Peter Williams: He may not be the greatest but Muhammad is on the rise

It has been a golfing week to remember. Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson engaged in one of the best mano a mano strokeplay confrontations you're likely to see. Tiger emerged the winner, regained his number one ranking and normal business is resumed. Oh, and Vijay Singh was third. In the Middle East, Ernie Els tossed a six iron shot a mere 160 metres over water and drained a six metre putt for eagle to win Dubai's Desert Classic by a stroke.

But as the world's two major tours provided a dramatic finale involving the four best players in the game, a New Zealand professional, for whom the term "battling" was invented, won his first tournament. Red-haired Aucklander Richard Lee has the best nickname in sport: 'Muhammad' (R. Lee - geddit ?).

Back in 1992 he beat Michael Campbell to win the New Zealand Amateur. Most people I've spoken to doubt he's won anything since. But after eking out a living on the Japanese tour for a few years before losing his card, he qualified for the Asian Tour this year. It's very much a stepping stone - a development tour - and those who play there say, euphemistically, it's character building. It's humid, the grasses are mostly of the tangly broadleaf varieties and the greens grainy.

Last Sunday Richard Lee won the Thailand Open and over $100,000. But better than the financial security that will give him for a while, he has a high position on the Asian Tour money list. He's currently fifth which means a start in the numerous Asian Tour events that are co-sanctioned with the European Tour. The 2005 European Tour has more events in China than in Scotland. This week Lee is in Qatar and played in the group behind Ernie Els.

Lee's heroics in Phuket kick-started a week that New Zealand golf has been hanging out for. On Wednesday came two more notable wins. Matthew Holten and Bradley Iles, boyhood friends and team-mates from Rotorua Boys' High School combined to win the Australian Foursomes title in Melbourne. Sure it's only alternate shot foursomes but it's significant, especially for Iles who last year had that horrific accident in South Carolina when he fell off a golf cart and hit his head. There were many who doubted he'd ever be able to play at a serious competitive level again. He's shown this week he can and for that we are most thankful.

But the best of the week was the national women's team's Tasman Cup victory. The matches with Australia have been played since 1933. But until Wednesday, New Zealand had won just a paltry six of the previous 36 encounters.

Only two years ago, when there were six players in each round instead of this year's four, we were thrashed by Australia 32-4 at Royal Adelaide. New Zealand's standing in comparison to Australia could hardly have been lower.

Only Penny Newbrook and Sarah Nicholson were retained from that side for this year and while Newbrook secured the vital points to take New Zealand to victory, the absolute revelation in this winning team was 14-year-old Sharon Ahn.

She joined North Shore Golf Club only three-and-a-half years ago and told me that in those days she'd score "about 126". But she has the work ethic so typical of young Korean-born players and in her first Tasman Cup won both singles matches and her first-day foursomes - a star in the making.

Yes it's been quite a golfing week. And, oh, did I mention my Akarana Bissett Shield pennant team is leading Auckland's premier inter-club competition too?