The Kerryman (South Kerry Edition)
Men’s Cups & Shields to go ahead
UNLIKE their female counterparts, the male golfers of Ireland have voted to proceed with the GUI Cups & Shields later in the summer should everything get the go-ahead in Phase 3 of the road to recovery.
However, these events will be played under a format that is much different to what we are used to, and whether or not it will work remains to be seen.
I might state that nothing is concrete at present and the playing of these events is totally dependent on the successful completion of Phase 2 of the road to recovery, and while that the GUI are mulling over several possible formats, I’m led to believe this is what will happen.
For starters, there will be no Barton Shield, while the Pierce Purcell and Jimmy Bruen Shields which are traditionally foursome events, will, for this year, be played as fourballs.
However, the biggest difference is the home and away format which sees all events being played like the latter stages of the Joe Carr Diamond Trophy, where the team drawn at home will have three of the five matches at home, while two of their pairings or players (in the case of Junior & Senior Cup) will be playing at their opponents’ course.
It is, I suppose, the only way these events can go ahead logistically.
The draws already made for 2020 will be scrapped, with new draws and deadline dates announced in the coming weeks if they get the go-ahead.
It makes no difference to me as a player, as I’ve had my day in these events and don’t foresee a return to GUI Cups & Shields as I head towards the Seniors category in the next couple of years, but I hate to see these events being changed just for the sake of getting them played.
Where golf is concerned, I’m a traditionalist and I don’t like changes to things that have been there for decades and have passed the test of time.
Among my pet dislikes are changes to the design of old-fashioned courses, the three-tier format of running golf clubs, which to my mind has totally undermined the role of Captain, and the more recent amalgamation of the GUI and ILGU, which brought an end to two of the world’s oldest golfing unions.
The Senior Cup and Junior Cup, both inaugurated in 1900, celebrate their 120th birthdays this year, while the Pierce Purcell celebrates its 50th birthday and the Jimmy Bruen its 41st.
These events have been played under the same format for many years, so why change their format and tradition just to complete them?
The Senior and Junior Cups weren’t played during the years of World War Two and this Covid-19 pandemic is like a world war for the present generation, so what’s the big need to get them played?
Inter-club competitions haven’t even re-commenced yet, so how are teams going to be picked, perhaps on reputation?
Surely you cannot pick a team on the form of players over a handful of club competitions in the month of July.
I think it demeans these grand old competitions, and winning one of them outright this year with an altered format would, in my opinion, not carry the same kudos as winning it in a normal year.
That’s just my take on it and I would much prefer if the GUI had cancelled all events and allowed golfers to relax and enjoy the remainder of the year and bring some fun and enjoyment back into the game.