Surely I can’t be the only one starting to think there is a bias against golf when it comes to the Sports Personality of the Year?
The BBC’s flagship celebration of all the last 12 months is a perennial favourite among the nation and last night’s show was no exception.
But golf’s continual omission when the big prizes are handed out stopped being a source of amusement a long time ago.
This year was no exception with Matt Fitzpatrick the glaring absence from the shortlist before the show even made it to air.
Matt made the headlines for deciding not to attend the event and his stance now looks utterly justified.
The second Englishman behind Justin Rose to win the US Open in the last 50 years, doing so by playing arguably the best shot of the year, is not even in the running on the night?
It’s as incredible as it is inexplicable.
A shot for the ages! 😍
A look back at THAT bunker shot on the 18th hole that helped seal Matt Fitzpatrick's historic U.S. Open win 🏆 pic.twitter.com/3v12cV04qm
— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 20, 2022
Is golf’s lack of national coverage the reason it’s being overlooked?
The irony of all of this of course is that Matt is probably getting more column inches given he didn’t get a look-in.
But it is clear golfers simply don’t get any credit for their achievements at all.
I can only assume we’re being overlooked because we’re rarely on terrestrial television.
Sky do a terrific job of promoting the game but it was not their choice to stop showing the Open.
That rests with the national broadcaster themselves. If some highlights during the year are all they are going to show then that’s up to them.
But don’t punish the players for it.
33 years since golf took the top prize
You only have to look at the list of fabulous sporting moments produced which have gone unheralded.
Sir Nick Faldo was the last winner of the award in 1989. I could write a list of fantastic moments which have followed since but here’s a few which have not been rewarded with the recognition they deserve.
Darren Clarke’s Open win in 2011, Rory McIlroy’s stunning season in 2014, Georgia Hall’s British Women’s Open win in 2018 and Rory again this year for topping the order of merit on the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour in the same year.
Add in the Solheim Cup winning team from Gleneagles in 2019 and, of course, Tiger Woods’ fairytale Masters win the same year, neither of which were recognised with the team of the year or overseas personality award respectively, and you can see why some golfers might have a chip on their shoulder.
We’ve had some fantastic moments, comparable with anything you will find in any other sport.
For none of them to be recognised with the top award since Faldo 33 years ago is daft.
It begs the question of what does a golfer have to do to be deemed worthy?
Answers on a postcard, or perhaps it should be a Christmas card given the time of year, because by this point I haven’t got a clue.
Tartan Pro Tour link-up with Challenge Tour is vital
I’m delighted we will still have a pathway in place following the news the Tartan Pro Tour order of merit winner will gain a Challenge Tour card at the end of next season.
When the EuroPro Tour ceased to be I feared the worst but it’s great that Paul Lawrie’s support for the game has been recognised in this way.
I wish there was more than one place on offer but given the Tartan Pro Tour is still in its infancy it can only get bigger and better in the years ahead.
Paul has clearly got strong backers behind with prize money of around £350,000 on offer across the 13 events taking place in 2023.
He has been a terrific supporter of the game and it’s fantastic to see his efforts being recognised.
But the most important people are the players. Everyone matures at their own pace. We don’t all walk on to the DP World Tour from day one. For most, it takes years of graft and progress.
That’s why it is important that pathway remains in place and the Tartan Pro Tour seems the perfect place to take on the mantle of producing the stars of tomorrow.
Could we see the impossible become possible in 2023?
It wouldn’t be Christmas without some festive cheer and it is Padraig Harrington who has provided it with his talk about Tiger Woods in the last week.
Padraig has made the bold prediction he expects Tiger to win another major.
It’s not a statement he will have made lightly. As I touched on earlier this month, the numbers don’t lie when it comes to Tiger’s ball speed.
He hasn’t played a lot of golf this year but he is clearly making progress and I expect we’ll see much more of him in 2023.
Do I expect him to play 15 to 20 events? No. But half a dozen, maybe even into double figures? I think that’s entirely possible.
If he does come back to win again – after all he has been through with his car accident – it will trump his Masters win of 2019.
Who knows? It might even lead to him getting an award on Sports Personality of the Year too.
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