Thought for the Day:
If you think there is good in everybody, you haven’t met everybody
Asian invasion
There are two basic tenets of journalism hammered into wannabe hacks from day one; know your readers, and all news is local. The first is pretty self-explanatory but the second means that, essentially, we care more about people and events with which we can identify, with whom we feel some kind of link or connection. This is why a news story about five British people being killed in a car crash will receive much greater prominence in our papers and broadcast news bulletins than several hundred dying in a tornado in Haiti. This brings me, rather obliquely perhaps, to the Women’s British Open at Hoylake, won in such superb fashion by South Korea’s Jiyai Shin. The whole field, bar one, was blown away by atrocious weather conditions, most notably winds of 60mph on the second day. And the poor souls still left standing after that ordeal were blown away, in no less spectacular fashion, by the golf of Shin. After firing a second round 64, four strokes better than anyone else managed all week, she was peerless and sailed serenely through everything that a challenging links course in scarily tough conditions could throw at her.
Much has been made of the knowledge that all four women’s majors are now held by Asian golfers but in fact they have captured the last seven. This season we have seen the four big ones landed by Sun Young Yoo (Kraft Nabisco Championship); Shanshan Feng (Wegman’s LPGA Championship); Na Yeon Choi (US Women’s Open), and now Jiyai Shin. Three are from South Korea, while Feng is Chinese. But how easy is it for a British, or American audience to celebrate these triumphs with the same enthusiasm we would show if the winner was from Europe or the States? It is not discriminatory to suggest that we welcome Rory McIlroy’s victory in the US PGA Championship with greater enthusiasm than we show for Bubba Watson’s triumph at the Masters, or Webb Simpson’s in the US Open. Equally, we probably welcomed Ernie Els’ win at The Open with greater zeal because, despite his being based in the USA, he started his career in Europe and feels like one of ours. And of course, in the Ryder Cup we will be cheering on the Europeans because we can more easily identify with them. This is where the adage about all news being local makes itself felt. As impressive as Shin’s victory is – and to win any major by nine strokes is to re-write the record books – it is only natural that we may not greet it with the same level of eagerness that we did when Scotland’s Catriona Matthew lifted the coveted trophy in 2009.
At the time of writing, only two of the top-10 in the women’s Rolex Rankings are from outside Asia – Stacy Lewis of America and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen. And in 21 events so far on the LPGA Tour, only three Americans have won; Angela Stanford, Stacy Lewis (twice) and Brittany Lang. For how much longer do you think American fans will continue to support these events if the chances of seeing a home-grown winner are less than one-in-four? It is quite probably a sad indictment of our humanity that we care more about ‘one of ours’ than we do a foreigner but that is the reality. The Ryder Cup almost became a non-event because it was so one-sided, and the same is true of the Curtis and Walker Cups. But over the last two decades interest in all three has risen to unimagined levels because they are, once again, keenly fought contests in which the outcome is in doubt.
In women’s golf at the highest level this is no longer the case, the question is not whether an Asian golfer will win, but which Asian golfer will win. Such domination, from whatever source, cannot be good for the health of the women’s game.
Golf is a dangerous game
Golf is often viewed as a rather safe, sedentary activity for old duffers, in which the biggest risk to one’s health is the possibility of a turned ankle. But the potential hazards you may meet on a golf course are many and varied, from lightning strikes, errant golf balls, aggressive wildlife and much else besides. But in America the biggest peril, it seems, is from other people.
Earlier this month a golfer was playing at Lakeridge GC at Reno, Nevada. On the 16th his drive went astray to such an extent that his ball shattered the window of an adjoining property. The angry homeowner, Jeff Fleming, remonstrated with the golfer, things got heated and shortly afterwards Mr Fleming was booked into Washoe County jail on a charge of battery and assault with a deadly weapon. It appears that he opened fire on the wayward golfer and his playing partner with a shotgun, injuring the golfer – although he was released from hospital after treatment. Mr Fleming has also been released, in his case from police custody, on bail.
It would appear that his aim is better than the golfer he shot.
Quote of the Week
Golfers just love punishment. And that’s where I come in
Pete Dye (golf course architect)