Equality ?

Well once again yesterdays golf TV coverage reached farcical status.

With scenes reminiscent of the infamous OJ Simpson Ford Bronco chase we had the blimp follow Tiger’s escape from Doral.

For a wee while the on going golf tournament was forgotten about.

When David Toms withdrew did we get wall to wall coverage on it ?

Ok I can hear many screaming that Toms is not Tiger, well newsflash folks Tiger is not Tiger theses days either. But if you knew nothing about golf you could be forgiven for thinking he was still the world number 1.

Is golf better with Tiger in it, well yes. Lets be fair based purely on results and playing ability his record stands up to by itself, no question.

But does this current incarnation of Tiger help golf?

In fact did the previous one?

Tiger Woods won his first PGA event in 1996, his 1st major in 1997, so this year will be 15 years since he first won the Masters.

In that 15 years how many African Americans have broken through on the PGA tour?

Seriously how many?

So is it that Tiger has not inspired African American golfers ?  Or is golf still inherently racist  ?

Many golfers, well those in charge at least, turn a blind eye to sexism in golf so is does racism get treated the same ?

I think this is a fair question. In every other sport when a person of colour has broken through others have followed, so why not golf ??

Remember the old NIKE commercial “I am Tiger Wood’s” , multi racial and multi cultural? I think that was in 1996.  What happened to that dream.

I can only think of 2 non white Americans who have won Majors, Woods & Trevino, and I cant think of a single European winner.

What am I missing here? Because there must be something I am not seeing?

You look at the NBA, MLB and NFL in North America and you see every race & culture represented. In the UK football, cricket and rugby are multi racial and multi cultured from club to international level, so why not golf ?

I suppose what I am asking is. Is golf a racist sport?

If you look at the PGA and European Tour roster’s it would certainly seem that way.

I have played golf all over the UK and never once have I met a non white club pro, not once.

In all the times I have played golf in Florida I have yet to come across a non white club pro.

Am I really the only person who thinks about this? Or has it ever crossed your mind? Even just once? Or are we simply not meant to speak about it ?

For me, at least, I find it disgusting the way that the R&A continually supports sexism in golf, and yes I mean support not ignore. In clubs up & down the UK women are treated as 2nd class citizens and nothing ever gets done about it.

And yet the R&A continually award  the Open Championship to clubs, why?

While governing bodies continue to ignore sexism what chance do we have of them tackling racism ? Or do we simply not care?