Stan Hey: 6-5 Against

Anyone turning up at an autumnal Wentworth this weekend expecting to see the World Match Play Championship will be disappointed. The venerable tournament has motored off to Spain with Volvo. Meanwhile, the next World Golf Championship event, once held at The Grove in Hertfordshire, is now in Shanghai, starting Thursday.

This globalisation of golf is something old fogeys like me will have to get used to, just like the players. A host of Americans are skipping Shanghai – Lucas Glover among them – but Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are there. Woods will be short-priced favourite, given his form in WGC events, but this course may not suit. Sergio Garcia won the HSBC Champions last year but keeps blowing chances, while WGC Match Play ace Geoff Ogilvy overdoes the languid style. Mickelson is the bet – he won in 2007 and is warming up in Singapore.

Early next Tuesday there's another "race that stops a nation", the Melbourne Cup. The Aussies love beating European upstarts, often with horses trained by the wily veteran Bart Cummings. the Caulfield Cup runner-up Roman Emperor is the trainer's second string, but his stamina could be crucial – £10 each-way, 10-1 (William Hill). Set your alarm.

The quarterback Brett Favre returns to Green Bay tomorrow. Favre retired two seasons ago but tried a comeback with the Packers' arch-rivals, the Minnesota Vikings. Green Bay blocked him. He retired again after a season with the Jets, then accepted a late swoop from... the Vikings. £10 win Packers, 8-13 (Totesport) and count the sacks on Favre.