This week's golf and analysis..

PGA Tour
This is Ben Hogan's event and for years out of respect for him and a love of the Colonial course this always had a strong field. Palmer, Nicklaus, Trevino, Watson have all won here, but in recent years with all the money players make and the strength of golf in Europe and worldwide this event and next week's Byron Nelson have suffered. For example this week 6 of the world's top 9 have opted to play the Volvo World Match PlayinSpain and Mickelson for some strange reason is taking another week off !!


Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
Site: Fort Worth.
Course: Colonial Country Club (7,204 yards, par 70).
Purse: $6.2 million. Winner's share: $1,116,000.
Canucks ; Mike Weir, Stephen Ames, David Hearn, Nick Taylor
Last year: Zach Johnson won his seventh PGA Tour title, shooting 65-66-64-64 for a tournament-record 21-under 259 total. Brian Davis was second, three strokes back.

Notes: Phil Mickelson, the 2000 and 2008 winner, is skipping the tournament. No. 10 Matt Kuchar is the highest ranked player in the field. …Champions Tour player Kenny Perry, the 2003 and 2005 winner, is making his 22nd start at Colonial. …Ben Hogan won his hometown event five times. Mike Weir, fighting a left wrist injury, has made one cut in nine starts this year, shooting 76 or higher in his last 10 rounds. … The Byron Nelson Championship is next week at TPC Four Seasons in Irving.

European Tour
Originally called the Piccadilly World Match Play founded by the late Mark McCormack who was looking to showcase his new client Arnold Palmer in 1964, this was the only Match Play event apart from the Ryder Cup in pro golf and it was must see on the Burma course at Wentworth. Arnie won the first one, and all the big American names came over to be challenged by an International field. Seve, Ernie, Gary Player all have glittering records at this event which sadly has declined in importance in the modern game. However 6 of the world's top 9 and a newformat at a newish course have restored it's honour, and it is this week's top event.
I listed all the groups and Thursday and Friday's round robin matches yesterday


Volvo World Match Play
Site: Casares, Spain.
Course: Finca Cortesin Golf Club (7,380 yards, par 72).
Purse: $4.82 million. Winner's share: $1,135,040.
Last year: No tournament. In November 2009, England's Ross Fisher beat Anthony Kim 4 and 3 in the final at Finca Cortesin.

Notes: Top-ranked Lee Westwood, No. 2 Luke Donald, No. 3 Martin Kaymer, No. 5 Graeme McDowell and No. 6 Rory McIlroy top the 24-man field along with Masters champion Charl Schwartzel. … The event was played at Wentworth in England from its inception in 1964 to 2007. … After round-robin play in eight three-man groups, the top two in each group will advance to the round of 16. … Westwood is coming off consecutive victories in the Ballantine's Championship in South Korea and the Asian Tour's Indonesian Masters. … Donald won the World Golf Championships-Match Play Championship in Arizona in February, beating Kaymer 3 and 2 in the final

LPGA
More match play for us to enjoy this weekend for the women, with 64 of the LPGA's best in the field in New Jersey, where like all the rest of us in the northeast have been getting a soaking. The weather is scheduled to improve however and we have 1 Canuck, Alena Sharp in the field...


Sybase Match Play Championship
Site: Gladstone, N.J.
Course: Hamilton Farm Golf Club (6,585 yards, par 72).
Purse: $1.5 million. Winner's share: $375,000.
Last year: South Korea's Sun Young Yoo won her first LPGA Tour title.
Canucks: Alena Sharp plays Mika Miyazato of SKorea at 10.54am

Notes: Hamilton Farm also was the site of match-play events in 2005 and 2006. Marisa Baena won in 2005, and Brittany Lincicome took the 2006 title, beating Michelle Wie, Lorena Ochoa and Juli Inkster in the final three matches. … After single rounds Thursday and Friday, the third round and quarterfinals will be played Saturday and the semifinals and final are set for Sunday. … Hall of Famer Karrie Webb has won two of the first six events this year, taking the HSBC Women's Championship in Singapore and LPGA Founders Cup in Phoenix in consecutive starts. …Natalie Gulbis received a sponsor exemption and is in a yummy match vs Suzann Petterson . The two-day Brazil Cup is next week in Rio de Janeiro.

Nationwide Tour

This is one of the best pro-ams in golf with all kinds of celebs showing up to raise money for charity.Wayne and Janet Gretzky are in the field,, and we have 4 Canucks.


BMW Charity Pro-Am
Site: Greer, S.C.
Courses: Thornblade Club (7,024 yards, par 71), The Carolina Country Club (6,951 yards, par 72) and Bright's Creek Golf Club (7,435 yards, par 72).
Purse: $600,000. Winner's share: $108,000.
Canucks : Richard T Lee, Jon Mills, Bryan DeCorso, Andrew Parr
Last year: Justin Hicks closed with a birdie for a two-stroke victory over four players. He finished at 20-under 266.

Notes: The final round will be played on the Thornblade Club. The Carolina Country Club is in Spartanburg, S.C., and Bright's Creek is in Mill Spring, N.C.

Bryan Angus also on twitter@mummmbles