THE WHIRLWIND WORLD OF GOLF
The professional landscape of golf has become a whirlpool of inconclusiveness. What started as a game growing from strength to strength was interrupted when LIV Golf came into the picture, attracting the biggest names in the game with money, and a chance at doing something different. Those are the irrefutable facts. Today, with the PGA TOUR going logger heads with LIV, then retracting their suits and announcing a tie-up oaf sorts, the future for professional golf ahead is as clear as a cup of latte. Now that the Official World Golf Rankings has denounced LIV events and prevented it from awarding points, the accolades of being the best in the world is murkier than ever.
Meanwhile, in our part of the world, where the Asian Tour commands the lion’s share of professional playing opportunities, it’s business as usual. Chief Executive of Asian Tour Cho Minn Thant has his work cut out for him, crafting a world where there is a place for Asia’s best professionals to play. His profile this month reveals a particularly astute veteran of the Tours who is equally adept at managing the testy waters of the industry.
We also get in close and personal with Rolex Testimonee Jon Rahm, one of the biggest stars in the current game. The Spaniard talks about owning a fabled green jacket and being a Ryder Cup winner.
For us recreational mortals of the game, all the millions thrown at Rahm and golf’s glitterati means little. What means more to us is perhaps where we can take our games to next. The Mornington Peninsula in the Australian state of Victoria is a fantastic option. Great values at the courses there – some which rank among the best in Australia, if not the world – should be an eye-opening draw. Alternatively, Thailand is also a fine alternative, and our story on golf tours organised by Tourism Authority of Thailand should entice you to start searching the web for airfare deals.
Golf is alive and very well, thank you very much, and we’d do well to ignore the turmoil in professional golf and enjoy our game as best as we can – no matter where it takes us.