By Rob Willis
THE pages of Inside Golf are more often than not, dedicated to positive golfing stories, whether the content focuses on courses, clubs, travel and equipment, the local elite amateur and professional scene or the major tours and world’s best players.
Occasionally the big issues will warrant comment and coverage.
Then our letter pages provide the opportunity for those who feel strongly enough, to express their thoughts and feelings. We encourage letters on any and all golf related matters and attempt to publish as many as we can every month.
So in the spirit of getting you thinking about a couple of current topical issues in the golfing world, I tackle a couple of pertinent topics.
OLYMPIC GOLF
I may need to extract some splinters as I’m going to continue to sit on the fence when it comes to golf at the Olympics.
Always my belief has been to be included, the Olympic competition should be the pinnacle of a particular sport, to be the ‘Olympic Champion’ the most sought-after title.
For golf, with its four majors and various other significant events, an Olympic gold medal is certainly celebrated and coveted by the winner, but it will never be the highest honour.
Same can probably be said about tennis, while sports like basketball, football and rugby sevens, only due to their team’s format, barely scrape by in my estimation. And don’t get me started on breakdancing and 3×3 basketball which were included in Paris, apparently flag football will be added in LA, in naming just a few. They are a discussion for another forum.
However all that being said, putting my doubts aside, the Olympic golf events in Paris were must-see viewing, firstly in the men’s event when Scottie Scheffler won gold with a remarkable final nine charge, before Kiwi Lydia Ko finished first amongst the women with an impressive performance on a challenging course.
The crowds flocked to both tournaments, the course provided outstanding theatre, the players were engaged and the TV coverage excellent.
So, going forward, first and foremost, are we Ok with golf at the Olympics? And the format? Is a team’s event worth a try, maybe with the men and women joining forces? A different method of qualifying, lending itself to more of the world’s best players being eligible to compete? Perhaps take it back to former Olympic ideals and restrict it to amateur players? Or are we happy to keep moving along the way it is?
Larry chimed in with his opinion (check out page 74) and even he wasn’t sure. What do you think?
LIV v PGA TOUR
The impasse shows no sign of coming to an end in the continuing conflict between the PGA TOUR and LIV Golf, with both going about their business independent of the other.
A limited number of LIV players competed at the Olympics, however with the field determined by the Official World Golf Rankings, the tournament was dominated by PGA TOUR members, with the major championships the only time when something close to a full complement of the world’s best players come together.
Where do we sit on PGA TOUR v LIV? I loved my few days at LIV Adelaide, although the format, the hoopla, the music and party atmosphere, would be hard to deal with every week. That said, I am getting on and a golfing traditionalist. And when LIV leaves town, does anyone except the real rusted on fan watch the events that follow?
Which brings up another question, while the PGA TOUR is my preferred viewing each week, do they have to mirror some of what LIV are doing and play more events outside the US. It has become clear that the Americans are loathe to travel, and with the money they play for, combined with how long the tour now runs with its wrap around schedule, who can blame them. Maybe the PGA TOUR needs to force their hand.
As for LIV, is it growing the game? It’s growing 50-odd bank balances, the game in general I’m not so sure. But at least they are taking a handful of world class players to an international audience. And that can’t be a bad thing.
It’s messy, dividing opinions and fracturing relationships, but when it comes to the best players, regularly competing against each other on the biggest events, where do we want it all to land?
GOLF PODCASTS
And in a last word, let me tip Inside Golf readers into a couple of my favourites golfing podcasts.
Inside Golf’s Larry Canning teams up with Gary Barter, one of Australia’s most highly credentialed golf coaches on an entertaining and informative podcast called Backspin. Look for it where you would ordinarily find your podcasts, with Backspin now also available on Spotify.
Second one is for those who enjoy listening to interviews with golfing identities and legends of days past. Glenn Whittle, a long time PGA Member and accomplished instructor has partnered with PGA Australia in interviewing a collection of the biggest names who have paved the way for golf’s current generation. Have a listen to his Yardage Book Yarns podcast.
The post Tackling the issues. What do you think? 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/tackling-the-issues-what-do-you-think/