THE United States in the eyes of many, especially those carrying an American passport, is the centre of the golfing universe.
The US PGA TOUR, now even more so with the demise of LIV, is the most financially lucrative place to play for professional golfers.
Rightly or wrongly, (that’s a debate for another time) three of the four majors are played on US soil, and the majority of those ranked amongst the top 10, 50, 100, at least amongst the men, are American.
Nelly Korda is the women’s number one, although that said she has a long line of Asian born challengers not far behind.
However, is the tide turning and the power base in world golf shifting??
The major champions in 2026 were Irish, English and a New Zealander, only Wyndham Clark with his win at the US Open was American.
After Nelly claimed the first two women’s majors, Korean Haeran Ryu won the next two and Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki the AIG Women’s Open Championship.
On the LIV Tour, while Bryson DeChambeau has had his moments, a Spaniard Jon Rahm and Joaquin Niemann from Chile were the dominant players.
And of late, when it comes to team competitions, the Americans have also had a tough time of it.
Last year the Europeans turned the tables and recorded a memorable victory in the Ryder Cup, making it even more special, the win came away from home.
Attracting less headlines was the recent Walker Cup, an amateur team competition matching the US against players from Great Britain and Ireland.
With those from continental Europe not eligible to add strength and depth to the GB & I squad, the Americans have dominated, winning 40 out of the 51 times the event has been contested since 1922.
This time around, with some inspirational play on the final day at Lahinch Golf Club in County Clare, Ireland, it was team GB & I scoring a 13½–12½ victory.
And then there was the Solheim Cup, the women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup.
Before this year, it was 11 wins to seven (with one tie) in favour of the US, but it was Team Europe with a 15 points to 13 triumph in the Netherlands.
With deadlines the way they are, you will know the result before reading this, but is this the year the Internationals upstage their heavily favoured opponents? Maybe, maybe not, but irrespective of the result, Americans beware, as the rest of the world is catching up.
And just on Scottie
I’m a Scottie Scheffler fan.
At the top of his game, his control of the golf ball, and his ability to close out a tournament when he gets his nose in front on a Sunday, is something special.
And who doesn’t like watching the best, be the best.
Sure, he could play with a little more emotion, have perhaps a touch more charisma to go with his elite skills, but his consistency is off the charts, very rarely does he have an off week and his ability unquestioned.
However. if there is one bone to pick with Scottie, it is to question his desire to ‘grow the game’ as they say, to spread his wings and take his talents to a wider audience, to play all around the world like many of his predecessors did back in the day.
Again, as the PGA Tour season winds down, so does Scheffler’s schedule, with no chatter or speculation at all about him playing away from home. Annually he packs his TaylorMade’s away for the northern hemisphere winter and re-emerges on the US west coast or in Hawaii sometime in the New Year.
He justifies his reluctance to travel to wanting to spend more time with family and his two young children, which we sort of understand, but where would the game of golf be today if the legends of the past had done the same.
Would we talk about Jack Nicklaus the way we do, rate him as the greatest golfer that ever was, if he had played six-seven months of the year in the US, then knocked around the house with his five kids the rest of the time?
Gary Player, with seven Australian Open’s to his credit, would the game of golf be as global as it currently is without his efforts to spread his talents and take his game to the earth’s four corners during his prime?
Arnold Palmer was another to play away from the US, while someone of my vintage remembers when Nick Faldo, US Open champs Curtis Strange and Payne Stewart, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson and other big names visited our shores to contest our biggest tournaments.
Tiger came as well, playing two Australian Open’s and an Australian Masters, while Jordan Speith, who is reportedly considering teeing it up at Kingston Heath later this year, would win the Masters and US Open in 2015 after taking out our national championship in 2014.
Now we celebrate the appearance of Rory McIlroy, and rightly so due to the worldwide attention and recognition he brings to the Australian Open and we appreciate Rory for that.
C’mon Scottie, pay us a visit and show us what you’ve got. Bring the kids, yes, it’s a long flight but it’s not so tough sitting up the front of the plane and there’s plenty to do away from the course once you get here.
Australian golf fans would love to see you.
The post Americans beware! Is the rest of the world catching up? first appeared on Inside Golf. Australia's Most-Read Golf Magazine as named by Australian Golfers - FREE.
Article Link: https://www.insidegolf.com.au/opinion/americans-beware-is-the-rest-of-the-world-catching-up/