US stars will shine at Mount Juliet

DID you think the golf season was winding down? Already we’re gearing up for the Ryder Cup at The Belfry next month.

But even before that, there’s the NEC World Championship in Seattle next week involving the usual three Irish suspects along with Graeme McDowell, who receives the very welcome bonus of an invitation to a $5m event offering $25,000 to the last man.

That in turn will whet the appetite for the next World Championship, the American Express at Mount Juliet on September 19-22. And whatever doubt there was about the participation of Tiger Woods in that event was dispelled when Curtis Strange last night revealed at Hazeltine that all but Hal Sutton of his US team to defend the Ryder Cup will be in the field.