Sky deal’s the limit for critics of R&A
The r&a found themselves under fire from all quarters yesterday for selling off live TV rights to The Open to Sky after 60 years with BBc — and for their ‘pompous superiority’ in running the sport.
TV football host Gary lineker , who had a brief spell as a BBc golf presenter, led the attacks by calling the TV switch a ‘damaging decision for golf made by superior beings born from an era which gives them entitlement.’
Greg Norman said golf has to get out of its traditional box while lee Westwood added that the game is losing its appeal. also the British Golf industry association, whose members include all the major brands, are talking of making a united complaint to the r&a detailing their annoyance at losing BBc coverage when declining participation has become a major problem.
Sky are paying £15m-a-year for five years from 2017. But BBc bid £10m — making the choice of Sky for only £5m-a-year extra all the more contentious.
lineker told The Golf Paper he agreed with former BBc head of sport roger Mosey who accused the r&a of being ‘snobby and sexist’ and looking down their noses at lineker.
lineker added: ‘i felt that pomposity when i got the job, the sport is struggling and is badly run and they have taken away The Open just for a few pence extra.’
But retiring r&a chief executive Peter Dawson countered: ‘i’ll leave it to you to judge whether we’re superior beings or not. i don’t think we are and i don’t think we pretend to be. i don’t recognise anything in that article that i would regard as being close to the truth.
‘it’s borderline absurd to think that an event on just four days of the year is going to make a massive difference to participation, whichever channel it’s on.’
THE Association of Golf Writers have changed their annual dinner format from a guest speaker to Five Live’s Iain Carter (right) working the room talking to the big golf names. But Carter was put out of his confident stride when Lee Westwood chose not to stand up to talk to him. So Carter, having inquired whether he was ‘legless’, joked: ‘I hope you’ll be able to stand up when you’re on the first tee’ — a remark that a distracted Westwood shrugged off. creDiT golf writers for giving a trophy for that rare species — a sportsman or woman who goes out of their way to help the Press. The deserving recipient was victorious european ryder cup captain Paul McGinley, who said the media had played a massive part in beating the americans. McGinley’s many motivational talks across sport and business since that meticulouslyplanned triumph included a session with the arsenal squad. This came at the request of manager arsene Wenger before their 4-0 Fa cup final victory over aston Villa.
LAURA DAVIES received plenty of sympathy for missing her St Andrews induction into world golf’s hall of fame after flight delays in Philadelphia and London. However, sympathy was in short supply two days later. Laura gave golf writers only two hours notice that she was not attending their awards dinner in the Old Course Hotel at which she was being honoured for outstanding services to golf.