Ross Fisher shot a record-breaking 63 at The London Club to take a two-stroke lead at The European Open. 27-year-old Fisher's nine-under round included a holed 187 yard bunker shot on the seventh and a massive 413 yard drive on the ninth hole.

Fisher beat Seve Ballesteros' previous record set in 1984... to think he nearly didn't play the event because he was too tired. Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and David Frost are two strokes behind Fisher, with Rory Mcilroy, Peter Hedblom and Jeev Milkha Singh well in the mix.

Colin Montgomerie was the best of our picks at two-under, though Robert Karlsson and John Bickerton both dissapointed after rounds of 74 (two over).

Steve Marino carded a bogey-free, five under 65 to take a one-shot lead at the AT & T National. Marino birdied three of his first four holes and never had to make a par putt longer than five feet, finishing on the 18th hole with an eight-foot birdie.

After opening rounds of 66, Jeff Overton, Frank Licliter and Rod Pampling find themselves one behind. Germany's Alex Cejka, 375/1 long shot Notah Begay III and Anthony Kim are all in the mix, with rumours rife that Kim is set to unveil a new belt sometime over the weekend.

Kim kept pretty quiet about the new arrival, saying, 'I actually had to get insurance on this thing;that's how nice it is. So it will be here on the weekend.' Of our picks, Kevin Streelman is fairing the best at one-under, with Steve Stricker one-over and Rocco Mediate at three-over. Early stages and all that...

It was on this day in 1931, in the searing 105 degree heat, that Billy Burke and George Von Elm scuttled back to the clubhouse at Ohio's Inverness club to grab a cold drink and some rest before the following day's playoff. After 72 holes, both players were tied on 292 and competed in what turned out to be a marathon battle.

After 36 holes of playoff golf, there was nothing to separate the two players at 149 (seven over par). Another 36 holes later, Burke finally emerged victorious by one stroke (148 to 149). The US Open victory kicksarted what would be Burke's finest season, in which he reached the semi-finals of the PGA Championship, won four professional tour events and appeared on the Ryder Cup team, where he boasted a perfect record of two for two.

12 years later in 1943, a New York City golf professional was arrested for operating a gambling game in which golfers tried to win a new ball after giving up an old one. Unlike us, he was clearly unaware that golf and crime don't mix...

In a dusty bullring, on this day in 1947, Manolete, the greatest bullfighter in history, died after being gored in the leg by his fifth bull of the day. Rising to prominence after the Spanish Civil War, he excelled at the kill and was famous for standing close to the bull and performing five passes in succession without moving out of the way. In response to his death, General Franco ordered three days of national mourning, with only funeral dirges heard on the radio.

Oh yeah, and it's also American Independence Day.

So it's Feliz Cumplea–os! as they say in Spain to LPGA player, Suzanne Strudwick (43), lovely day crooner Bill Withers (70), peace activist Ron Kovic (62) and the so far past it he's almost back again Neil Morrissey (46). And on this day in 2003, Barry White waddled off to the boudoir beyond, aged 57.

It was back to winning ways last week at the Buick Open, with Kenny Perry coming good and pocketing us a nice little earner at 12/1. Got to admit that Kenny was almost a dead cert, but with a somewhat depleted field this week, I've decided to mix it up a bit...

Steve Stricker
The Wisconsin native has been a bit off the radar this year, but you've got to remember that he finished second at this event last year, just a few strokes behind KJ Choi. Known for his comebacks, Stricker has finished inside the top 10 in five of the eight cuts he's made on Tour this season, and something's telling me that he'll get back to winning ways this week.
Rocco Mediate
He shot 11 under at last week's Buick Open, which was only good enough for a tied 28th finish. Rocco's been in sensational form since Torrey Pines, and if he keeps it up, expect him to be there or thereabouts on Sunday afternoon. Put a fiver on him for an each-way finish...
Kevin Streelman
Only chosen Streelman on the basis that the odds on him are so good, and that he's played really solidly in his last two starts, finsihing tied 12th last week at 14 under, and tied 10th on 12 under the week before at the Travelers Championship.I'm thinking a fiver on a  top ten place..

Be sure to check out www.thebetdetective.com for all the best odds on this week's picks.

Last Week's Picks
Kenny Perry - 1st
Rocco Mediate - T28
Jim Furyk - T34

After an explosively patriotic opening ceremony, the AT & T National gets underway at the Congressional Country Club today, with KJ Choi looking to defend his title. Tiger's hosting the event, but we're not sure what kind of job he'll do, what with him being in a knee brace and on crutches...

