England to stage Augusta assault
sportsmail
Lee WestWood might have been stretching it a bit last week when he said it was something england should be shouting about from the rooftops. But not by much.
From just two players in the field as recently as 2002, england will field a magnificent Masters XI at Augusta this week — a record representation at the season’s first major for a country outside the United states.
What makes the total more remarkable, at a tournament that gives a lifetime exemption to past champions, is that all 11 have met the stringent qualification criteria to make it on current form. sir Nick Faldo, who would have taken the number to 12, doesn’t take up his exemption because of television commitments.
How england achieved such a number is something others could learn from. Let’s take you through the reasons.
WORLD-CLASS COACHES
It’s not just the players who are making waves in the global game. How about the men behind the scenes putting in all the hard yards? In Pete Cowen, Mike Walker, putting coach Phil Kenyon and physio steve McGregor, england has a quartet that has had a profound impact on the sport at the highest level. It’s not just the english players who have benefited from their methods and wisdom, of course, but most are on record as saying they wouldn’t be the golfers they are without the input of one or more of the dazzling foursome.
Walker is Cowen’s star pupil turned leading coach in his own right and between them the pair look after the likes of Westwood, danny Willett, Chris Wood and Matt Fitzpatrick. Walker also helps out at england Golf. Kenyon is now the putting guru of choice for virtually all the european elite. McGregor is the man who has turned Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy into the perfect golfing athlete but has also worked with the likes of Westwood.
FRIENDLY RIVALRIES
Like every other sport, nothing works quite like competition, and the ten english professionals plus amateur scott Gregory competing at Augusta are clearly feeding off each other’s achievements.
‘I feel like I am the daddy of them all,’ said 43-year-old Westwood last week, who’s plainly been given a new lease of life in trying to keep up with his compatriots.
At the top of the tree we have Justin Rose, who acknowledged the impact the next generation was having on his game, telling
‘I know I’ve got a target on my back for the likes of Matt (Fitzpatrick) and tyrrell (Hatton) but that just adds to the hunger.
‘It’s brilliant they’re at the top of the game now but it makes me conscious of this five-year window I’ve got until I reach 40 and I want to ramp things up.’
there are four englishmen ranked 13-16 in the world with Rose currently heading the list, but you can be sure 14th-ranked Hatton sees it as his next small milestone to overtake him.
then there’s Willett’s victory here last year. What a marvellous boost that was for the likes of Fitzpatrick, Hatton, Wood, Andy sullivan and tommy Fleetwood. It took away the mystique of winning the Masters and showed them a player of their age, who they grew up with and can compete with, can win the biggest prizes of all.
IS IT CYCLICAL?
It could be. Look at the whole of Ireland, down to two representatives this year (McIlroy and shane Lowry) from five just two years ago. there will not be many years in the future where england has so many participants, if any. But the dark days of 2001, when Westwood was the country’s only player in the world’s top 100, are now in the past.
six of the 11 are still in their twenties and only Rose (right) and Westwood are over the age of 31. the conveyor belt so successfully run by england Golf shows no signs of slowing up, and there’s plenty more who have the quality to make it to the Masters in future. of the top 100 on the Race to dubai last year, no fewer than 20 were english. And look at the names who haven’t made it this time, like Ian Poulter, Luke donald and Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston. Willett ended a 20-year drought at the Masters for Brits in 2016 but it will surely not be another 20 years before the next winner.
CAN ANY BRING THE JACKET BACK THIS TIME?
Certainly. Rose has done everything at the Masters bar win over the years. Fitzpatrick and Hatton both look like major winners in the future. Paul Casey has the ability and Fleetwood, Wood, sullivan and Ross Fisher are capable of a top-five finish. And then there’s the defending champion. It would be nice to see Willett relaunch his career this week, wouldn’t it?