golfweloveit

We’ve been lucky to have Drake over here in London for the past week or so playing sell out concerts. But in his time away from the stage we know he visits Top Golf, with some dubious results…

President Trump announced yesterday that he will be awarding Tiger Woods the Presidential Medal of Freedom after his victory in the 2019 Masters.

This award, innaugerated by President Kennedy in 1963 honours “especially meritorious contributions to the national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public endeavours”.

Woods will be the fourth golfer, after Arnold Palmer in 2004, Jack Nicklaus in 2005 and Charlie Sifford, the first black golfer to play on the PGA Tour, and Tiger Woods’ inspiration in 2009,were awarded the medal.

Arise again Sir Tiger of Isleworth. Lets knight him again.

It’s as if he never went away. He said last year that he was very lucky to be playing again, and the first thing that made this magical win happen was Tiger’s win at the Tour Championship last Autumn. That win was huge. It restored his self belief.

Going into The Masters earlier in the season he paced himself. He didnt put his back under too much strain by playing too much and going into Masters week he looked fresh.

Technically what was so impressive was his precision. His distance control was phenomenal all week. He controlled his trajectory, drawing his irons and hitting a slight fade with his driver. He made the most of his breaks and took advantage of the slopes. He patiently plotted his way around, his shot placement was brilliant.

But mentally this is where he looked head and shoulders above any other competitor. His poise, he was unflappable. He was slowing his heart rate with his breathing. He stayed present and focussed, chewing on his gum. And on the bag, Joe La Cava was a steadying hand. Tiger kept his head together under the severest of pressure and he looked stronger and stronger as the round went on. But he also looked as though he was searching for something at Augusta National. I think he was looking for his healing. And he found it out there a healing from the pain of the humility he has had to learn from his own self inflicted mistakes. He probably was also in some physical pain there. It looked on one tee that he took some painkillers, but it couldn’t have been as bad as when he won the 2008 US Open on one leg, it was discovered after the tournament that he had broken his leg, but he carried on regardless.

He had a lucky draw and had the best of the weather. The early finish, to avoid the incoming storm may have helped too, he didnt have to wait too long to get out and play the final round. And most helpful, coming from behind to win for the first time in a major, his competitors fell away. He acknowledged that Open Champion Frankie Molinari had given him a good battle. But Molinari made a lot of mistakes on the back nine – bad swings, missed birdies, not hitting it hard enough on 12, a rank shot on 15 and some plain unlucky breaks.

And so Tiger became Tiger Woods again, Sir Tiger of Isleworth of old. “Welcome back to the Butler Cabin Tiger” said syruppy Jim Nantz hosting the ceremony. And as Patrick Reed put on the green jacket on Tiger’s shoulders for the fifth time Tiger simply said

“it fits!”

The same words that Cinderella used when she tried on the glass slipper. And this was a fairytale too, you had to pinch yourself that it was actually happening. I had been in tears since he came off the 15th green, having lived through all of it, from the time he first played here in the Walker Cup as an amateur.

Every golfer raises their game when Tiger is around, Every golfer, not just the top tournament professionals that play on tour with him. Golf becomes more popular.He is an inspiration, he moves the game and changes the direction it is going. Let us all give thanks for what happened because it has repercussions for everyone who plays at whatever ability or works in the golf industry.

His fellow pros knew this and so many were there to congratulate him around the 18th green, they perhaps had not have been inclined to do that before, but this was different. He was received into their fold, one of them, and amongst them was the most successful Champions Tour player, Bernhard Langer, an earnest man of God. He has seen beyond Tiger’s transgressions and seen the spirit of God moving in Tiger, and never more so than today.

During the time when Tiger Woods was away from the top of golf only two companies stood by him. One of these, Nike, have been very quick to issue this tribute film. What a day. What a magic man.

Masters 2019 moving day was remarkable. For the first time in history there were three rounds of 64 from  Patrick Cantlay, former US Open Webb Simpson and Tony Finau whose score moved him to joint 2nd on the leaderboard, Players took advantage of the slower, softer greens due to the heavy rains this week with a spate of birdies. Most of all Tiger Woods, looking to win his 6th Masters, had a round of 67 by making a lot of good chips and a lot of short putts, something he was tending to miss in the two previous rounds.

