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The Michael Hill New Zealand Golf Open, co-sanctioned by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australia, celebrates its 100th anniversary this week. The competition takes place The Hills Golf Club and is New Zealand’s richest sporting event with a prize fund of $1,500.00. I'm backing a Swede, an Aussie and a Kiwi...

Daniel Chopra @ 7/1 with Paddy Power: the big-hitting Swede claimed his first US Tour win at last months Ginn Sur Mer Classic and has continued to pay well. He was very unlucky to finish runner-up at last weeks Mastercard Masters after losing out in a play-off that stretched to the fourth extra hole. He has a good chance of becoming only the third European to win this event.

Peter O’Malley @ 14/1 with Paddy Power: three of O’Malley’s seven tournament successes have come in New Zealand and his game is well suited to the Hills Course. He closed with successive rounds of 67 to claim fourth place at the Mastercard Masters and a repeat of that form will make him a serious contender here.
 
Michael Campbell @ 16/1 with totesport: the 2005 US Open has been pretty far from his best of late but he remains New Zealand’s golfing icon. Campbell previously won this event in 2000 and is set to become the tournaments official Ambassador so he would love to triumph in the centenary edition. A return to something like his best form could be enough.

Jack didn't win it. On this day in 1974, the race for supremacy at the top of the golf world was so tight, they had a split decision when it came to handing out the post-season awards.

Golf World magazine, handed the difficult task of choosing a Player of the Year, took the easy way out and gave co-honours to both Johnny Miller and Gary Player.

What did Player do in '74? ... Well, capping a year in which the little South African legend was named to the World Golf Hall of Fame while still an active player, all Player did was win both the Masters and the Open Championship, while adding to his impressive collection of frequent flyer miles.

And what did Johnny Miller do? ... Well all the shaggy haired Mormon did was put together one of the most blinding individual seasons in PGA Tour history, winning at eight tour stops and racking up a record total of $353,021 (that's $1.5 million in today's money). How dominant was Miller in 1974? It took another 25 years, until '99, when a fellow named Tiger Woods won eight tournaments in a calendar year ...

The European Tour stopped off in Melbourne for the Mastercard Masters, the second event on the 2008 International Schedule. Unfortunately, my selections failed to perform to my expectations…

Robert Allenby @ 14/1: Allenby started brilliantly and was leading after two rounds before falling out of contention with successive rounds of 73. He eventually finished in a tie for 10th place on seven under par.
John Senden @ 14/1: Senden had an uphill struggle after an opening round of 73 but he battled back to finish in a respectable tie for 15th place on six under par.
Rory McIlroy @ 45/1: McIlroy also finished tied for 15th place on six under par. The 18 year old was well positioned before a final round of 73 saw him fall down the leaderboard.

I should have told you to get on:

Aaron Baddeley @ 10/1: Pre-tournament favourite Baddeley delighted his home crowd by winning the Australian Masters title after edging out Daniel Chopra at the fourth extra play-off hole. Baddeley finished on 13 under par to claim his second European Tour title win.
Daniel Chopra @ 22/1: The big Swede pushed Baddeley all the way and could have won outright but for a bogey on the 17th when leading.
Stuart Aplleby @ 16/1: Another who had his chance to win. He finished in third place after double bogeying the 18th to end with a score of 11 under par.
Peter O’Malley @ 40/1: O’Malley closed with successive rounds of 67 to take fourth place on 10 under par.

Players representing 28 nations assembled at the Mission Hills Golf Club in China to contest the Omega Mission Hills World Cup. I incorrectly advised you to back…

England @ 3/1: I thought that Justin Rose and Ian Poulter were nailed on to win the World Cup for England and strongly encouraged you to back them. They were the two highest ranked players in the field, had both been in great form and are good friends off the course so their pre-tournament status as short priced favourites was justified. Sadly they could only finish in fourth place, two shots off the lead with a 23 under par total of 265. Two bogeys on the front nine of their final round left them with too much to do.

I should have told you to get on:

Scotland @ 25/1: Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren did Scotland proud to win the World Cup for the first time in the events 53-year history. The Scots edged a thrilling play-off on the third extra hole to clinch the title against the American team of Boo Weekly and Heath Slocum (18/1). Montgomerie and Warren made amends for their play-off defeat to Germany in last year’s World Cup, finishing with a 25 under par total of 263. France (25/1) finished third on 24 under par.