In the BBC’s annual sporting awards extravaganza golf was, for once,
well represented. Though after such a successful year I still feel
some individual achievements were undervalued.
Those looking at the livescores regularly
note that the victorious Ryder Cup team picked up the team of the year
award. Their achievement in regaining the title at Celtic Manor,
despite losing the first two sessions, was rightly recognized at the
Birmingham NEC, with captain Colin Montgomerie collecting the award on
the team’s behalf.
Monty also collected the coach of the year award, though the
47-year-old Scot was quick to praise his assistants Thomas Bjorn,
Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley, Sergio Garcia and Jose Maria Olazabal –
who has been tipped to take the captains role for the 2014 tournament.
The minor disappointment on what was a successful night for the sport
was the failure of either Lee Westwood or Graeme McDowell to make the
top three for Sports personality of the year.
Both have had glittering years, with Westwood finally usurping Tiger
Woods as World number one while McDowell won the U.S. Open at Pebble
Beach, becoming the first Irishman to accomplish the feat and the
first European to do so since Tony Jacklin in 1970. He then birdied at
the 16th green at Celtic Manor on a dramatic final day of the Ryder
Cup to defeat Hunter Mahan and seal victory for Europe.
I feel the award, as it is down to a public vote, isn’t always awarded
to the person who proportionally had the most success in the past 12
months – the bizarre choice of Ryan Giggs last year proved that (if
sentiment is the reason behind it, then why didn’t Beckham win this
year instead of picking up a lifetime achievement award??)
But they are just minor gripes – the lack of coverage for golf live
scores in the media is nothing new. I
suppose we should just be content that despite the low levels or
recognition, the sport is now thriving and successful.
Filed under: Golf