1. It's a rubbish field
Last year's tournament featured six of the top eight players. This year, only six of the top 24 are playing. Tiger (who hosts the tournament) is out, as are Mickelson, Singh and Scott.  Looks like the Tiger effect's kicking in...
2. A word from our sponsor
If it's long distance and short distance telephone calls, wireless and DSL Internet access you're after, then look no further than AT & T. With 71.4 million customers and a net income of $11.951 billion in 2007, these cats mean business. AT & T sponsor a total of four golf events, and have their fingers in many other sporting pies, including their own Formula 1 team, their own Nascar race and a few basketaball and baseball arenas.
3. They sure know how to put on a show
Opening ceremonies at golf tournaments are usually quiet affairs, but not at the AT & T National. Five paratroopers from the Screaming Eagles demonstration team flew onto the first fairway to kick things off at the Congressional CC, each carrying golf balls that were teed up at army bases in Japan, Germany, the UK, Iraq and Afghanistan. Hall of Fame shortstop, Cal Ripken Jr., was on hand to add to the annoyingly patriotic ceremony.
4. Jumping for Choi
The AT & T National replaced The International last year, with the innaugural event being won by KJ Choi. It was a dramatic final day, the South Korean holing a 30-foot greenside bunker shot on the 17th hole to etch his name on the trophy. Stuart Appleby started the day with a two-stroke lead, but the Aussie pressed the self-destruct button, finishing with a 76. He refused to speak to reporters afterwards...
5. Maryland: Home of The Wire
If we're not on the golf course, you'll find us having fun at the Jolly Roger Amusement Park, watching the Baltimore Orioles play ball at Camden Yards,trying to get a part as an extra on police drama series, The Wire, feeding the animals at Salisbury Zoo, swilling The Raven Special lager or scoffing loads of fresh crab.

So much for going with the local boys, eh? What an absolute load of rubbish those French lot turned out to be on 'home soil' at the Open De France. At least Soren Hansen's each way finish has given me a bit of extra pocket money to play about with this week, which I intend to spend as follows...

Colin Montgomerie
He may be grumpy and boring, but you can't take away the fact that Monty's a good golfer when he wants to be... which is why I'm choosing him this week. Had a great time at last week's Open De France, finishing second behind the uber-impressive Pablo Larrazabal. He won last year's European Open at the K Club and seems to be getting back into some sort of form as of late.
John Bickerton
There's still great value to be had on Redditch's finest, which is a little bit of a suprise considering the good form he's shown in the past few weeks. Not only has he already won on tour this year at the Alfred Dunhill Championships, Bickerton's been playing well recently, tying for third at the BMW International Open and finishing tied seventh at the Open De France. Worth an each way...

To make sure you're getting bang for your buck, go to www.thebetdetective.com.

Last Week's Picks
Soren Hansen- 3rd
Thomas Levet- T30
Francois Delamontagne- Missed Cut

The European Tour train rolls into the London Club this week for the European Open, with only a few stops left until the Open at Birkdale. Drug testing's on the cards for the first time at this week's tournament, and we're hoping the results come back all clear,  simply to enjoy the pleasure of ringing the Black Knight up and telling him to 'stick that in your crack pipe and smoke it, mate.'

Put the crack pipe down and stub that spliff out, guys, because drug testing hits the European Tour for the first time this week at the London Club. After Gary Player ran his mouth about knowing at least ten players who were using performance-enhancing drugs, procedures have finally been put in place to make sure the game is clean.

The drug-testing system has had little support from golfers themseleves, but players like Nick Dougherty, Justin Rose and Ross Fisher don't expect there to be any casualties from the new system. "If there are guys out there taking performance-enhancing drugs then I hope they get caught and I hope they do something about it, but I'd like to think golf hasn't got a problem," said Nick Dougherty earlier this week.

It was on this day in 1996 that Tom Watson ended a nine-year winless drought on the PGA Tour, winning the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village GC, Ohio. 'Hucklberry Dillinger's' previous win on the PGA Tour was at the 1987 Nabisco Championship, which we now know as the Tour Championship.

Watson birdied the final hole at Muirfield Village for a final round of 70 (two under), and finished on 14 under par, two strokes ahead of some bloke who you may or may not remember, David Duval. After nine years of not winning, imagine the odds you would have got on Watson winning?

29 years earlier in 1967, for the second straight year, PGA Tour pros threaten to boycott the PGA Championship unless they are given more control of the Tour, which at the time was under the direction of the PGA of America.

