The recession is over

Australian golf followed the world’s economy in 2009 and seemed to go into a deep recession. A few good performances early in the year were spoilt by six months of playing from the rough but the trend has reversed.

The “Australian Swing” tournaments of the past month have given some of our golfers some much needed confidence and apart from the trials of Peter Lonard the ranks of Australian golf have never looked better.

Robert Allenby has finished the year with two wins after his dominant final round at the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum. Wearing pink in memory of his mother’s battle with cancer, he won his 13th tournament on home soil and barely missed a fairway and green all day.

John Senden had his best year ever and Scott Strange has strung together a great month. Adam Scott, despite a last hole rush of blood to the head has regained form and even Geoff Ogilvy looks threatening.

Stuart Appleby has learned how to hit a straight ball again, Cameron Percy will make waves in his first year on the PGA Tour and young stars Marc Leishman and Michael Sim could well be anything. Michael Sim topped the Australasian PGA Tour Order of Merit and earned an invitation to Augusta National by finishing the year inside the top 50 in the world golf rankings.

There has never been such quality and depth to our professional golfing ranks and there will be a great deal of success in 2010 and beyond. The recession is over, consider your golfing handout well spent.

Did someone say, “green jacket”?

Photo courtesy of Getty Images.