Time was when Odyssey was a little rebel of a company that made fairly revolutionary putters-- Odyssey Backstryke Marxman Putter. The designs themselves were just a touch left of conservative, but they didn't mind stepping way out on the far side of reality and betting the house on face inserts. Their original face insert was a good one. It was black, and though a touch "Thuddy" feeling, it left no doubt in the hands that wielded it, that one definitely held the power to go after a 50 foot lag putt if necessary. In fact, before this last Odysset Mini-T I purchased this year, I hadn't owned an Odyssey since the days of the old Brass Version Dual Rossi with that original thuddy insert.

 From there, Odyssey went on to design the ubiquitous Odyssey Backstryke Marxman Putter

, and soon after that, the rest was history. During a huge spate of acquisitions and mergers in the industry--Callaway found itself in desperate need of a good Odyssey Backstryke Marxman Putter design that would set them apart from the rest of the industry. Though it has been a marriage made in heaven for those two, it has, until recently, not been so great for the consumer, as it has led to a sense of complacency in the newly formed Odyssey Division of Callaway. They were no longer a rebel company, but now part of a huge corporate empire. Sadly, their designs began to reflect this new corporate culture.

Of all The Backstrykes, this is most definitely my favourite. Unfortunately it did not arrive into my neck of the woods until just a couple of weeks ago. I had already bought the Odyssey Backstryke Marxman Putter

that needs to stay in my bag for a while. This is the one Odyssey Putter that runs neck and neck with The New Taylor Made Ghost.

I am absolutely flabbergasted by the amazing feel and accuracy of this particular Odyssey Backstryke Marxman Putter

. I went back to the store where I had been demoing all the putters on both their practice green, and, as spare demoes became available, on real practice greens and during a few rounds at local courses. My earlier conclusions about The Blade and The 2- Ball remained intact, but as I did a side by side between this one and The Taylor Made it became a marathon playoff between the two.

If Europe's Ryder Cup team was to be selected this week, it would include one Tommy Fleetwood.

"Tommy Fleetwood, whose he?" you might ask for the little known has yet to make his way into the upper echelons of professional golf.

He has managed a 20th place finish in one European Tour event, but for the time being is a member of Europe's second-division developmental Challenge Tour where he is top of the Money standings right now and is looking set for promotion into the European Tour proper next year.

"But how could this qualify him to hold a place in Europe's Ryder Cup team for next year's battle against the USA if it were to be named this week?" you make also ask. Nike Victory Red STR8-FIT Tour Fairway Wood

)

It is clearly unrealistic to look at the Ryder Cup race when its qualifying standings are less than two weeks old, but it is nevertheless a fact that after the 20-year-old from Southport's Challenge Tour victory in the Kazakhstan Open on Sunday, Fleetwood is lying in 10th and last place among the current qualifiers.

This because he earned 12 world rankings points with his Nike Victory Red STR8-FIT Tour Fairway Wood

 at the Kazakhstan Open, the same number as Scot Gary Orr received for his fourth place in the European Tour's KLM Open.

It has put Fleetwood on a similar track to the one Italian Edoardo Molinari followed last year together with his Nike Victory Red STR8-FIT Tour Fairway Wood

 when his last minute heroics before the qualifying deadline earned him his place in the Ryder Cup team after starting the qualifying race as a Challenge Tour member.

But here is how the Ryder Cup wannabes stand at the moment:

Luke Donald has refuted reports indicating that he felt the Tiger Woods era was over, saying that he would never be so naive as to write off the former World No 1 as a spent force.

England's reigning world number one goes into this week's BMW Championship at Cog Hill Golf Club in Lemont, Illinois, ranked fourth in the FedEx Cup standings and looking to close in on the top three.

Woods, sidelined for much of the 2011 season with a knee injury, did not qualify for the play-off event and has slipped to 46th in the world as he has struggles to get back to even a shadow of his best.

"I don't recall ever saying Tiger's era is over," Donald said.

"I've certainly said in the past I think it's tough to come back from physical injuries. I've had some, and obviously being away from the game for so long, it's certainly not going to be easy for him to get back to where he was.

"I wouldn't doubt that Tiger will come back and win again. Whether he'll win as prolifically as he did a few years ago, I'm not sure. Whether the Tiger era is over, I don't know.（Mizuno - JPX-800 HD Combo Iron Set

）

"Obviously there's a lot of great young players coming up and showing a lot of talent, but certainly I would never be naive enough to write Tiger off.

"He has a tremendous amount of talent, and I'm sure when he starts playing a little bit more that that will start showing again."

Donald's focus at the Cog Hill Golf & Country Club is on closing down the American trio Webb Simpson, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar, who occupy the top three places in the FedEx Cup standings.

The 33-year-old, who tees off for his first round alongside Brandt Snedeker and Jason Day, finished in a tie for third in his last tournament, the Deutsche Bank Championship, and admits he will likely have to pick up a victory soon with his Mizuno - JPX-800 HD Combo Iron Set

if he is to win the FedEx Cup.                  

 Maria Hjorth can't wait to tee off in this year's Solheim Cup - and with good reason. She has a score to settle.

The seasoned Swedish veteran has played Ping G20 Combo Set

 in four Solheim Cup matches - in 2002, 2005, 2007 ands 2009 - and has yet to represent the winning side.

But when this year's matches tee off at Killeen Castle in County Meath, Ireland on September 23, Hjorth is hoping it will spell the end of her winless streak with Europe and a return to the winners’ rostrum.

"Obviously, I would like to be on a winning team sometime," she said. "I've played in four (Solheim Cup events), but unfortunately they've been four losses.

"I think and hope that this year in Ireland we will put up a really good fight as I feel we have a good chance to win. Our team is playing with our Ping G20 Combo Set

 really well right now, although the American girls are playing great too."

Hjorth will also be looking for her first singles victory to brighten up her somewhat dismal 0-3-1 singles record

She is 2-2-3 in four-ball play and 3-2-1 in foursomes matches. The closest she's come to a team victory over the Americans was in 2002 and 2005. On both occasions the US Team edged Europe 15½-12½.

Hjorth believes the European Team's four captain’s picks will be crucial to the final outcome.

"It will be interesting to see who Alison (Nicholas) picks. It's important for the captain's picks to have a good mixture of everything," the Swede says.

"I think also playing Ping G20 Combo Set

in Ireland will be great. The fans there are amazing," Hjorth added "I played in the Irish Ladies Open there, and the crowds are huge and so supportive.

"Alison's done a great job touring around Ireland giving clinics and just trying to get more support for us and have more people come out and watch the Solheim. I think we'll have a great fan base there and a lot of support, so I'm really looking forward to it."

Will playing in her fifth Solheim diminish her intensity or dull here competitiveness?

"Not at all," Hjorth shot back, "Solheim, even if you play in it many times, always remains as exciting as the first time you played in it.

"I can't wait, and I think it will be really, really good."