis Love appears to be holding most of the cards three weeks out from Hazeltine. Not only are all eight of his automatic picks still in the FedEx Cup race, but also he has the luxury of making his final four picks after this week’s BMW Championship at Crooked Stick based on those of the remainder currently in the best form. By contrast, European captain Darren Clarke seems to have a few problems, with only three of his players still in the FedEx Cup, one injured (Henrik Stenson), and two (Chris Wood and Thomas Pieters) playing in the KLM Dutch Open this week. That leaves seven of the team inactive this weekend, with only two more European Tour events offering playing opportunities between now and the Cup.

On the other hand, it could be a strategy to keep his players fresh for Hazeltine, counting on the USA team going stale after a tiring FedEx Cup campaign.

TAB odds on the USA have shortened to $1.50, with Europe at $2.85. The value bet could still be the draw at $11.00.

And you think you practice a lot…..

The first golf club Jack Nicklaus belonged to was the Scioto Country Club in Columbus, Ohio, host club of the recent US Senior Open. Apparently Jack’s father Charlie sent him along to the club to hit a few balls on the range, and told the Scioto professional Jack Grout to send him the bill at the end of the month. At that time, range balls were 35 cents a bucket. The bill eventually arrived for the first month: $600! Try working out how many balls per day that represented……

It didn’t take Jack Grout too long to realise he had someone special on his hands: shortly afterwards he took over as young Jack’s coach, and the monthly bills disappeared.