At the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship which finished at St Andrews yesterday, there were eight LIV golfers in the field, more than the head of the DP [European] World Tour, Keith Pelley, would have been comfortable with. A court ruling as to whether LIV golfers who are also DP World Tour members can carry on playing in the latter’s tournaments is expected in February.
The previous week saw the staging of the Cazoo Open de France at Le Golf National just outside Paris, the venue of the 2018 Ryder Cup. The title was claimed in stunning fashion by Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, who shot 66-62 over the weekend to make up 14 shots on the previously runaway leader, Rasmus Hojgaard of Denmark, to seal victory by a shot.
There were three LIV or former LIV golfers in the field for the French: Spain’s Adrian Otaegui, who finished tied 13th, Patrick Reed from the US and Laurie Canter from the UK, both of whom missed the cut. Otaegui seems now to have been ousted from LIV. Having played in the opening event in June, by the time the fifth one was played in Chicago last month he was no longer among the starters. I guess that’s one of the perils of life… er, sorry, LIV: when fields are restricted to 48 players and the new Open champion, Cameron Smith, wants to get involved, someone has to make way.
The promoter of the French Open is Pascal Grizot, the president of the French Golf Federation who organised the 2018 Ryder Cup. He had high hopes that event would prove to be the launch pad for the ongoing development of the French Open. Instead, if anything, he has seen the opposite occur. He is one of those who regret that the eagerness of the Saudis to get involved with the game has been regarded as a threat rather than as an opportunity, by both the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour.
“The parties have to talk,” he insists. “There is no dialogue so nothing can get resolved. It is not possible that they cannot sit around a table.” Which at present is precisely what is happening. Grizot also has a clear view of what should happen next year. “What matters for the Ryder Cup, as with everything, is what is best for golf, not what is best for one organisation or another. The best thing for the Ryder Cup in Rome next year, and beyond, is that the best 12 European players are on the team. The same for the Americans.”
Again, a court will adjudicate on that within the next four to five months, but the tours seem dead set against LIV players playing in it. For Europe, that would rule out ex-Ryder Cuppers such as Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell, Ian Poulter, Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood. The Americans would likewise be minus Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed. This is, clearly, a matter of opinion but I think that example would seem to hurt the US more than it hurts Europe. On the other hand, I think it is not unreasonable to suggest the US has rather more strength in depth.
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