Golfing gossip

By Iain Carter BBC Five Live golf correspondent

ROSE A LATE BLOOMER

This time last year I was writing that I felt 2006 would be the year we would see a big breakthrough from Justin Rose. So, should that be Just-in Time?

Rose the winner - expect to see this again in 2007

He won the Australian Masters, his final event of the year, and I think this is the strongest signal yet that the 26-year-old is indeed destined for the very top.

That's certainly the view of his coach Nick Bradley.

Since the pair teamed up in mid-May, Rose has risen from 108th to 51st in the world, accumulated US$1.7m and now has his first tournament win in four years.

"I expect him to be Britain's number one within a year," Bradley told me, before adding: "And within two years he will have won a major."

Bradley says he's made three fundamental swing changes to Rose - altering his posture, his transition from backswing to downswing and the release of the club through the ball.

But Bradley says the work that he has done off the course on Rose's "emotional intelligence" has been just as important.

The player is reaping the benefits, but it also seems likely 2006 will be regarded as the year Bradley became fully established as a top coach.

He previously taught former French Open winner Phil Golding on the European Tour.

FISHER LEARNS FROM THE GREATS

Someone else for whom 2006 will go down as a landmark year is Essex 18-year-old Ollie Fisher.

After coming through 14 rounds over three courses of qualifying, he earned his European Tour card.

When we met at Nike Town in Central London at the launch of his pro career, Fisher paid tribute to his coach Chris Jenkins who he first met nine years ago when Chris was offering free lessons at his local driving range.

Fisher is now one of the game's brightest prospects and is determined to learn from the stars with whom he will now be playing - and he isn't scared to ask for advice.

Great things are expected of Ollie Fisher next year

When he was 16, he approached Jack Nicklaus at St Andrews and asked him what his top tip might be.

"He said: 'The main thing about this game is to be able to hit the shots that you want to hit,'" Fisher revealed.

Which, when you think about it, makes perfect sense.

And the early signs are that Fisher has the ability to heed those words. His professional career starts in earnest in South Africa next week.

YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED

It would be interesting to know who you regard as the players to watch next year.

As for your latest emails - Michael in the US asks the question that the whole of America wants answered.

"Why do the US always play in the Ryder Cup as individuals, while Europe meld together as a team?"

I think it's an attitude thing and you can see it in the most subtle of ways.

Like the way they introduce the team always in the order that the Americans qualified, emphasising Tiger Woods' superiority.

Europe don't do this, they always list their team in alphabetical order, showing that they're all equals, which surely helps team spirit from the word go.

Dave has reacted with fury to the suggestion that the Ryder Cup may go to four days rather than three.

His take is that "the Americans will try to do anything to upset Europe's current dominance."

Congratulations on two fronts to the LPGA Tour.

Firstly, the announcement that they will introduce drug testing is a welcome move to anyone who feels that golf should be in step with the rest of sport.

"The Americans will try to do anything to upset Europe's current dominance", says Dave

Secondly, the format for the season ending ADT Championship was bold and innovative.

After two rounds, the 32-player field was halved, and after the third round only the top eight survived.

Having come through that qualification process they then played a one round shoot-out, carrying no advantage/disadvantage from their scoring in the first three rounds.

So it was a sprint to the $1m first prize, won on this occasion by Julieta Granada.

I think such a format might have the potential to spice up a few otherwise routine 72-hole strokeplay events.

Back to your emails - Alan responded to cries for relief to be allowed for anyone unlucky enough to land in a sand-filled divot in the middle of the fairway.

And his response could be summed up in one word - "Tough".

He points out, it's no more unfair than a well-struck drive landing in the middle of the cut stuff and then violently kicking into the rough.

And finally, for now, a quick mention for the Golf Foundation "Commit to Junior Golf" campaign.

It's directed at members of all golf clubs to introduce an optional #2 levy to annual subs.

Golf Foundation chief executive Mike Round says: "The more money we raise, the more is ploughed into initiatives that currently see 500,000 children experience the game for the first time in schools - and then create pathways to feed them into clubs."

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