Seven miles west of York, on this day in 1644, the Roundheads defeated the Royalists at the Battle of Marston Moor. Led by Oliver Cromwell and Lord Fairfax, the Roundheads inflicted huge casualties on the Royalists in a battle which resulted in Prince Rupert of the Rhine losing control of the North, and led to Cromwell having an increased influence in both the House of Commons and the Parlimentarian armies.

So it's Suk San Wan Keut! to the legendary pioneer, Charlie Sifford (96), Craig 'The Walrus' Stadler (55), shoe-loving mentalist Imelda Marcos (79), the corrupt Carlos Menem (78), Seinfeld creator Larry David (61), Jerry 'supermodel my arse' Hall (52), and Peter 'no-one's laughing at garlic bread now are they' Kay (35).

It was on this day in 1920, that George Duncan produced the greatest comeback in Open history. Born in Methlocks, Scotland, Duncan initially worked as a carpenter's apprentice, before turning down the opportunity to play professional football for Aberdeen to become a professional golfer.

In the first post-war championship, held at Royal Cinque Ports, Duncan had opened with a pair of 80s. Duncan trailed leader, Abe Mitchell,  by 13 strokes at the halfway point. After using a new driver that he bought at the Championship Exhibition of Golf Equipment , Duncan played himself back into contention with a fine 71.

Heading into the final round, Duncan trailed leader Len Holland by three strokes, and after a superb 72, he watched everyone around him crumble. Only Sandy Herd had a realistic chance of catching him, but after a disastrous 16th hole, Duncan captured what would be his only major title.

On the south bank of the Danube, on this day in 251, the Goths defeated the Romans in the Battle of Abrittus. Led by King Cniva, the Goths hammered the Romans, with the battle culminating in the deaths of Roman Emperors Decius and his son Herennius Etruscus, who were the first Emperors to die in battle with a foreign enemy.

So it's a gentle San leaz quiet lo! as they say in Taiwan to two-time PGA Tour winner, Mike 'Radar' Reid, (54), Dan 'where is he now' Akroyd (56), Carl 'hang your head in shame' Lewis (47), Pamela 'they'll drop soon' Anderson (41) and Missy 'stone faced demeanour' Elliott (37). And on this day in 2004, Marlon Brando joined the vast, method-eating, green room up above.

Forget your Ochoas, Sorenstams and Creamers... say hello to 19-year-old Korean, Inbee Park, who became the youngest Women's Open champion at Interlachen CC, Minnesota. While all the big names bottled it, Park shot a two-under par 71 in the final round to finish at nine-under par and win by four strokes.

Winner of the 2002 US Girls' Junior championship, this was Inbee's maiden tour victory and as far as first bits of silverware to put in the trophy cabinet go, they don't come much better than this. It wasn't a great day for 54-hole leader Stacy Lewis, however. The 23-year-old Texan double-bogeyed her first hole, carding a dissapointing five-over to share third with In-Kyung Kim and brazil's Angela Park.

Sweden's Helen Alfredsson finished second after a final round 75, with Norway's Suzann Pettersen tied 13th on even par. Annika Sorenstam would have loved to have gone out with a bang at her final US Open, but a final round 78 saw her finish at five-over par.

Well, we said he'd win, didn't we? We're jumping for joy this morning because Kenny Perry carded a final round 66 to win the Buick Open and pocket us a nifty £120. The 47-year-old Kentucky native finished on 19-under par to become the oldest player to win at Warwick Hills and join a short list of multiple winners of the Buick Open.

The defining moment for Perry came when he holed a bunker shot for an eagle at the par-four 14th hole. Sterling stuff, Kenny. Woody Austin and Bubba Watson finishing tied for second one stroke behind.

Perry can count himself a tad lucky, however, because Austin made a hash of the final hole, three-putting from 63 feet to put him at the top of the pile. Sweden's Daniel Chopra, who started the day in pole position, had an absolute nightmare final round, dropping 16 places after shooting 75.

June 30, 1911, was a very busy day for golf. At Royal St George's GC, Kent, that lovely chap, Harry Vardon, nibbled on a chicken wing and slurped a cup of English tea midway through a British Open play-off against the great Arnaud Massy.

A final round 67 was enough to give young Pablo Larrazabal his maiden European Tour title, finishing on 15 under par, four strokes clear of Colin Montgomerie in second place.

