Off the tee: Flagging fortunes

Stephen Ames' victory in the Western Open this week continues a remarkable winning streak by foreign golfers on the United States PGA tour.

Foreign nationals have won eight of the past 11 tournaments, including the last five in a row. It is the sort of statistic that had members of the US LPGA women's tour crying foul last season.

It matters little to diehard American fans that most of the foreigners make their homes in the US, while plundering the millions of dollars available on their golf courses. When South African Retief Goosen foiled All-American hero Phil Mickelsen's bid for the US Open, his reception could be politely described as "mixed".

The foreign winning streak began on April 25 when Fijian Vijay Singh won the Houston Open. He won again the following week at New Orleans. Americans won three of the next four tournaments with only Spaniard Sergio Garcia spoiling the party with victory in the Byron Nelson championship.

But since the beginning of June, the Stars and Stripes has been drooping. South African Ernie Els won The Memorial, Garcia won the Buick Classic, Goosen won the US Open, Australian Adam Scott won the Booz Allen Classic and now Ames, who lives in Canada but comes from Trinidad, has snaffled the Western Open.

Trinidad and Tobago is best known for producing cricketers such as Brian Lara and when Ames turned pro in 1987 he was the first from the West Indian country to try to make a living on the golf courses of the world.

He had success in Europe before joining the US PGA tour in 1996. The closest he had come to victory before was a second-place finish at the Players Championship two years ago.

But he had been in the best form of his life this year, finishing in the top 10 in six of his previous seven starts before the Western Open. His win earned him US$864,000 ($1.3 million) to bring his winnings for the season to US$2.75 million.

Television executives are not best pleased when foreigners scoop the major prizes in American sports events. Viewing figures leap if Tiger Woods is playing and they peak if he wins. Next-best is Phil Mickelson, the bridesmaid who finally made it to the altar in this year's Masters, followed by anybody with an American passport.

After a year dominated by Swede Annika Sorenstam and a bevy of talented Asians and Australians, the women's tour has opened its arms to 14-year-old Hawaiian amateur Michelle Wie. She didn't win the US Women's Open this week, but veteran Meg Mallon restored American pride and boosted the ratings.

The Americans shouldn't worry too much. Golf is truly an international sport these days, with top players spreading their talents widely.

Goosen this week won in Ireland to move to the top of the European order-of-merit, displacing fellow South African Els. American Ray Carrasco won the Welsh Senior Open and Korean SK Ho won in Japan.

And just to show that home-town heroes are not completely out of fashion, the Finnish Open, which is part of the second-level professional European Challenge Tour, was won by a local amateur, Roope Kakko.

Americans have long plundered the top prize in the British Open, winning 20 times since 1970. In the last 10 years there has been only one local winner, Scot Paul Lawrie in 1999. By contrast, seven Americans have won, including last year's champion, Ben Curtis.

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Michael Long has continued his recent good form on the American Nationwide Tour, finishing tied for fifth in the Reeses Cup Classic this week.

A final-round 74 dashed his hopes of victory as Ben Bates beat Paul Gow at the eighth extra hole for victory. Long's winnings take him to 16th on the tour money list with US$95,229.

In Wales, former NZ Open champion Simon Owen finished third in the Welsh Senior Open at St David's. The 53-year-old from Wanganui had rounds of 66, 71 and 69 to finish three shots behind the winner, American Ray Carrasco. Bob Charles was 13th and Barry Vivian 31st.