Every so often somebody shoots a round that leaves you wondering: how on earth did he do that.

Well Richard Finch was the latest to shoot a magnificent effort in horrendous conditions.  A 69 might not sound all that impressive, but consider this.  

It was the only sub-par round of the final 18 at the Nordea Masters in Stockholm; the next best score was 72 and the average return was much closer to 80 than 70 on a day when an ill wind blew only Richard some good.

The 69 also included a triple bogey so all in all it was a fine effort and good enough for second place behind local hero Alex Noren with Jeev Milkha Singh coming home 6th to show a very welcome return to form.

Richard wasn’t the only player to record the day’s best round because some 7,000 miles away in Vancouver Ernie Els returned a closing 66 to show that he now has the handle on recent putting problems.

Fellow South African Charl Schwartzel continued his consistent run of form to record another top 10 finish on the US Tour and will be fancying his chances next week in Bridgestone and for the following week’s final major of the season, the US PGA Championship in Atlanta.

All eyes will be on Ireland this week as the Irish Open plays host to not only Darren Clarke after his magnificent Open win, but also US Open champion Rory McIlroy.   I don’t suppose they will attract particularly big galleries on home soil.