The European Tours Desert Swing never fails to deliver and this years edition produced superb golf over three top class courses from some of the worlds finest players.This three-tournament stretch is the perfect way to get the season started, as the weather is splendid, the practice facilities are state of the art and wherever professionals play this year, they will not find courses in better condition.The fields are strong, so theres a plethora of world ranking points are on offer and for a European in Ryder Cup year, surely makes it a must-play section of the season. A number of the Europe Ryder Cup hopefuls played in last months EurAsia Cup Obviously not all would agree, but I find Paul Caseys decision not to join the European Tour, therefore making him not eligible for Ryder Cup selection, mystifying. The chief executive of the Tour, the impressive Keith Pelly, has made it so easy for our dual members based in America to manage playing on both Tours. Casey will have his own priorities and reasons for his decision, but I believe it is one he will regret in the future.Sergio Garcia played in just one of the three Middle East events as did Justin Rose, yet the latter will tee it up in the Pebble Beach Pro-Am this week in California. Of course its their right to plan their schedule over what is a long season and I guess everyone is different.Special performancesStarting in Abu Dhabi, the HSBC is an event that continues to grow as the years tick by. Giles Morgan, the man responsible for the Abu Dhabi event and the HSBC World Championship in Shanghai, has no equal in his field. His events ooze class and style.Rickie Fowlers thrilling victory got the Desert Swing off to a grand start, while the nail-biting finish where the American edged out Thomas Pieters and Rory McIlroy was a joy to watch. Willett and Sullivan to lead Europe in the opening match at Hazeltine in September? It might just be a strong possibility. Ewen Murray In Qatar, Branden Grace became the first successful defender of the Mother of Pearl trophy over the Doha Golf Course. His composure over the closing holes was admirable and it confirmed why so many believe he will have a major tucked away before long. His closing birdie four was textbook, with two shots out of the top drawer from a player who has total belief in what he is doing.I walked nine holes in the Pro-Am with 12-year-old Shergo Kurdi, a lad I have known since he was five and based at the Windlesham Golf Club. He partnered Branden and the South African gave much of his time to his young charge. Over the course of the five hours, Shergo would have gleaned much from this hugely impressive South African and no doubt that will help him in years to come.Much is talked about the help of caddies these days. In Zak Rasego, Grace has a bagman who is on the same wavelength as him. No fuss or wasting time, hed make the decision quickly and carry it out efficiently. Ive known Zak for a long time. He grew up in a village close to Sun City in the Republics North Western Province and, having learned his trade there, he has come a long way. Could we soon see Branden Grace win a major title? Zak won The Open with Louis Oosthuizen at St Andrews in 2010 and he may not have to wait too long before he plays a part in major No 2. In five events this season, Grace has yet to finish outside the top 10 and my belief is that he will be inside the worlds top 10 come the end of the year.Dubai was the forefather of the Swing, with the first Desert Classic being played at the Emirates GC in 1989. The landscape has changed dramatically in the last quarter of a century and the event has grown with that.It was a sad start to the tournament when news of the death of caddie Dave Renwick broke on the eve of the tournament. I grew up with Dave in our villages of Currie and East Calder, a few miles to the West of Edinburgh. As we flew the nest and went our separate ways, we lost touch, but not for long. After a spell on the North Sea oil rigs, the call of golf was too strong for Dave to ignore. Vijay Singh celebrates with caddie Dave Renwick after PGA glory in 1998 Back on the fairways, he caddied for some wonderful players and they flourished alongside the no-nonsense Renwick. Jose Maria Olazabal won the 94 Masters with him. He and Steve Elkington broke Colin Montgomeries resolve in the PGA of 95 at Riviera and Vijay Singh enjoyed two of his major victories alongside him.Blessed with a quick wit and dry humour, David will be missed, but as the somber mood slowly dissolves, many happy memories of a worthy life will stay with all of those who were privileged to know him.Week to rememberThere has been much talk of a new era emerging in our game and further evidence of that was presented in Dubai, with this years Desert Classic one of the best events in the European Tours 44-year history.The irrepressible Andy Sullivan continued from where he left off last year. Rafa Cabrera-Bello, who I believe will be a late developer and become a more regular winner in the years ahead, came close, but the week belonged to the champion, Sheffields Danny Willett. Andy Sullivan narrowly missed out on claiming the Desert Classic title After his 65 in round two, Danny joined me for a spell in the Sky Sports commentary box. When he left, one sensed his full commitment, his belief, his confidence and his vision for the year. During the final round, we saw his full range of talent.The first nine produced some of the finest iron play Ive seen, the back nine didnt. Hanging on by the skin of his teeth, he kept his challengers at bay with a marvellous display of street fighting qualities, something all of the great players possess. His closing 15-foot birdie putt never looked like missing and it was a triumph I suspect he is quite rightly proud of.So many played a part in what was a sparkling Sunday in the desert. It was sport at its very best. Leaving the course, I thought to myself - Willett and Sullivan to lead Europe in the opening match at Hazeltine in September? It might just be a strong possibility. Danny Willett reflecting on his dramatic victory at the Dubai Desert Classic For me, its time to leave the European Tour for a spell in America. The week after next is the Honda Classic from West Palm Beach and thats followed by two World Golf Championship events. The first of those is in Miami, with the latter in Austin, Texas, home to my knowledgeable co-commentator, Rich Beem.We will take you through these events in the build-up to the years first major at Augusta National. The very mention of The Masters sets the pulses racing and for so many in Northern Europe, it heralds the start of your season. I hope its a good one for you.Also See:Willett edges Dubai thrillerGrace retains Qatar crownFowler set for big yearGolf live on Sky Sports 4Cheap Kevin Durant . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. Lebron James Shoes Clearance . Carey Price didnt, but he still came out on top against one of his rivals for the No. 1 job at the Sochi Games. The Anahim Lake, B.C., native was stellar in making 39 saves in his home province and Lars Eller got credit for a bizarre short-handed winner as the Canadiens defeated the Canucks 4-1. http://www.cheapkdshoesclearance.com/cheap-kevin-durant/kd-12-clearance-for-sale.html .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Wholesale Kd Shoes . Peter Holland and Brad Staubitz were sent to Toronto on Saturday as the Maple Leafs traded defenceman Jesse Blacker and draft picks to the Anaheim Ducks. Kyrie Irving Shoes 2019 . -- Patrick Reed got an early start in golf.Since joining the ATP Tour, Nick Kyrgios has never been too far from controversy. His racquet-smashing, on-court slurs and Twitter rants have branded him the modern day John McEnroe, minus the major success.ESPN has compiled a list of the top eight most infamous Kyrgios moments.The almost disqualification (August, 2014) Kyrgios 2014 US Open is remembered as the tournament he stunned Rafael Nadal in the fourth round, but trailing in our memory from that fortnight at Flushing Meadows, only just, was his round-one outburst. In his clash with Mikhail Youzhny, Kyrgios was handed three warnings for various instances of audible obscenities and racquet smashing. One more display of inappropriate conduct would have seen him disqualified. While he had certainly arrived as a future tennis star, it was clear this wasnt going to be an isolated incident.War of words with Stan Wawrinka (March, 2015) The Australian delivered a controversial and downright ugly sledge during a match against fans favourite Stan Wawrinka at the 2015 Rogers Cup. Kyrgios suggestion that fellow Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis had banged your girlfriend, came under severe scrutiny as tennis fans lashed out at him for his comments. The ATP fined Kyrgios US$10,000 -- which would increase to US$25,000 for a second offence -- as well as handing down a 28-day tour suspended sentence. The controversy also forced Kyrgios mother, Nill, to shut down her Twitter account after a raft of personal attacks.Umpire abuse (June, 2015) Inappropriate language has landed Kyrgios in hot water on more than one occasion, but none more so than at Wimbledon in 2015. Kyrgios let out a series of curses after hitting a wild shot, and one of the linesman complained to the chair umpire. Demanding answers, Kyrgios marched up to Carlos Bernardes saying: What did he say to you? Does it feel good to be up there in that chair? Does it make you feel strong? Kyrgios refused post-match to apologise for his comments.Double trouble at Wimbledon (June, 2015) During a match with Milos Raonic, Kyrgios was handed a code violation after angrily throwing his racquet into the ground with so much force that it leaped over the court barriers into a spectator. Later in the match, Kyrgios exchanged words with a female spectator who allegedly told him to pull your head in. Kyrgios retaliated in typical style, claiming she had no idea what it was like to play tennis professionally.Tanking at Wimbledon (June, 2015) After a number of controversial calls went against him, Kyrgios appeared to completely give up on his fourth-round match against Richard Gasquet at the All England Club. Kyrgios looked disinterested in the match after dropping the first set and trailing 2-0 in the second -- at times not even attempting to return the Frenchmans serve. With a chorus of boos ringing around the court and Kyrgios telling his entourage in the coaching box to leave, this could easily be labelled the lowest of his many low points.ddddddddddddDealing with Chiller and Fraser (May, 2016) You can probably guess what Kyrgios did when Australias Olympic Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller accused the tennis brat of acting like a buffoon and not in a manner that would warrant selection as an Olympian. Yep, he took to Twitter and suggested she should watch some of his highlights before ruling him out of Olympic contention. The comments came months after Kyrgios labelled Dawn Fraser a racist after the Australian Olympic legend had told him to go back where he came from. Kyrgios then withdraw himself from Olympic selection.Only interested in Pokemon (July, 2016) Kyrgios caused a stir on Twitter when he claimed he was more interested in catching Pokemon than playing tennis. A series of tweets that suggested he got more of a thrill from watching a Pokemon egg hatch than winning a break point once again divided fans. When someone suggested his actions wouldnt have been mimicked by tennis greats Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Kyrgios retorted by saying, Did Fed or Nole have a 200CP Gyarados... Didnt think so.Cincinnati meltdown?(August, 2016) During his unexpected early exit from the?Cincinnati Masters, the Australian vented his frustrations Happy Gilmore style by smashing?not one, not two, but three tennis racquets. Kyrgios lost to Borna Coric 7-6, 4-6, 7-6 in the second round and showed his displeasure after dropping an opening set tiebreaker. He did the dirty work by picking up the racquets from his courtside seat and smashing them them on the hardcourt surface, one after the other.Mac attack (August, 2016)Kyrgios withdrew from his US Open third-round match against Illya Marchenko with a hip flexor injury, saying he felt like hed been hit by a bus at one point during the defeat. I cant move. I cant turn, mate, he said to his courtside trainer. Whats the f---ing point?John McEnroe, who has been critical and complimentary of Kyrgios in equal measure since the 21-year-olds emergence on the tour, was unimpressed, however.Nick Kyrgios, if you dont want to be a professional tennis player, do something else, McEnroe said. Hes hurt because hes not training enough.Shanghai surprise (October, 2016)Kyrgios was booed during a listless 6-3, 6-1 loss to Mischa Zverev at the Shanghai Masters, then angrily defended his behaviour by saying he didnt owe the spectators anything and that fans could just leave if they didnt like his attitude. This came just three days after winning the Japan Open. He was fined a total of $16,500 for failing to give a full effort, unsportsmanlike conduct and verbal abuse of a spectator, and was then fined an additional $25,000 and suspended for the rest of the season for conduct contrary to the integrity of the game. ' ' '