Maybe it's the sanuk there ?

[BadaBing]

TROON, Scotland -- It's easy to make fun of the pampered Americans.

 

 

They get their fancy courtesy cars -- a Mercedes one week, a Cadillac the next, a Buick at worst -- and play for $5 million purses on courses that are manicured to perfection. But ask them to fly overseas, whether it's a World Golf Championship or the oldest championship in golf, and it becomes an imposition.

 

Stuart Appleby of Australia summed up it best a few years ago when a dozen Americans declined to take a chartered plane to Valderrama to play in a tournament that guaranteed $25,000 for last place.

 

"They're like a bag of prawns on a hot Sunday," he said. "They don't travel well."

 

The outrage at Royal Troon is not just the number of no-shows -- Fred Funk, of all people, tops the list -- but how the Royal & Ancient Golf Club made it easier than ever for Americans to qualify for the British Open and they still turned their nose up at the benevolence.

 

For the first time, the R&A expanded its 36-hole qualifying from four links courses near the Open to include four courses around the world, giving tour players a chance to qualify without having to travel to Britain.

 

And how did they show their gratitude?

 

Fifty-two PGA Tour players didn't bother to show up for the U.S. qualifier at Congressional two weeks ago. Worse yet, six players didn't even call to say they weren't coming. None seemed the least bit bothered by turning down a chance to play in the British Open.

 

"Well, we are close to Iraq," Colin Montgomerie said, not missing a chance to tweak the Americans.

 

 

Fred Funk's absence from Royal Troon is catching the attention of many players, U.S. and European, for the wrong reasons. (AP)

The real jab came from Marcus Fraser, a European tour player from Australia who lost his chance to qualify in Malaysia because of a shoulder injury that kept him from traveling. He petitioned the R&A to play in the European qualifier when he was healthy, and was turned down.

 

So, Marcus, did you hear about the 52 Americans who got injured at Congressional?

 

"Sudden injury," Fraser mused. "Heart muscle, wasn't it?"

 

No, just poor etiquette, brought on by a sudden case of brain cramps.

 

"They made it easy for those guys, and it's a real slap in the face," Tom Weiskopf said.

 

Even some players eligible for the British Open are not here.

 

Kirk Triplett said it was his favorite tournament to watch on TV. Funk gave no reason for withdrawing, although one can only suspect that after his whining about links golf last year, he figures it will be easier to collect Ryder Cup points at the minor-league B.C. Open this week.

 

"This is the greatest tournament in the world," Mark Calcavecchia said. "If you're exempt, you should take a row boat if you have to."

 

Funk said he would row a boat to South Africa for a chance to play in the Presidents Cup, but he won't take an eight-hour flight to Scotland for the British Open? Maybe it cost too much money for a former college golf coach with over $13 million in career earnings.

 

But whatever the reason, it is up to Funk to decide whether he wants to play for diamonds or costume jewelry.

 

It's up to Paul Stankowski and John Rollins whether to withdraw from an Open qualifier in their backyard.

 

And that's why the joke is on the R&A.

 

It has gotten away from its roots -- the "Open" championship of golf -- by catering to the pros. It wanted a stronger field, but that is not the identity of the British Open. Whether it's Tiger Woods or Ben Curtis, Ernie Els or Paul Lawrie, the winner is introduced as the champion golfer of the world.

 

Those who aspire to such glory will earn their way to the British Open through exceptional golf or they will not think twice about traveling to Britain for 36 holes of qualifying.

 

Brad Faxon, who has a keen sense of history, came over to St. Andrews in 2000 and tried to qualify. He failed, flew home and won the B.C. Open.

 

It was a sad sight Saturday morning to see the parking lot at Western Gailes lined with cars, with players taking their clubs out of the trunk and heading to the tee to begin the first round of final qualifying. One had a caddie with a mohawk, presumably a distant cousin. Some used trolleys.

 

What remains of the 36-hole qualifying are the amateurs or tour wannabes -- long shots, both. They once played alongside Faxon, Jeff Maggert and Ian Woosnam.

 

Now, only 15 spots were available in the four local qualifying sites. The rest went to the professional qualifying sites in England, Washington, Australia and Malaysia. And to free up more spots, the R&A reduced the exemption for U.S. Open champions like Corey Pavin and Lee Janzen from 10 years to five, so they were suddenly no longer eligible.

 

It was changed to get a stronger field, yet only 71 of the top 100 in the world are at Royal Troon.

 

The R&A is investigating the 52 no-shows at Congressional and sanctions are possible. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said it reflects poorly, and "some action may be warranted."

