MATTHEW SOUTHGATE
Well, it’s been an interesting time over the last month, as I’m sure it has been for you too! As I mentioned in my last column, I flew to Dubai after the Qatar Masters and was going to do a week’s worth of practice before flying off to the Indian Open. That was cancelled, and then while I was in Dubai the UK went in to lockdown, as did Dubai, so I had some decisions to make.
My girlfriend was out in Dubai with me initially and her two kids came out to join us. But the issue with staying in Dubai was the fact we were on the 27th floor in an apartment with no balcony. The authorities out here have been brilliant, but you have to have a permit to go outside for food and medicine, for example, so not being in a place with outside space wasn’t ideal. I was looking around desperately for rental properties to move into that backed on to golf courses, gardens or beaches, but I wasn’t finding anything.
I was just about to pull the trigger on a house I’d found that was really expensive when an Irish guy got in touch and said we could use his house up in Ras Al Khaimah, which is about an hour and 20 minutes from Dubai, because he was stuck in Ireland. It was such a great turn of events. The house backs on to the beach and there are very few people up here, so I’ve been able to practise on the sand and go for walks along the seafront. We’ve been very lucky.
I’m not sure when I’m going to be able to go back home, and I’m not sure when the European Tour will start again. The communication from the tour has been really good. In every email that Keith Pelley sends, he stresses the point that he’s trying to make the best decisions for all and shows genuine concern for everyone and their families. Golf is our life and it’s obviously hugely important, but in the grand scheme of things, it pales into relative insignificance.
That said, it is a stressful time for a lot of the members with so much uncertainty. The disruption is having a big impact on people’s finances. A lot of the guys have accumulated good earnings over the years, but some of the younger guys won’t have much money in the bank.
There have been some discussions about support programmes for some players and also the caddies, who have been affected quite badly by this saga. Obviously we’re all self-employed and there have been some initiatives announced by the government, but I think the tour is keen to help out if it can. I think most players would like to see the caddies get looked after more than the players themselves. I’ve had a few caddies who are good friends and you don’t mind helping them out. They’re really good guys and there’s nothing they can do about it. We’re all in this together.
Something else that’s up in the air is what’s going to happen with the Race to Dubai. A priority is understandably finishing the Majors, but what about the top 110, Q-school and so on? Cancelling the season seems really unfair on someone like Sami Valimaki, who won on just his fifth European Tour start, but seeing people lose their cards when it’s not been a full season also isn’t fair.
I’m in a position where I haven’t made a cut yet, but I’ve only played five events and I typically get stronger as the season goes on and fare better in links events. I think when things restart, the money shouldn’t go towards the Race to Dubai and the top 110 from last season should stay the same. But in that scenario there are potentially Challenge Tour players who will be hard done by. And what will happen to Q-school?
I’m glad I don’t have to make those decisions. But at this time I think we all need to recognise these are extraordinary circumstances and understand difficult choices will have to be made. It’s hard waking up in the morning and not having a tournament to play. I miss it and I miss the camaraderie and banter on tour. You realise how much you love it when you’re away from it. I hope you’re all staying safe, wherever you are.
“Golf is our life, but in the grand scheme of things, it pales into relative insignificance”