PRESIDENT IS NOT HELPING SEXISM PROBLEM

HERE in America the ramifications of Donald Trump being elected President reach far and wide.

The television channels are dominated with news of his alleged links to Russia and there seems nowhere to turn to escape the most famous face on the planet.

You’d have thought those travelling to Bedminster in New Jersey to watch the US Women’s Open Championship this weekend would be able to do just that.

No chance, because the United States Golf Association, in their wisdom, decided to stage the most prestigious tournament in women’s golf at a course owned by Trump.

In doing so, the governing body of American golf left themselves open to accusations that their principles are weak.

Trump hasn’t been able to resist the temptation of visiting one of his back gardens to steal the headlines and mix with the finest female golfers in the world.

Some embraced it, while others made it their mission to avoid him.

That’s because there are many who still haven’t forgotten the infamous ‘Access Hollywood’ video tape in which he was caught bragging he could sexually assault women without having to concern himself with the possible ramifications. Golf is a wonderful sport but it is also a game that has failed to shed an image of discrimination.

Up until March, Muirfield didn’t allow women to be members of a golf club that hosts the Open Championship.

This is 2017. Theresa May is the Prime Minister of Britain (just). Angela Merkel is the German Chancellor and the number of women running multi-national, blue chip conglomerates is too high to mention.

Yet some of those who continue to run golf remain trapped in the dark ages and this fact is coming back to haunt the USGA.

The largest untapped market for golf remains girls and women but the game is facing demographic problems in the United States.

Those of a more mature age won’t be around forever and the game needs a new generation of participants.

Tiger Woods did so much to help this. He changed the game, took it to new levels of popularity and made people of all ages and genders want to pick up a set of clubs.

But the era of Woods and Phil Mickelson, his great rival, is now coming to an end and TV ratings are plummeting.

Golf might be expanding and growing in other parts of the world like Asia but in America it is in decline.

So it falls on the shoulders of the USGA to do something about it. To grow the game and restore its rightful place among the greatest sports in this sports-mad nation.

Yet USGA executive director Mike Davis has spent the last few days conveniently avoiding questions about the game’s stance on sexual discrimination and left some of his minions to fudge the topic.

Endorsing Trump, which is effectively what the USGA have done, might not be the most intelligent approach when it comes to safeguarding the game of golf.

Attitudes need to change quickly, on both sides of the Atlantic, or golf may never cure itself of this problem.