 

The easy solution is to go back to the way it was, and make everyone travel to Britain if they want to play in the British Open.

 

Those who don't come won't be missed.

 

 

AP NEWS

The Associated Press News Service

[dean]

I've been to the last two Opens (Muirfield and St. George) but couldn't make it this year. I'll be back next year when its back at St. Andrews. To a certain extent, American golfers are spoiled becasue three of the Majors are played in the U.S. I really think that there should be 2-3 European tournaments the weeks before the British Open, like the Irish and Scottish Opens, which would be mandatory for professional golfers who plan on playing in the Open. It would also help prepare non-european golfers to play links golf. I can imagine that not too many U.S. golfers enjoyed the third round at Muirfield; it was the coldest that I have ever been at a sporting event but I enjoyed watching professional golfers make double and triple bogeys at the par three 16th hole. It took me an hour after getting back to Edinburgh that night to thaw out.

[BadaBing]

Being an ex-avid golfer myself , I still enjoy watching the weekend finishes of the majors. Totally agree that having 3 of 4 here stateside , really isn't fair for the non yanks. The greens on the recent U.S. Open were not worth playing on.

 

The Brittish Open has always been my fav for watching , a real test for one and all. Hell , even John Daly won it.

 

As for Fred Funk not making the trip , The telly once showed him and his " trophy " hottie wife during a rain delay , her sporting a pair of " soccer ball " sized bolt-ons , maybe the fear of travel time / altitude had him worried they might explode in-flight...

 

BadagotoneholeinoneBing

[greedisgood]

And from the Golfchannel.com:

 

 

Where Are British at the British Open?

July 9, 2004

 

The Open Championship, referred to as the ?British Open? in this part of the world to distinguish it from the U.S. Open, has been decidedly non-British since 1992.

 

Since ?92 ? the year of Englishman Nick Faldo?s last victory - the British has been won eight times by Americans. The others were won by Greg Norman and Nick Price, two internationals who live about a mile from each other in Florida. South African Ernie Els won one, who has homes in his native country, London and also Florida.

 

Oh yes? the British was won in 1999 by a true Briton, Paul Lawrie of Scotland. He is the only Brit to triumph in the last 11 years.

 

It?s one of the great mysteries of golf, the British Open. It is played every year on a links course, said to be a British staple. Yet, a foreigner comes in and repeatedly wins it. Darren Clarke hasn?t won one. Neither has Irishman Padraig Harrington. Colin Montgomerie? Nope. How about Lee Westwood or Ian Woosnam? Nope, again.

 

What is so baffling about this statistic is that Europe has made a habit of beating America in the Ryder Cup of late. The U.S. has only captured three wins in the last nine matches. Those matches, incidentally, aren?t played on links courses, even when Europe hosts. Even when played in Britain, they?ve been contested at The Belfry, decidedly non-links, almost American in playability. The Cup was played in ?97 at Valderrama in Spain ? also non-links. You have to go all the way back to 1977, to Royal Lytham, to find a real links course hosting the Cup.

 

But, Europe does quite well in those matches. On courses which play as links layouts, though, the Europeans ? and the British ? can?t seem to buy a win.

 

Why? Why do Americans, who just might as well be playing on the moon, traditionally succeed on the links layouts? John Daly has won only four times in America, but he won at St. Andrews. Ben Curtis has never won on this side of the pond, but he won last year at Royal St. George?s. Tom Lehman? Four wins in America, and one at Lytham. Justin Leonard, Mark O?Meara, Tiger Woods, David Duval and Curtis have been among the last six American winners in the British.

 

Only Lawrie at Carnoustie in ?99 snipped the American streak, and in that win, he had to beat Leonard ? and France?s Jean Van de Velde ? in a playoff only after the Frenchman's infamous final hole meltdown.

 

You?ve got to wonder why the Europeans do so well on American-style courses, and the Yanks do so well on links layouts. Silly, isn?t it?

 

The Americans, incidentally, dominated the Open during the ?70s and early ?80s. But that was when the U.S. had a corner on world golf. Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Lee Trevino were clearly the best players in the world during that time frame and would have been the champions even if the Open were held in a children?s sandbox. The latter half of the ?80s and early ?90s, the British dominated with Faldo and Sandy Lyle - augmented by a substantial dose of Spain?s Seve Ballesteros ? owning Her Majesty?s tournament.

 

But the past 13 years? It is a conundrum, a mystery, an impossibility. They win the Ryder Cup repeatedly when they shouldn?t, plundering us on our favorite layouts. And we return the favor when it comes time for the British, time after time winning when it comes time to playing the links.

 

That?s golf, I guess the pundits would say. That?s the British Open.

 

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