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Explosive start from gas engineer

JIMMY McMICHAN is toasting Zach Johnson's surprise Masters triumph more than most becauseit's earned him a trip to next year's Cheltenham festival.

That's certainly how Jimmy intends to spend the £1,000 he picked up for winning the Masters leg of the Racing Post's 2007 Golf Genius competition.

“Me and a few mates had planned to go but we'd had to put the idea on the backburner,” said the 39-year-old gas engineer from Hawick.

“We'd got the accommodation sorted but didn't have the funds – now it shouldn't be a problem. I've never been to the Festival and I can't wait to do it in 2008.”

All six of Jimmy's runners – Johnson, Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen, Jerry Kelly, Vaughn Taylor and Paul Casey – scored points and Johnson, Kelly and Taylor followed up in last weekend's Heritage.

Longshot Will McKenzie also chipped in with four points for making the cut at Harbour Town. England's Ross Fisher completes his eight-man team.

Remarkably, Jimmy insisted he hadn't done as much homework on his selections as he would have liked – though he'll be concentrating more now.
“Using the substitutions is going to be key,” said the father-of-three and weekend hacker at Hawick GC.

“I picked a team for Augusta with Woods and Goosen and I'll do the same for the Players Championship at Sawgrass.

“I actually don't think Tiger's playing that well but you couldn't leave him out at the Masters. The US Open and our Open could throw up some big surprises, though. Carnoustie is an unknown quantity to many and could be incredibly tough.”

Jimmy has been a punter for many years – “with three kids it's less so now” – and came within a few points once upon a time of landing a monthly prize in the Ten To Follow competition.

Now, though, he has his sights set on the overall winner's cheque for £10,000 but with echoes of Jerry Kelly at Harbour Town on Monday, doesn't expect to stay at the top of the leaderboard.

“The pace-setters usually fade, don't they,” he said. “But I'll give it a right good shot.”