US Open Champion Graeme McDowell is planning to fine-tune his game for The Ryder Cup by playing in the Austrian Golf Open presented by Botarin at Diamond Country Club near Vienna later this month. The €750,000 tournament, from September 16 - 19, is the penultimate European Tour event before Colin Montgomerie's European Team takes on the USA at The Celtic Manor Resort, and after a few weeks' rest McDowell is aiming to sharpen up over the 7,053 yard par 72 Diamond Course.

The Northern Irishman sealed his place in Europe's Team with his historic victory at Pebble Beach in June, a week after he clinched The Celtic Manor Wales Open over The Twenty Ten Course. Having also finished fourth at the Madrid Masters a week earlier, McDowell has enjoyed a well-deserved rest since playing in the US PGA Championship.

Indian star Jeev Milkha Singh rued a cold putter as he fired a one-under-par 70 in the opening round of the Omega European Masters on Thursday. Singh, the Asian Tour's number one in 2006 and 2008, failed to take advantage of perfect scoring conditions at the Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club, trading two birdies against a lone bogey on his last hole.

C. Muniyappa, making his debut in the co-sanctioned Asian Tour and European Tour event, enjoyed a flying start with an outward 32 but dropped three shots coming home to settle for a level par 71.

"I was really disappointed with the way I played. I hit the ball really well but couldn't hole anything. It was summed up at the last hole, making a bogey with sandwedge in the hand," said Singh.

Australia's Marcus Fraser is gearing up for a title assault at the Handa Singapore Classic as a victory will push him up to the summit of the Asian Tour Order of Merit. Fraser is currently ranked second on the Order of Merit and will be determined to add a second victory this season at the US$400,000 full field Asian Tour tournament at the Orchid Country Club next week.

He ended a frustrating seven-year title drought with a convincing victory at the Ballantine's Championship in Korea in April and consecutively signed on as an Asian Tour member to expand his playing opportunities.

"My intention is to play as many events as possible and give me the best chance of winning the Order of Merit," said Fraser, who enjoyed a stellar season in Europe in 2003 where he won two Challenge Tour titles and earned a victory at the Russian Open.

Miguel Angel Jiménez of Spain has won The European Tour Shot of the Month Award for July following an inspired piece of improvisation at the world famous ‘Road Hole' at St Andrews.

In the third round of The Open Championship over the Old Course, Jiménez found himself tucked in a near impossible position beneath the wall which forms the course boundary beyond the notorious road behind the 17th green.

However, the Spanish Ryder Cup player opted to take the brave option of facing the wall with his back to the green and playing a miraculous shot against the stone dyke. The ball ricocheted off the wall over Jimenez's head onto the putting surface. A truly brilliant stroke, worthy of the Shot of the Month Award.