Never have we played a tournament so close to Christmas but this week's Masters at the Victoria Golf Club is a chance to see the man who has played the finest golf in 2011. Luke Donald is not in the mould of the modern day player, who mauls golf courses into submission with massive power. Instead he has spent the year wedging and putting the rest to death with an extraordinary level of consistency.

His caddy, John McLaren, used to work for Scott Dunlap, a player who hit the ball better than almost all in America but putted like a blind man. "Imagine," McLaren said on Tuesday, "if Scotty was hitting and Luke was doing all the rest. No one would ever beat them."

His swing looks like nothing can go wrong but McLaren notes that, "there is some stuff going on that is camouflaged by his beautiful rhythm. When his driver goes off it isn't pretty but his short game is tremendous."

It would seem sensible to arrange one's practice time so a half of it was spent swinging and hitting long shots and half of it on the short shots. Most however spend more time on the fun part, hitting the big shots, but Donald has come to the top of the game by spending more time than most on the putting green.

"He wasn't that good a putter when he came out but now he is brilliant," says McLaren. "He just works with a mirror, gets himself square and putts like everyone should look when they putt."

Victoria, of course, is one of the best of the sandbelt courses and at around 7000 yards it is far from long by the standards of modern American or European Tour golf. Those worried about Victoria's ability to defend itself need not worry. What it misses in simple length it makes up for with some wicked greens and endlessly difficult shots from around them should the target be missed.

When the wind blows it is difficult to manage, and when it is quiet those who hope to be in with a chance at the end of the week will need to take advantage of holes like the short par four opening hole, the drivable 15th and the easily reached par five finishing hole.

If ever there was a course made for men who play like Donald this is it and it is hardly surprising that it was over its fine holes that Peter Thomson developed the most logical of games.

Another Melbourne man, Geoff Ogilvy, also learned to play here but he plays a much different game than either Thomson or the visiting Englishman. He drives long and high, so high that supporters fear for him in a big wind, but he is very good at the modern powerful way of playing and like Donald he can pitch and putt with the best of them. He is the most likely winner because he knows the course so well and it is time he finally won in his hometown.

Donald will be the man to study this week, however. Ranked as the best player in the world he is a throwback to another era - one more interesting than the modern, where power was not a major determinate in who dominated the game at the highest level.