New era and new job (for a week!)

It feels like the start of a new era, with our team changes for next year being announced. Anna Sloan has been replaced by Jennifer Dodds and another member of Hannah Fleming’s rink from last year, Vicky Wright, will make up our five. I’m always keeping an eye on the players who are doing well against us and Jen and Vicky definitely fall into that category.

Team Muirhead has gone through two Olympic cycles and making a commitment for four years is a big deal.

A lot of the top teams across the world are pressing the reset button and this is definitely the time to do it.

I’m excited to see how this group progresses. I think we’ve got really high potential.

There is definitely more to come from the girls who will be staying with the team and the new recruits.

There’s no great rush for me to come back – and the Europeans in December are the big goal.

The recovery is going well and my physio said that she’s never seen an athlete progress from the hip surgery I had as well as me.

It hasn’t just been in our team that things have changed. There’s been a pretty big shake-up in the men’s.

My two brothers will now be teaming up with the two Smiths and that has the potential to be an exciting line-up.

It was a bit harsh that their farming commitments affected their funding support but I’m sure it will make them extra motivated to show that they’re the best.

Mind you, with two Team Muirheads out there I’ve told Glen that ours is definitely Team Muirhead No 1!

Social media team

I’m really looking forward to my day job for next week.

I’m going to be part of the Open’s official social media team.

Myself and PGA pro Rick Shiels (described as a “YouTube sensation” on the press release!) will be coming up with interviews and features at Carnoustie.

I’ve done radio in the past but this will be something new and there’s a mixture of excitement and dread. It’s going to be a great week. I absolutely love Carnoustie. It’s got to be one of the best, toughest and fairest courses the professionals play.

The fairways will be fast-running and the R&A won’t lose control of the course like what happened at the US Open.

It looks like Russell Knox will be the man to carry home hopes and, after finishing second in France then winning in Ireland, a weekend without contending or even a missed cut for him in Gullane might not be the worst thing to give him a serious chance of winning the big one.

Second half collapse

Like most people watching I thought England were heading for the World Cup final. But you have to say that it was a bit of a collapse after half-time.

I know that it’s a young team and there’s a chance that this could be the beginning of something.

But there’s also the chance that this was their big shot and they blew it.

The pressure was off for a change but that won’t be the case in four years, and they’re unlikely to see a draw open up like that for them again.

Russell Knox must be in with a chance of winning on home soil.