The view from the clubhouse at the Taiheiyo Club is the best on tour.  It overlooks the par5 18^th hole which is one of the great finishing holes and has Mt Fuji in the background.  It was overcast most of the week but as we finished up on Sunday and while having lunch and waiting for all the action to unfold the skies opened up and we could see a heavily snow caped Mt. Fuji.  The 18^th hole didn't disappoint, with Brendan Jones holing a 40 foot putt for eagle to win and join the likes of Greg Norman and Seve Ballesteros as winners of the Taiheiyo Masters.  It provided another dramatic finish when the course hosted the 2001 World Cup where South Africa defeated New Zealand, Denmark and United States in a playoff.

The course condition was fantastic and the greens undulating and fast, running at 13 on the stimpmeter. The international players always comment on how the greens are as good as any in the world.

This week we are in Miyazaki for the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament which is the richest tournament on the Japan Tour.  Although Tiger Woods is not playing for the first time in 3 years it is still a strong international field with defending champion Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson, Luke Donald and Ian Poulter amongst the starters so it should be an exciting week.