We received a very lovely postcard at Golf Masters' HQ a couple of weeks ago, sent from an exotic and even lovelier location, from a manager we've mercilessly ribbed in recent weeks.

What worried us was that he revealed he couldn't buy Thursday's Irish Times where he was staying (admittedly, the circulation isn't that great in Switzerland) and wanted to know how his `boys' were doing.

We checked the date on the card and we fear the manager in question is unaware that Robert Allenby won the Houston Open just days after he fired him . . . and just a few weeks after he fired Vijay Singh . . . days before he won the US Masters.

So, if you bump in to Ray McConville any day soon, please don't tell him about Allenby - there's only so much a manager can take.

The thing is, though, that we felt certain that Ray had already sewn up the title of "2000's Unluckiest Golf Masters' Manager". . . until we received a fax from a bank in Dunboyne last Monday morning.

"Last week I transferred out Jose Maria Olazabal . . . and transferred in . . . Padraig Harrington," it said. Oh blimey.

Noel Lee (Newbridge, Co Kildare)? You didn't? "I did." Were the tears flowing on Sunday morning? "Well, I suppose like Padraig Harrington I had to be amused by it." Will you take Michael Campbell to court? "Ah no, I think the court case would have to be against Harrington, it was his fault. It was most unfortunate for him, it cost him about £200,000." And cost you £150,000? "Yes." And that team, Santa Maria, was doing nicely - earnings of £870,404 to date?" "Yes - the extra little bit would have helped."

Sometimes a polo shirt is just not enough. "Well, send me two, one for me and one for my wife, Mary." Will do - bye Noel. "Bye," and off he went, a broken man. Ray McConville? You've lost your title.