The rough had been cut back from Wentworth Course Manager Chris Kennedy’s original levels but the heavy afternoon showers were far too late to take the sting out of the hard greens and bouncy fairways – those 30 players were facing a test as the course was designed to offer, only they have another 50 yards in ‘their bags’ compared with the players from the 30s who made this place famous.

Of those 20 within a reasonable reach of the leader, Angel Cabrera, it was Adam Scott and 2002 Volvo PGA Champion Anders Hansen who made the first moves, both going out in in 32 (-3 for the day) and when Hansen holed his second at the 11th, then birdied the next (in company with Scott*, Hansen was at –13 and Scott at –10.

The lead was then –14 with Cabrera having played the first six in –2, so Scott would be needing at least –5 for his last few holes and Hansen –3 for that possible winning 63.

Vijay Singh could not find anything and an Els bogey at the 9th left the home club member needing to use all his power on the three remaining par fives if a first PGA title was to go on the South African’s overloaded CV. A par at the 12th and it would not be Els’s day.

The players from our region all faired reasonably in the last round – Steve Webster had seven birdies, a good thing after a 4 over par start in Steve’s first three holes, in his finishing 71. It was an OK finish to a week when Steve had the services of Dave McNeilly, Padraig Harrington’s ex caddy. Hopefully the display of birdie making will have added to McNeilly’s reasons for staying with Steve for a few tournaments. Steve’s final total – 284.

Robert Rock closed with a 73 for 286. Unhappy with his putting for most of the week, only Saturday’s 69 was sub par and this week could never have been the same sort of exposure as last year unless Robert had won.

For John Bickerton, his 73 (for 285) left the Worcestershire man ‘mid table’. He played with Peter O’Malley whose 68 was the best of any round finished before Anders Hansen (including Vijay Singh, also a 68).

Hansen was the player to post a target score. Despite having driven in the fairway ditch at the 4th, birdies at the rest of the par fives saw the likeable Dane post 64 for 273. It was the target score he had wanted pre play but perhaps a shot or two too high.

‘I was hoping for bad weather as I am good at managing my golf in those sort of conditions. I just love this place.’

Hansen’s playing partner, Adam Scott, broke a run of three missed cuts (since winning the Players Championships in the US) with a par of closing 67s for 277.

The 2004 Volvo PGA Championship was now between four players. In the last group, it was a fairy tale response by the Birthday boy (yesterday) Scott Drummond – just about every birdie that his playing partner Angel Cabrera made, the Challenge Tour graduate matched or bettered on the following hole. The key response was on the 13th after Drummond had fallen one behind to a majestic Cabrera eagle at the 12th – yes the man with only limited Tour experience was tied for the lead for much of the afternoon and took it outright when Cabrera three putted the 14th.

Joakim Haeggman been in top spot for a few holes before taking two fives on the 7th and the 9th, bogies he would rue. There was another dropped shot on nine that Darren Clarke would add to his collection of holes that probably cost him this championship. That mistake led to a Clarke response as only the Ulsterman can provide – three birdies in a row. Clarke could not buy a putt for the next four and when he came up short of the 17th, his best would be –17 with a birdie eagle finish. There was a four on the 17th but once again, Clarke found sand off the tee at 18 and took five (67 for –15)

Haeggman would have to go three shots better, or so it appeared, if the possible Ryder Cup Vice Captain (more likely a team member) were to take the title or force a play-off. With his relatively short and muscular swing (for such a big man), Haeggman smashed two woods onto the 17th to leave himself the first of a pair of must make putts. He missed it.

The 2004 Volvo PGA Championship was now down to just two players. When Cabrera easily found the 17th in two and Drummond’s third approach was from way back and only just inside the Argentinean, it seemed like both players would go to the 18th ‘all square’. Cabrera played a wonderful approach putt which just drifted away at the hole leaving a tap-in four. Drummond was playing just a little bit faster than he had and he seemed to strike his birdie attempt too hard – but the hole got in the way and with a clenched fist, Drummond showed visible emotion for the first time in the week.

Drummond was short from the 18th tee, Cabrera laced an iron as far as 80% of the field had managed with a wood. With some maturity, Drummond laid back from the green exactly 100 yards and stood back to see Cabrera miss the green left. It was still a championship that Drummond could win in his own way. The wedge to 8ft was from almost the same spot that Bill Rodgers had made four from to beat Isao Ioki when the Texan had won the World Matchplay in the 70s – Rodgers went on to be the best player in the World for over a year and to win the British Open – Scott Drummond will be on the tee at Troon.

What of the two players at the top of the rankings, the superstars around which much of the pre tournament amble had been based? For Vijay Singh, Friday was the key round (the Fijian thought he should have been –2 or so rather than the 73 he actually shot). He would not lose his 2nd place in the World Rankings to Els and a change of environment was the main thing Singh would take back with him on the plane to the Memorial in the US.

Els was disappointed with –5 for his last three rounds.

‘I had a good time. Obviously the best round I ever had was that first round. After that, its been disappointing, but such is life.’

There were many who had come along wanting, hoping for a Faldo bravura performance and the greatest even English player did not disappoint his fans, shooting a seven birdie 66, to join Hansen, Clarke, just behind Haeggman, on –15. This was probably Faldo’s last chance to be a player in the 2004 Ryder Cup, rather than a trophy polisher as Faldo had jokingly predicted early on in the week.

For reflections on the Championship, from the winner (who used to play foursomes for England with Steve Webster), please see our separate feature.