Simon Dyson is coming into the form of his life at exactly the right time.
Simon warmed up for the expected high temperatures of Akron and Atlanta with a wonderful win in the colder climes of Ireland. A one-shot triumph in the Irish Open gave him exactly the right boost for the upcoming WGC and US PGA events in successive weeks.
The Yorkshireman is made of more than true grit because he has a short game to be envied and a composure which belies a countenance of racing everywhere at breakneck speed.
Simon is also swinging better than at any time in his career which is a testimony to the coaching he receives from Pete Cowen, who has no peer anywhere in the world in that department.
Given all these criteria, I am not sticking my neck out by saying that Simon is well worth a bet for a win in either of the next two weeks. He plays extremely well in hot conditions and it rarely gets much hotter than the PGA while Akron is also known for its high temperatures at this time of year.
A win is a win although I am sure Simon would have preferred to have birdied the last hole to claim another success rather than have to wait for Richard Green to three putt and gift it him. But there was no more worthy a winner.
It was a good week for several of our players although not the ones you might have expected to have been chasing glory in Ireland.
While Open champion Darren Clarke missed the cut and US Open winner Rory McIlroy didn’t quite find top gear, we had four other players in the top 15.
Highest of the other four was Alexandre Kaleka in fifth while it was extremely pleasing to see David Howell up in contention again in eighth.
Like Howeller, Jeev Milkha Singh has had more than his fair share of setbacks so it was also great to see him up there again. And full marks to Qualifying School winner Simon Wakefield who, despite a weak third round, did have three others of distinction to finish in 15th to boost his chances of retaining his card.
Finally, a rare mention in this column for a race horse. As does Lee Westwood, I have more than a passing interest in a fantastic four-legged friend called Hoof It. Well, it claimed one of the big prizes at Goodwood last week and will now be going for even bigger and better.