It was only five years ago that the 25-year-old Spanish rookie was on his brother's bag at the Open de France, but a fine display of golf over four days gave him a thouroughly deserved victory. He may be an unkown, but you've got to give props to Pablo, who never looked back after an opening round of 65, and made a gutsy decision to play the whole week sans (that's French for 'without.' Clever, eh?) a driver.

Larrazabal will probably have to get a new pair of golf shoes, though, after he was thrown into the lake on the 18th hole. That won't be much of a problem, what with a winner's cheque worth €666,660.

Four strokes behind Larrazabal on 11 under was Colin Montgomerie, with Soren Hansen finishing outright third on ten under. It says a lot about Pablo's game, however, that Monty and Hansen both shot four rounds in the 60s and still finished quite a bit off the pace.

Oh, and just to remind you, we picked Hansen to win, so that's yet another cheeky little each way earner to put in the bank...

It was on this day in 1903, that the great Willie Anderson won his second US Open. Anderson, a Scottish immigrant to the USA, became the first golfer to win the US Open twice in playoffs, on this occasion beating fellow Scot, David Brown, at Balustrol GC in Springfield, New Jersey.

Anderson's first playoff victory came in 1901 against Alex Smith at Myopia GC, Massachusetts. Not only did Willie become the first player to win four US Open titles, he is still the only man to win three consecutive US Opens (1903-05). Berwick-born Anderson could have won another US Open in 1897, had Joe Lloyd not eagled the final hole.

Three years earlier in 1906, Alex Smith became the first golfer in US Open history to break 300 for 72 holes when he posted a 295 for a seven-stroke victory over his brother, Willie, at Onwetsia Club, Illinois.

On this day in 1613, in a London of vagabonds and bards, The Globe Theatre burnt to the ground. Famous for an association with Shakespeare, a building was erected in 1614 and closed in 1642. Then, in 1997, the New Globe opened on a site standing 230 metres away from that of the original.

So it's Akiko Fukushima! as they say in Japan to former PGA Tour member, Ed Humenik (49), Nick Nolte clone Gary Busey (62), Disney illustrator Don Rosa (57), and snooker underdog Joe Johnson (56). Had he not gone to play golf on the fairways of heaven in 1961, 1925 US Open winner, Willie McFarlane would have been 118.

Pablo Larrazabal will take a three stroke lead in to tomorrow's final round at the Open De France. The young Spaniard posted a third round 67 to give himself a nice cushion going into the final day's play, and you feel that it's his to lose at the moment... but we hope he does.

Not wanting to be mean or anything, but we're hoping Pablo's nerves and inexperience get the better of him, because our hot pick for the week, Soren Hansen, finds himself in tied second poisition with Colin Montgomerie, who'll be looking to get his first tour win since last year's European Open.

Behind Hansen and Monty, there's a big English contingent comprising David Lynn, Lee Westwood, Ollie Fisher and 2006 champion, John Bickerton.

Bo Van Pelt shot a second round six under 66 to move to the top of the pile at the Buick Open. Van Pelt remains bogey-free after 36 holes and finds himself two shots clear on 14 under par.

Chasing Van Pelt on twelve under is Sweden's Daniel Chopra and Dudley Hart, with Woody Austin, Fredrik Jacobson and Bubba Watson breathing down their necks.

All our picks will be playing on the weekend, with Kenny Perry well in the hunt at eight under, and Jim Furyk and Rocco Mediate both four under.

It was on this day in 1958 that Mickey Wright captured the first of what would be four US Women's Open titles, beating Louis Suggs by five strokes at Forest Lake CC in Detroit, Michigan. She won the following year's title at Churchill Valley CC in Pittsburgh, before winning again in 1961 and then 1964.

Without doubt one of the greatest female players ever to grace the fairways, Wright won 82 events on the LPGA Tour, Kathy Whitworth being the only player to have won more (88). The great Ben Hogan once said that Wright's swing was 'the best he'd ever seen.'

Elswehere in the golfing world, on this day in 1924, Philadelphia waiter Joseph Coble beat Henry Decker, 2 & 1, to win the US Amateur Public Links Championship at Community CC in Dayton, Ohio.

Out in the bush, on this day in 1880, Ned Kelly was captured in Glenrowan. A known anti-authoritarian, he had multiple clashes with police and went on the run in 1878 before murdering three policemen while he was a fugitive.

Famous for wearing metal armour when the siege came to a head, he remains a folk hero in Australia, and 32,000 Victorians signed a petition against his hanging on November 11 1880. It didn't do any good...

