Is It Time The Worlds Best Golfers Grew Up

ARE well-paid sportsmen little more than spoilt children? Based on what we have witnessed over the past couple of weeks, it is a fair question. And the answer is resounding “Yes”!

If a rugby player falls to the ground and stays there then you know he is in pain. And if a decision goes against him you know he is going to accept it without question.

We are used to seeing Premier League footballers looking like they have been shot when opponents barely make contact, and abusing referees for fun.

But we have also witnessed the world’s best golfers throwing their toys out of the pram when things don’t go their way. It is embarrassing and it sets a dreadful example.

Scottie Scheffler has had an incredible year and is widely perceived to have a wonderful temperament but that certainly was not the case at the BMW Championship. It was a rare off-week for the world’s best golfer and he did not react well, losing his cool on several occasions with the world looking on.

It did not look good and it did little for his reputation. But Scheffler being Scheffler, he bounced back and produced a brilliant display of golf at the Tour Championship. And even managed to keep his cool after shanking a bunker shot in the final round.

Scheffler is, of course, not alone in losing the plot.

Rory McIlroy, a golfer who tends to wear his heart on his sleeve, is a serial spoilt child and we saw many examples of it during the FedEx Cup Playoffs, when things did not go his way. We saw clubs slammed into the ground, we heard foul language, we saw slumped shoulders and we saw clubs being thrown away.

Sadly, McIlroy has history. Remember last year’s Ryder Cup? He argued with Joe LaCava, Patrick Cantlay’s caddie, after the bagman overdid the celebrations when Cantlay holed an unlikely birdie putt on the final green and then tore into Bones Mackay in the car park - teammate Shane Lowry had to step in to separate the pair and tell McIlroy to calm down.

We have seen him throw clubs into the water and we have heard countless commentators apologise for his language. When things are going well in Rory’s world, all is sweetness and light. It is a different kettle of fish when things go wrong.

"You can see the frustration" ????

Rory McIlroy throws his club in the water after tee shot! ???? pic.twitter.com/tDAgDDCucK

— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) August 23, 2024

And then there was Tyrrell Hatton. For the first two rounds of the British Masters at The Belfry, Hatton, who was making a rare appearance on the DP World Tour in an attempt to garner world ranking and Ryder Cup points, was on his best behaviour as he played quite beautifully,. He led the tournament after 36 holes and all was well in Hatton Land.

But then the wheels started to come off in the third round. Did he take it all in his stride? Did he shrug it all off? Of course he didn’t. He threw golf balls, he rammed clubs into the ground, he swore and he blamed everybody and everything but himself for his bad play. And that’s what it was - bad play.

I have to say that I feel sorry for anybody who has to partner Hatton when he has a bad day because he truly does act like a brat. And worse.

I have lost count of the number of times I have watched him play and had to listen to commentators apologise for his language.

???? | Tyrrell Hatton giving a souvenir to the fishes at the @british_masters... #BetfredBritishMasters pic.twitter.com/ufzSX3pthl

— Betfred (@Betfred) August 29, 2024

These individuals have a responsibility to their sport. They know that the cameras follow their every move and they know that they are always within earshot of microphones. What sort of example does this behaviour set to youngsters?

They are not alone, and let’s not pretend that this is something new.

Tom Weiskopf was nicknamed Towering Inferno because of his temper tantrums. Craig Stadler may well be the most miserable man ever to pick up a golf club. And Tommy Bolt famously used to break clubs after what he perceived to be poor shots. John Daly was another serial offender, a man who would routinely walk off the course when things were not going his way. Colin Montgomerie used to lose his temper if he heard a butterfly beat its wings or if a bird dared to sing as he was standing over the ball.

Then there is Tiger Woods, rumoured to be the most-fined golfer in PGA Tour history because of his frequent use of the F-word.

Don’t get me wrong. I am no prude, but Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player and Tom Watson got through their entire careers without ever having to depend on a commentator apologising for either their behaviour or their language. Nicklaus is the game’s elder statesman, a man who won 18 majors, and I often wonder what on earth he makes of the behaviour of some of today’s so-called stars.

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