All of the major professional golf tours had great tournaments last week and there was no shortage of storylines.

In the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy was supposed to be struggling with a broken heart.  I guess winning heals everything and Rory is now feeling pretty good about himself.  Not only did he win the BMW PGA, coming from 7 shots back in the final day, but also has shot a 9-under 63 in the first round of the Memorial to take a 3-shot lead.

Also at the BMW, Henrik Stenson was trying to become the top-ranked golfer in the world, according to the Official World Golf Rankings. With Stenson’s tie-for-seventh finish, Adam Scott would have to win the Colonial on the U.S. PGA Tour to hold on to his new acquired top ranking.  Scott struggled to start the Colonial, but finished strong with a pair of 66s on the weekend, and finished off with a 3-hole playoff victory over Jason Dufner.

On the senior circuit, Colin Montgomerie got his first win on American soil, and first major win, at the Senior PGA Championship. Monty’s win is a great story in itself, but he had to hold off a 64-year old Tom Watson.  It seems as though every year Watson shows the world that he still has a lot of game left in him by contending in tournaments when no one expects him to contend.  I hope one of these times he manages to pull out the victory.

In the LPGA, Jessica Korda emerged from the pack to win the Airbus LPGA Classic by a shot over Anna Nordqvist and a couple over Michelle Wie, Charley Hull, and Catriona Matthew.  It was an exciting finish as Wie and Korda battled all day.

Wie may not have won, but she managed to move into the top spot of our Power Rankings. Stacey Lewis’ 10th place finish dropped her to fourth, McIlroy’s win moved him up to 3rd and Adam Scott’s win helped him rise to 7th. Jessica Korda’s win got her up to 72nd, all the way up from 366.

As for my game, I played at Hornby Glen. It’s an open course, good for someone who is wild off of the tee.  It was a perfect day for golf with only a slight breeze and the temperatures in the low-20s (Celsius).  I did not hit the ball overly well, with my drives and approaches almost all pushed slightly to the right.

Here is a tip to help you get more consistent contact on short chips. I heard Nick Faldo say this tip years ago and thought I would give it a try about a year ago, and I now use it any time I have a wedge in my hand or am hitting a bump and run.

Here is the tip: keep your weight on your front foot and try to hit a slight hook or draw by making an inside-out swing path through the ball. Faldo referred to it as “trying to hit a ground hook.”  I have given this tip to a few poor chippers and they have all had instant improvement, and my own chipping has greatly improved since I started doing it too.

Enjoy the Memorial.