Insider: Success of peers inspiring to countrymen

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Two European Tour members already have major championship victories under their belts this year.

One is from Northern Ireland and the other South Africa. The Tour is justifiably proud of its diverse membership, and the success of such individuals is inspiring to others.

Padraig Harrington claimed his third major crown by winning the Wanamaker Trophy at Oakland Hills in 2008. His wins are the touchstone for further successes, and he has no doubt that many of the 59 European Tour members in the field at Whistling Straits will be all the more confident, because of the success of their peers.

"There are a number of Europeans familiar with Graeme (McDowell)'s game who believe they, too, can win a major," Harrington said earlier this week. "And there will be a number of young South Africans who feel the same way about matching Louis Oosthuizen's achievement. Seeing your friends get a breakthrough encourages guys to open up a bit more; become more relaxed, and win."

KING LOUIS

Oosthuizen made an unusual decision after his victory at St. Andrews.

He played the following week, aiming to do what no Open champion had done before. And he came close to winning, too, but three early bogeys on the final day meant he had to settle for fourth place at the Nordea Scandinavian Masters.

Parties followed back home in South Africa. Yet, clearly, the break has not been a long one, and nothing as raucous as McDowell's celebrations after his U.S. Open victory.

Oosthuizen was back for the World Golf Championships--Bridgestone Invitational, and performed well, closing with a 65 for a tie for ninth.

"I was a bit rusty at the start, but felt I played better in every round, so I am happy going into this week," he says.

He and McDowell are relishing the prospect of playing alongside world No. 2 Phil Mickelson at Whistling Straits, maintaining the PGA Championship tradition of keeping the season's major winners together for the first two days.

SUPER SIXTH

Around a sixth of the European Tour contingent in Kohler are competing at the event for the first time.

Scotland's Martin Laird, who also holds PGA TOUR membership, is of course very familiar with the scene in the United States, and the Scottish Open champion Edoardo Molinari has become a very regular visitor. Former Madrid Masters champion Ross McGowan and the Trophee Hassan II champion Rhys Davies both went to university in Tennessee.

Fredrik Andersson Hed has rocketed in the world rankings with his win at the Italian Open and other good performances. The Swede has countless visits to q-school to look back on, almost always struggling to maintain playing rights, but the 38-year-old is now playing to a different level.

The win at the BMW International in Munich has seen David Horsey hit new heights and he'll line up with fellow Englishman Danny Willett, Hong Kong Open champion Grégory Bourdy, and former Irish Open winner Shane Lowry. The 10th first-timer is Korea's Noh Seung-yul, looking to emulate the success of his countryman Y. E. Yang 12 months ago.

Noh won the Maybank Malaysian Open in March to earn a place on the European Tour. It's clear that the 19-year-old is a quick learner, adapting swiftly to new environments. He shot a 66 at Wentworth, another in Killarney, and there have been good finishes at those two venues as well as in Sweden.

CHAMPION'S FEAST

When Y.E. Yang became the first Asian player to win a major it certainly gave a tremendous boost to golf in the Far East. More and more Asian players will surely become familiar contenders in coming years on the world scene.

And Yang has brought a piece of home to Wisconsin. He's picked the traditional dishes for the champion's dinner ahead of the PGA Championship.

A Korean barbecue may not satisfy everyone's taste, but there'll be a wealth of flavors across four courses, including bulgogi, a marinated barbecued beef entree, and doenjang jjigae, fermented soy bean paste soup. I gather dessert will include rice cakes made of jujube and fresh ginseng.

European Tour players have gotten used to the food with the annual trip to Jeju Island, though admittedly the burgers and fries at a local American bar tend to be the food of choice for the less adventurous, i.e. the majority!