With a name like Charles Howell III, the gifted graduate of Oklahoma State University sounds like he would be more at home on a polo pitch. Further performances like that of last weekend, however, will soon make him a familiar competitor in tournament golf.

A closing, best-of-the-day round of 66 gave Howell a share of second place with Kirk Triplett, one stroke behind winner David Toms in the Michelob Championship on the Pete Dye-designed stretch at Kingsmill, Virginia. And the cheque of $203,000 brought Howell's tournament earnings to $1,373,016 for the season, so far.

As a temporary member, the 22-year-old rookie doesn't merit inclusion in the official USPGA Tour money list. But he will secure a place in the Tour Championship at the end of the month, if his earnings are among the top 30 players on tour going into that event. At the moment he is 36th, with two qualifying tournaments still to come.

"Making the Tour Championship would be huge," said Howell afterwards. "My number one goal starting this year, apart from getting my exempt status for 2002, was to play the Tour Championship."

And another great prize beckons this native of Augusta, Georgia. A place in the top 40 of the money list would get him into next year's US Masters in his home town, while he could also make it by getting into the top 50 of the world rankings. He is currently 65th.

But there was no fairytale at Kingsmill for 17-year-old Ty Tryon who, on his professional debut, missed the cut by no fewer than seven strokes. Still, there were compensations in the form of two major endorsement contracts reportedly worth $1 million.

Meanwhile, in retaining the title for his seventh tour win, Toms has enhanced his status as one of the top players of the season. By adding the $630,000 from this victory to his successes in New Orleans and the USPGA Championship, he brought his earnings to $3,307,267 from 25 tournaments this season. This leaves him third in the US money list behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.

Interestingly, Sunday's success came little more than a week after he had missed the cut in the Texas Open with "two of my worst rounds of the year." Which made this latest win "extra special." Now ranked ninth in the world, directly behind Darren Clarke, Toms went on: "I think there are a handful of people who are just better than everyone else. That's just life. You can look at that in any sport."