Cancelling Ryder Cup will be rare moment of clarity

AT a time when we should be enjoying wall-to-wall Wimbledon coverage and looking forward to The Open, it feels counter-intuitive to be applauding the postponement of yet another blue-chip event. But let’s recognise a rare moment of clarity and common sense in this era of blind stupidity. The Ryder Cup couldn’t possibly go ahead in a country where, thanks to Donald Trump, Covid is still running rampant. With the USA enduring the worst of the pandemic, it would be distasteful — at best — to press ahead with a bread-and-circuses distraction at Whistling Straits. Even Wisconsin, one of the least badly-affected states, has seen a spike in cases since judges overturned the governor’s lockdown edict. And who doesn’t feel a little uneasy watching PGA Tour events currently being played out against such a bleak backdrop? Every day brings more positive tests and/or withdrawals from tournaments on the world’s richest circuit, as many of the leading players decide that chasing FedEx Cup points really shouldn’t be a life-or-death sort of pursuit. If increasing numbers are shying away from the chance to pocket a couple of million dollars every other week, a contest with no actual prize money holds limited appeal. So, dropping 28 superstars from Europe and the US into a vulnerable biological bubble just to give us a televised thrill? No thanks. Never mind the debate about whether it would be worth watching without the noisiest and most partisan galleries in golf. For reasons far beyond optics and atmosphere, it would just be plain wrong. Which is precisely why this week’s anticipated cancellation should be welcomed. In a world where too few are doing right, why add to the pile of mistakes and misjudgments?