Cut them off at the pass

IAN POULTER can be proud of himself when he tees it up at Royal Birkdale on Thursday week.

The 41-year-old (below) earned the right to be there after competing against fellow seasoned professionals, aspiring amateurs, and young tyros coming through the ranks in a qualifying competition earlier this week.

That’s how major sporting championships should operate. No free passes. Unlike Wimbledon (and other Grand Slams, to be fair), where there are plenty flying around.

A good few go to British players. Heather Watson is making the most of hers but Naomi Broady, Laura Robson, Katie Boulter, Brydan Klein and Cameron Norrie won the grand total of one set between them in going out at the first-round stage. Each received £35,000. Meanwhile, there are professionals who narrowly failed to make it through qualifying who struggle to meet their playing expenses.

Wimbledon is a fantastic event but its patronage of under achieving Brits needs to stop.

AS comedy results go, Rangers’ defeat by Luxembourg’s fourth-best team takes some beating.

But that is the only value of a competitive game of European club football in mid-summer. Comedy.