I read a great article this week about the difference between men’s and women’s golf, written on the back of Sophia Popov’s inspirational victory at the Women’s Open at Royal Troon.
Popov’s unexpected victory – she was ranked 304th in the world and had never won on the main tours before – was a great advertisement for the women’s game.
The article by Andy Johnson claimed women’s golf possesses all the ingredients to become highly popular and I’m in complete agreement.
The men’s game is increasingly based on power, but that is not the decisive factor in the women’s game.
Accuracy off the tee and with mid-to-long irons, as well as short game skills, can be even more important in determining the winner on any given week.
But one of the lines in the article that resonated with me was that “the scale of the women’s game fits the scale of the venues”, which is true.
The average driving distance of the female golfers meant they were playing Royal Troon in the way it was intended.
It made for a riveting watch as well as one that was more relatable to the vast majority of viewers.
The players were running the ball into greens, which is something you don’t see too often in the men’s game.
In the men’s game, the big-hitters will leave themselves with a 9-iron or wedge into the green and be able to attack the pin.
The average golfer will learn a lot more from watching the women’s game, especially with the creativity and shot-making the players exhibited in some atrocious conditions.
There is a good comparison with tennis, where many fans enjoy watching the women’s game more than the men’s because it involves longer rallies rather than a constant stream of aces.
The Women’s Open also benefited from being staged at a fantastic course in Royal Troon. It was pleasing to see the women’s game get a large amount of coverage and credit for a superb tournament.
Hopefully it has provided some inspiration for some youngsters, especially girls, to take up the sport.
Some people have said the success of the Women’s Open proved the R&A was too hasty to postpone The Open at Royal St George’s.
I disagree.
It would have been very difficult to stage the event later in the year with the potential for bad weather and lack of daylight.
The organisers waited as long as they could have before making a clear and decisive decision to cancel the event.
Although it was disappointing for 2020 to be a year without an Open championship, the decision was made in the best interests of the players, caddies and officials, as well as those who live in the local area.
Hopefully when the Open takes place at Royal St George’s next summer it will be worth the wait.
