The European Tour hopes a significantly improved course can give a much-needed boost to the PGA Championship which, despite some notable absences, has plenty of attractions including Ian Poulter and Justin RoseProperly pinpointing the status of the BMW PGA Championship has not been particularly easy in recent times. Criticism of the Wentworth venue was commonplace and commonly vehement, to the extent where Europe’s finest players did not deem the tournament worthy of participation despite it being one of precious few in Great Britain or Ireland.The BBC withdrew live television coverage, albeit that this was part of a bigger, depressing picture. And then, in what was surely a strategic error, the European Tour’s chief executive, Keith Pelley, broke with what had...
Players Championship runner-up has been accused of ‘not playing to win’ at Sawgrass – but sensible strategy was the right approach in the circumstancesA fortnight ago, Ian Poulter could only have dreamed about being part of such a discussion. As it transpires, the Englishman’s runner-up finish at the Players Championship – a terrific achievement, given the context – has triggered a curious debate among analysts. The accusation is this: that Poulter was overly conservative over the closing stretch at Sawgrass where, to the extent as believed by the Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee, he “clearly did not play to win”.Poulter immediately and understandably took umbrage with such sentiment. If there was ever a time to have a pop at him, this...
This weekend’s GolfSixes tournament is a worthy venture for the European Tour which is at least attempting to broaden the game’s reach with a fresh approachScottish football fans can occasionally be heard to bemoan the loss of the Tennents’ Sixes, an event staged between 1984 and 1993 when, as the name suggests, six-a-side was the order of the day. It was quick, competitive, fun, the attendances were good and terrestrial television stepped forward to provide plentiful coverage. This was at a time, moreover, when football in general wasn’t renowned for breathtaking innovation.This weekend, golf’s latest attempt to retain relevance in an ever-changing landscape where many fear the sport is being left behind will resonate over two days at the Centurion...
The US-based 47-year-old Scot says up-and-coming European female golfers need a part-time job to support themselves and the financial contrast with the LPGA is certainly starkCatriona Matthew has never needed to shout from the rooftops to make significant points. She does, however, carry enough experience and knowledge to speak with authority on the state of women’s golf.The 47-year-old is one of the most understated and underappreciated sportspeople in the UK. Her triumph at the 2009 Women’s British Open, 11 weeks after giving birth to a daughter, remains one of the most remarkable stories in golf. Continue reading...
Spaniard previously cast as a sore loser finally won a major after he made peace with defeat – and his victory shed light on the inherent futility of gamesmanshipIt’s one of the quirks of the English language that, if you didn’t know any better, you could imagine that the words sportsmanship and gamesmanship were synonyms. But, of course, they mean almost the complete opposite. Gamesmanship is the art of winning by underhand or devious means. It places victory above any code of gracious behaviour.Whereas sportsmanship entails an attitude that transcends winning and losing and instead places an emphasis on mutual respect and appreciation. In the pursuit of glory it refuses to compromise with the principles of fair play and a...