Maybe being undecided about what to wear is a woman`s prerogative but it seems that superpower isn`t exclusively used in their dressage events. I watched quite a bit of the Ladies Evian Championship at the weekend where it appears that ‘Pace Of Play’ is very much gender neutral! Round times over in southern France swelled to 5 Hours & 50 Minutes over the first 2 days, leading to many of the top female players to voice their displeasure on Social Media. Nearly 6 Hours! We`ve got members here that would be blowing a gasket if they took that long to play 36 Holes! That 6ish Hour Pace was still evident on the final day when I tuned in after play had been weather delayed. The final group had taken 51 Minutes and they hadn`t hit their 2nd shots at the third Hole yet! RIDONKULOUS! It`s torture to watch on the TV when they can at least skip to some other action, but can you imagine being at the event!? Given that a golf swing takes a little over a second, and the ball will be in motion for a maximum of 10 seconds let`s just say that 3 players in a group all play a Hole in 5 shots each – That`s only 2 and a half minutes of the ‘Action’ you came to view. That means you`ve had to watch 17 and half minutes of folk (in the voice of Kevin Bridges) ‘just stoatin aboot!’ – and that`s just 1 Hole! The real worry is that as the game attempts to attract and encourage more females to play golf, and with ‘Time’ being one of the biggest factors mooted that put women off taking it up or giving it up, then this ‘showcase’ doesn`t do any favours. Someone that could never be accused of being a Slow-Coach is Brooks Koepka who not only plays the game in the right way at the right pace, but right now, is doing it way better than most! (I guess hitting it less is one way of getting round quicker!) His Sunday night Head-To-Head with another ‘Get-On-With-It’ exponent, Rory McIlroy looked like it was going to be a real blockbuster, but I guess Rory asked Bob Holness ‘For a P Please Bob’ as once again he wet himself when the spotlight was on. It`s that one intangible element and quality that separates Koepka from the likes of McIlroy. Their talent and ability is unquestionable, maybe even inseparable, but how they revel or retreat in the big moments is where there is a chasm like void. Koepka disappears from Tournament Golf for weeks, rolls up on the eve of the biggest events, spits on his palms and grabs the occasion by the scruff of the neck – more often winning, but always contending. McIlroy, on the other hand, is slowly developing a reputation of being the ‘Rabbit In The Headlights!’ – Forget his meltdown all those years ago at Augusta – He`s won 4 Majors since then. But within this last year, he has had a number of occasions to show how dominant he could be and essentially failed every time.
Head to Head with Tiger (a returning from injury, ageing Tiger), firstly at the Tour Championship in September McIlroy posted the worst score of all the Players in the Top 10. Then at the World Matchplay Tiger comfortably beat him 3&2 with very average scoring. Fast forward to Portrush, and the weight of expectation clearly was too much as his Championship was effectively over by the time he walked off the first Tee (+2 was the Cut and he had just hit 3 Off the Tee!) – Then a chance to redeem himself the very next week, against the World No1 and in form player – like a knocked-out boxer getting a world title rematch! – he again posted the worst score of any of the layers in the Top 10! Rory will still be one of the best players in the World in this generation, but I made a statement many, many moons ago in this Newsletter when Rory first looked like he would go on to challenge or rival Tigers dominance that he would, in fact, turn out to be more like the Greg Norman of his era. Unstoppable when he peaks, likely to throw away events that he should win, and equally would stutter along underperforming. Nothing has changed my mind in that time. But I like the way Rory plays the game and conducts himself irrespective of where his games at. Again much like the Great White Shark! Perhaps the Classiest of all Champions to play this great game, Tom Watson, bowed out and took his final ovation when he said farewell to the British public at Royal Lytham St Annes. The 5-time Open Champion and 3-time Seniors British Open Champion announced that was going to be his last appearance. I don`t think ‘Greatness’ is a status earned purely on achievement, but much more a description bestowed on those who carry themselves in a way befitting of their chosen pursuit. Tom Watson is the gold standard that every Professional Golfer should be aspiring to.
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