So join us in a Navajo Indian cry of bil hoozho bi'dizhchi-neeji' 'aneilkaah! to LPGA player Stephanie Lowe (44), UN chief Dr Hans Blix (80), fat chef Clarissa Dickinson Wright (61), the slowly fading John Cusack (42), and cafe-owner Adam Woodyatt (40).

Our suspicions that golf tournaments, strippers and kids don't mix have been confirmed this week. We've also learned that Michelle Wie's rubbish at golf, hygiene standards are dropping and that golf isn't a sport apparently? But you probably already knew that...

1. Golf carts should be street legal (Part 7098)
With petrol prices so ridiculously high, city commissioners in Sandusky, Ohio, have agreed to let certain types of golf carts on city streets as of July 23rd. Carts will need to pass a safety inspection before they hit the roads, and vehicles deemed road worthy will be given a sticker of approval. So that's one city down, a few million to go..
2. Michelle Wie should quit while she's behind
A quintuple-bogey 9 on the par-four ninth during the first round of the US Women's Open? It was as painful for us to watch as it was for you to play, if truth be told, Michelle. C'mon, I think we all know golf isn't the sport for you...
3. Hygiene standards aren't what they used to be...
... Especially at Arrowhead GC, Illinois, where a virus at the club’s restaurant sickened about 40 employees and 60 members. A state lab identified the illness as a norovirus, which is highly contagious and could have been brought into the restaurant by anyone. The illness caused nausea and other flulike symptoms for about 24 hours. You’d imagine members will be taking a packed lunch to nibble on-course in the future…
4. Golf and strippers don't mix
Ever heard the one about a kid's golf tournament clashing with a strip club golfing event? Neither had we until we heard about a scheduling cock-up that saw a Junior Golf Association tournament in Colorado clash with a Shotgun Willie's Charity golf event. It's probably the only golf course in the world that you'll see 7 to 12 year old kids mixing it with 70 strip club dancers. We're told that nothing inappropriate happened in front of the children, but at least one parent complained, saying, 'When I walked into the clubhouse to look for my girls, I saw a woman straddling a male at a dining table.'
5. Golf isn’t a sport, apparently
Why is it that people feel the need to question golf’s status as a sport? Take columnist Michael Lewis, for example, who argues that golf isn’t a sport because the ‘rich, important people’ who play it ‘often lack athletic ability, and… are also fat and physically lazy.’ I'm sure John Daly would have something to say about that...
6. Crime and golf don’t mix (part 459)
Try telling that to 31-year-old golf tournament volunteer, Jason Osborne, who was arrested at the Travelers Championship for driving a golf cart into a parked car… and leaving the scene. Jason, you’ve brought shame to the name of golf, but more importantly, on the name of the golf cart.
7. Sean Connery loves his golf
We love him for lending his suave, ultra-sexy voice to a new film promoting Scotland as the home of golf, but we’re not pleased about the fact he’s given his support to Donald Trump’s £1bn golf resort in Aberdeenshire.

It was on this day in 1924 that Walter Hagen  won his second British Open at Hoylake by one stroke over Englishman, Ernest Whitcombe. Hagen's maiden Open victory came two years earlier at Royal St George's by one stroke, that time at the expense of fellow American, Jim Barnes. On both occasions, Hagen pocketed £75 for his efforts.

Hagen's win at Hoylake sparked a ten-year domination by the Americans in the tournament, with Hagen getting his hands on the Claret Jug a further two times in 1929 and 1930. Surprisingly, Hagen's debut Open performance in 1920 at Royal Cinque Ports turned out to be a complete nightmare.

Hagen's lofted trajectory was no match for the barren, wind-swept and bunker-filled course, and despite teeing up full of confidence on the first day, Hagen finished with a first round 83 and finished the second day's play in last place. As we now know, however, Hagen had the last laugh eventually.

Out in the Baltics, on this day in 1709, Peter the Great defeated King Charles Xll of Sweden at the Battle of Poltava. Consistently successful in wartime, his legacy is the Westernization of Russia from Tsardom to the all-conquering Russian Empire. He was so obsessed with this policy that he forced all courtiers, state officials and the military to shave off their beards. Genius...

So it's S dniom roždenija as they'd say while shaving off their beards to winner of the 1967 US Women's Open (and daughter of French tennis great, Rene Lacoste), Catherine Lacoste (63), fashionista Vera Wang (59), EDS founder Ross Perot (78), and Spiderman Tobey Maguire (33).

25-year-old Spaniard Pablo Larrazabel finds himself at the top of the pile in Paris after carding an opening six under par 65. It was IGWT fave Ollie Fisher who caught the eye