Francesco Molinari took the lead at -13 with an exciting round of 66 and went 43 holes this week without a bogey. He looks a picture of clam and stability. The current Open Champion played well in all the majors last year. He will play in a threeball with Finau and Woods on Sunday. Woods will put the pressure on the whole field but he has never won a major championship from behind before.

Tee times for Sunday’s final round at the Masters have been brought forward because of anticipated bad weather.

Players will be grouped in threesomes, with the first group expected to start at 12:30 BST and the leaders at 14:20.

With thunderstorms forecast in Augusta, tournament chairman Fred Ridley said the decision to start earlier would “benefit everyone”.

“We believe the earlier start will give us the best opportunity to complete the Masters on Sunday,” Ridley said in a statement.

“The safety of everyone is paramount. This decision should benefit everyone – the players, our patrons and our fans watching around the world.”

Tournament officials announced early Sunday that there will be no Green Jacket Ceremony. The champion will still participate in the green jacket presentation in Butler Cabin, but the traditional ceremony on the terrace putting green was cancelled “in order to expedite gate closures.”

A crowded leaderboard for the start of Masters Saturday

Molinari, -7
Day
Koepka
Oosthuizen
Scott
2. D. Johnson, -6
Harding
Schauffele
Woods
10. Poulter, -5
Rahm
12. Kizzire, -4
Kuchar
Mickelson
Howell III
16. Aphibarnrat, -3
DeChambeau
Thomas
Conners
Finau
Woodland
Fowler

Xander Schauffele had the round of the day on Friday. His -7 65 followed a +1 73 on Thursdau bringing him from 7 strokes behind the lead to tied for 6th. 33 put 32 home

Tiger Woods’ round could have been even better. He continued to miss some short putts butmade a number of long difficult putts. He had 6 birdies 3 on each 9 for a -4 68.

Francesco Molinari played steadily with a 33 on the front nine. It is remarkable how he has improved with the putter, the aspect of his game which previously was the weakest.

Jason Day had 6 birdies and the only bogey was on the par 3 12th. There is still a question mark on how his back will hold up an did he is playing through pain.

Brooks Koepka maintained his lead with a -1 71 after a shaky start which included birdie, double bogey, birdie, bogey.

Adam Scott was steady with 3 birdies and an eagle until he had bogey on 16. He looks to be putting supremely well.

Louis Oosthuizen came from outside the top 10 to tied 1st with two halves of 33, a round of 66.

Dustin Johnson looked resillient and birdies 2 of the par 5s, playing the second nine in -2 for a round of 70.

Last night I wanted to get home quickly to see the first round of The Masters so I hailed a black cab down. London cabbies are renowned for having opinions about a lot of things and also for their straight talking.

So I got to know from the horse’s mouth, how an avid male golfer felt about women playing golf. He obviously loved playing every weekend and what he and his friends  had organised amongst themselves sounded fantastic, social, competitions, travelling abroad to play. But it was clearly boys only.

He mentioned that the other week he had actually played in a mixed fourssome and didnt mind it, it had been something different. However, and there came the truth, he said he wouldnt do it regularly as “there was a stigma about playing with women” amongst his all male group.

This is 2019. But it sounded like 1000 years BC. Women stay in the cave, the men are going out to play. You stay home and cook the terradactyl.

Women are your wives, girlfriends, mothers, grandmothers, sisters and lovers. we represent half of the human race. Perhaps we should stigmatise any woman who plays golf with eew, a man…

The latest meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Golf Group took place on April 3rd and hosted an excellent panel discussion on the work being done to encourage more women and girls into golf. We heard from four speakers Jackie Davidson, the R&A’s Associate Director of Development, Lauren Spray, Women and Girls Manager at England Golf, Simon Elson from Sygenta, who carried out the 2012 research commissioned by the R&A into participation and Maria Stokes, Professor of musculoskeletal rehabilitation at the University of Southampton. The discussion focussed on how to foster a more inclusive culture in golf.

