All of you who enjoy irony will love this story, but first it’s essential to explain, to all who might not know, just what happens on the European Tour regards tee-off times.

The field is divided into two groups – morning and afternoon, or, as we call it, early starters and late starters.   Traditionally and for several reasons, players prefer a late-early combination.   So you can imagine exactly my feelings after having early-late times in 20 of the 21 European tournaments I have played this year.

Half joking and half serious, I said to one of the Tour schedulers that it might be nice somewhere along the line if I could be given a lie in on the occasional Thursday morning instead of having to be up with the milkmen.

And so it came to pass at the Barclays Singapore Open when I was given a 12.30 start on the first day and a four-hour earlier one today (Friday).   I should have kept my mouth shut.  The early starters on Thursday were all tucking into lunch when the monsoon arrived, totally disrupting the ‘lates’.  Now I’m writing this because after a few holes of my second round, I’m back in the Barclays Pavilion (great place to be in the circumstances) waiting for the latest relative of Monsoon Melvyn to complete its journey to Malaysia.

It’s typical of my luck this year so I couldn’t hold back a wry old smile when we retired to safety to allow the storm to pass.

I’ve been here there and everywhere for the last few weeks, trying like mad to work my way up the Road To Dubai list.  Right now, I’m just in, but nowhere near the comfort zone so I have to do everything I possibly can to qualify.

Last week in Spain so me playing Taylormade’s new Penta ball and it’s nothing short of fantastic.  All those who have tried the five-piece ball have switched to it so well done Taylormade for continuing to be the Tour’s leading innovators.

I also played nicely in Scotland at the Alfred Dunhill Links, but was not terribly happy to discover that my stats for distance control with my wedge were not particularly impressive.  I’ve not been hitting inside 10feet enough so that’s something I’ve been working on.

While my good friend Lee Westwood was winning in Portugal, I was enlisting the services of putting guru Phil Kenyon.   I’ve already felt the benefits so thanks Phil, but please tell me why everybody on Tour calls you Five-Minute Phil.

Even though the weather here hasn’t been kind to me, the course is in great shape so well done resident pro Peter Downie, a canny Scot who definitely knows his job.

Now I must go and get another umbrella.  Speak to you soon.