The State of Australia

Whiffling Straits is proud to be joined once again by Australian professional golfer and golf journalist Grant Dodd, for an update on the state of Australian golf in America. Thanks for "coming back," Grant! I trust your red-eye flight on the Cyberspace Express (where they never charge extra for baggage, even the emotional kind) was a pleasant one. Now let's get right down to it ...

On Sunday, 29-year-old Aussie heart-throb Adam Scott returned to the PGA Tour winner's circle for the first time since 2008. By all accounts he's a very likable bloke and popular amongst his peers, so it's good to see him back on top. Did you ever have any doubt that he would be a winner again? To what do you attribute his recent struggles? And do you think he's back for good -- or is one win (plus the Australian Masters, of course) just one win? (Image: AP, via golf.com)

 Actually, it was the Australian Open, but what's a title between friends! I always thought that he would win again, but I wasn't sure at what level. He seemed to be suffering such a crisis of confidence, particularly with the putter, that I wondered whether he had contracted the yips. And as Sam Snead said, "When you've got 'em, you've got 'em". Very few guys, Bernhard Langer excepted, ever truly excel at this game once they have caught the yips so I'm pleased to see that this wasn't the case.

 At his best, he is one of the most dynamic players in the world, a gifted ball striker who most definitely has the potential to spend the next decade in the world top ten. It really depends on his hunger and drive, and I can't speak for that.

[Note: One of the reasons I like getting Grant's perspective is that here in the States, it's all too easy sometimes to get tunnel vision about American tournaments and not fully appreciate what's happening elsewhere in the world – as evidenced by my confusing the Australian Open and the Australian Masters (which Tiger Woods in fact won in 2009, his last victory before all the unpleasantness hit the fan). So thanks for straightening me out, Grant!]

With two seconds so far this year, Robert Allenby seems on the verge of a breakthrough win. What will it take, do you think, to get him over the hump and start winning on the big stage?

 I think Robert would like to know the answer to that as well. He's a supremely talented ball striker, a guy who hits as many perfectly struck shots as anyone on tour, but again there is the question of putting. As soon as you see someone gripping it with the claw you know that all is not well. His putting stats have improved markedly this year but if you have a weakness on the greens it largely manifests itself when the pressure is at its highest, and that is usually down the stretch on Sunday afternoon. He did it in style in Australia when he won the PGA at the end of 2009 (also don't forget that he won Sun City as well), so he knows how to get the job done. To win in America, I think it comes down to Robert not beating himself.

When last we checked in with Geoff Ogilvy he had just won in Hawaii – again – to start the 2010 season off strong – again. Previously, you mentioned that Geoff has all the tools to be a Top-3 caliber player, and whether he is able to reach that level of play most likely depends on his desire. He hasn't done much since – other than welcome a third child to the family, of course! How much do you think Geoff's family priorities have "gotten in the way" of him succeeding more? (And for the record, I'm inclined to respect a golfer all the more when he puts family ahead of golf.) (Image: pgatour.com.)

Again, I can't speak for how Geoff's family situation is affecting his golf. He's probably having the time of his life. Having a family is a great counterpoint to the obsessiveness of professional golf. Pro golf is a selfish pursuit, and one thing you can't be if you want to be a father and a husband is self-obsessed. No doubt he has some adjustments to make with time management but he's still playing good golf, in the top 20 in the world and is something of a streaky player. When he gets hot he can go on a tear and he's odds on to do that at some stage this year.

Let's not forget Stuart Appleby. We haven't heard much from him in recent years it seems. He's almost the same age as Allenby (Appleby just turned 39; Allenby will be 39 in July) but it feels like Appleby's been around a lot longer. Does Stuart have it in him to win again?

Certainly. He's strong mentally, very committed and driven, and still has some good golf in front of him. The equipment change he made a couple of years back really hurt his game, and he took a long time to adjust. When you have played the same clubs and ball all your career it is a big risk to go to something new, and it really didn't work out for him. There are some signs of life at the moment though, and the two rounds (66-66) he shot on Thursday and Friday at the Australian Open last year in appalling conditions was some of the best golf of his career. It would be a brave person who'd write him off.

One thing we're definitely not here at Whiffling Straits is brave, so we'll refrain from writing Appleby's epitaph for the time being. And we'll also work at knowing the difference between the Australian Masters and the Australian Open. In addition, we will continue to marvel at the idea that two of the top Australian golfers were born just two months apart with last names that are so easy to confuse. Because that's just weird.

Thank you again, Grant, for lending your time and expertise to Whiffling Straits, where you always get what you paid for – sometimes even a little bit more. As a small token of appreciation from our small but dedicated staff, please enjoy this complimentary photo of two young boys pondering the untimely demise of an unfortunate mini-golfer:

Grant Dodd played professional golf on the Australasia, Europe, and Asia tours, winning the Slovenian Open on the European Challenge Tour in 1999. He is also a writer for Australian Golf Digest, a golf commentator for Australian television, and a passionate wine enthusiast. To learn more about him, please visit the Grant Dodd blog, or click here to see a collection of his golf writings.