By Larry Canning
I know it’s old news by now and the Presidents Cup has been played and decided but what the hell was Trevor Immelman thinking leaving Ryan Fox and for that matter Lucas Herbert out of that team??
At the time of writing this, Herbert was tied with Rory McIlroy just 2 shots back of the lead and on the verge of winning the Italian Open from a field including some world class players and just one week out from the staging of the Presidents Cup. I know we have Cam Davis in there and of course Adam Scott who decided not to join his mates in the LIV Golf League but leaving Ryan Fox out is just too bloody difficult for, what’s left of my brain to comprehend!
I’ve had the good fortune to meet Ryan a couple of times when he comes to Mt Broughton Golf Club to be fitted for his new equipment, courtesy of Srixon’s Tour fitting expert, Chris Murchie. It’s actually an eye opening experience watching Ryan hitting ball after ball at our range. The distance he keeps his pill in the air with a driver is renowned around the world but it was the purity of his striking with irons that really stunned me. This guy can strike it as well an anyone out there. And he’s a ripper bloke!
From all reports, Trevor Immelman is a good bloke as well but I can’t help thinking his decision to bypass Fox, whose world ranking his better than half the lads who got the nod, was somehow influenced by his own allegiance to the PGA Tour and his commentary job with CBS??
Fox plays the best part of his golf on the DP World Tour and would have been the only non-full time (US) PGA Tour Player in the International team. Given the current stance by the Americans in their attempt to maintain their dominance of world golf and their ownership of The Presidents Cup, it wouldn’t be difficult for Ryan to think he’s a victim of politics. If LIV are looking for more talent, Greg Norman would be mad not to have a quiet word with the, surely disillusioned, New Zealander while he’s vulnerable.
Lucas Herbert does play full time in the States and is a winner but still nudged out by players with world rankings far beneath his. Yes, I know there’s a system in place which allocates points after each tournament and world rankings, while relevant, are part of that but when you choose someone who is beneath another player on both lists it becomes difficult to fathom.
Surely there’s an argument for throwing Captain’s picks in the nearest toilet and just going off the points? No arguments, no gutted players who are left wondering “what is wrong with me?” “Am I seen as a bad team player or not able to perform under pressure?” “Is it my choice of where I play?” “Is it my swing?” “Accent?”
As they say… anywho… let’s move onto me now.
In my August’s column I may have written something along the lines of:
Before they have Cam now joining LIV maybe they should recall his response to this question on the eve of last year’s FedEx Cup finals – “What would you do with the 15 million if you win?”
“I don’t know, I’m pretty set, to be honest,” Smith said. “I’m good. I’m good with what I’ve got. I don’t know what I’d do, to be honest. Maybe some more fishing equipment.”
Given Cam has just won the Open which is estimated to carry about 15 million in endorsements, if he defects to LIV, I’d be more than happy to play my next Friday chicken run at Mt Broughton NUDE.”
The good news about this complete misread of the room by me is how many readers of my garbage are still actually reading! Unfortunately the Mt Broughton Chicken Run has recently been cancelled due to… aaamm…weather.
But seeing as though I was so taken with the positive responses I had no choice but to get the gear off and nude the daylights out of myself for 9 holes of very solid play.
I have to say though, when I saw a photo secretly taken by one of the women members I was totally shocked!!
I had no idea my ball had moved so far forward in my stance!
