Rory McIlroy is learning fast. and fast becoming a major force in the game.

The Northern Ireland teenager is still waiting for his first win after a second play-off defeat of the season, but he has now joined the world's top 50 and I'll be surprised if he still isn't there when US Masters invitations are handed out at the end of the year.

The difference between Rory's play-off loss in Hong Kong to the one earlier in Switzerland was that this time he did things right whereas before he did them wrong. Rory was beaten by a man whose day it definitely was, but he showed just what he has learnt in such a short time and his reward was a top 50 place and the chance to make his Masters debut next April.

Also looking good in the Far East was Richard Sterne after a difficult year with illness and injury.  He showed enough in Hong Kong to suggest that he will have a strong finish to the year and start heading in the right direction again.

Finally, despite our cricketers not getting off to the best of starts in India, Freddie Flintoff is beginning to regain the form that made him the world's best all-rounder which is something my friends from Down Under will not be too keen about with the Ashes series just a few months away.