Jackie Davidson stated that women’s participation in the UK was now at only 16%, the lowest in Europe. In Germany, Austria and the Netherlands the figure was 30%. There was now an average of two girls per club. The R&A in its global role were looking at the situation in Australia where female participation has dropped from 34% to 20% and how this can be redressed. In Denmark clubs were being challenged with retaining female members. In other sports rugby was at 25% female participation in the UK.

Lauren Spray said that womens golf provided a huge potential revenue stream and they were supporting clubs with best practice. Last year 1600 girls took part in taster sessions in 22 counties providing a positive first experience. Barriers are that sometimes girls feel embarrassed to admit to their peers that they play golf, feeling comfortable in their bodies and the cost of equipment. Mentors, role models and deliberately marketing to females were important. Encouraging clubs to actively invite women in as quite a few had done around the time of International Womens Day.

She said that the offer isn’t right at club level. The environment isn’t necessarily inviting. It needs to be more like a coffee shop environment where anyone can just walk through the door without being challenged or being made to “account for themselves” why they are there which can be intimidating. Women often feel that they are not valued as a customer. The industry is competing for peoples’ leisure time and the offer needs to begin with a relaxed environment, a comfortable meeting place with an open door. The positive offer that golf has is that players of all ages and abilities can play together due to the handicap system. But the delivery needs to change with much more emphasis on health and fitness and social.

In a country a culture of diversity is translated into sport and Jackie Davidson said that people in the golf industry need to begin the uncomfortable process of “looking under the rocks” at attitudes which are holding women back from taking up the sport. There is a recurring theme that image was a barrier and this was at the root of the problem. As a culture inequality needs to be tackled because this would filter into sport. It had been proved that company boards which are diverse are more successful. In Norway 42% of board members are women and 34% in Germany. The current image of golf in the UK is male dominated, elitist, older and expensive. It needs to be accessible, social, open and family friendly.

Public perception needs to change about the sport that it should be available to all genders, socio-economic groups and to people with disabilities. Part of the problem the R&A recognises is the revenue model that club golf is based on. Clubs are nervous of change in case it makes them lose existing members who financially support the cost of running two huge capital assets – the course and the clubhouse. Volunteer committees, which can be transient often changing every two years, are often not diverse and not attracting people with the right skills. We need to also be brave and look at some of the attitudes which repel women and the huge potential income that they could bring in and work out what culture can be sustainable.

The R&A’s Women and Golf Charter which was launched in May 2018 has been useful as a call to action to keep the golf industry focussed on the problem of bringing in and retaining women and girls into the sport. To date 107 organisations had pledged their support and it helps to define what actions can be taken to accelerate change and inclusivity. The host club of the mixed Ayla Jordan Open has become the first club in the Middle East to pledge support as has Oman Golf.

Special mention was made of the work of Alastair Spink, who was present at the meeting see this below

His scheme is being rolled out to Sweden, Spain and Canada.

Mike Round, Chief Executive of the Golf Foundation was also present and spoke about their initiatives to being more girls into the game. They have a special format – Tri Golf- to be used with school children with safe, fun inclusive teams and girls making up 50% of the participants. The focus is on learning and life skills such as integrity and honesty. There are three levels – start, learn and stay – with the focus of retaining the youngsters within the sport. The Golf Sixes initiative had been successful with a league of five a side mixed teams which brought in 2,000 children in 100 leagues across the country, The Youth Sport Trust had also had good success bringing golf into the school games.

There was talk about how other formats such as Top Golf were successful at bringing  young men and women into play golf because they provide a social, fun experience. A lady representative from the British Greenkeepers Association raised how women could work in the non -playing side of the golf industry. In particular STEM science and technology students had training and skills which would be valuable. Women could also do greenkeeping work if they overcame the nearly all male culture.

It is clear that some fundamental, cultural change needs to be fostered.A lot of clubs are still not welcoming or open, holding on to many out dated rules, scared of upsetting their existing membership market. Social media is, however, changing the landscape and this may be a big way forward in making golf seem more relatable.