Symbolism has been dealt with

Just how symbolic do we have to be? As someone who long-campaigned for the R&A becoming a mixed club, I was bemused last week by stories surrounding the facilities there. Nearly two and half years after the Royal and Ancient finally and mercifully ended their centuries-long bar on women members, apparently there are still no changing rooms for ladies within the great old clubhouse itself.

Women are accommodated in Forgan House, the club extension over on Golf Place. Which to be honest is a more modern and probably much more comfortable facility.

I understand that there is a principle involved here, but is this seriously a matter for scrutiny and debate?

The R&A has invited a number of women, both honorees and “ordinary” members, to join in the past 30 months but their numbers are still small and will only grow, quite properly and naturally, in the fullness of time.

When numbers rise it might be actually practical to overhaul the basement changing facilities in the main clubhouse – not an easy thing inside golf’s most historic structure. In the meantime it’s not the sort of thing the game really needs to wring its hands over.

It’s precisely this sort of over-attention to unnecessary detail that has aided the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield in their procrastination over admitting women members, the spurious idea that the whole premises need to be overhauled before ladies could safely be invited in.

Are women R&A members second class citizens in their club? Are they restricted in any way? Of course not. I’m told that Lady Angela Bonnallack actually won a club competition within her first few months as a member.

They’re full and active members. The only important symbolism here was dealt with when women were invited to join the club. Anything more, until circumstances demand, is unnecessary overkill.

The big man speaks, hopefully the Tour listens

I thought Tiger Woods did pretty well all round on his proper return to action at Torrey Pines.

OK, he missed the cut, which is a near-disaster for all the GOAT fanciers (Greatest Of All Time if you’re not following), but there was enough there to make us think he could do reasonably well when he gets back up to speed.

The man’s been out of the game for more than a year, give him a break. The Big Miss is still big and still missing, but he’s still got plenty else in the locker to be a threat. But his real hit for me was his obvious frustration after the first round when he castigated the pace of play. He found it impossible to get into a rhythm, he said, and it was clear who his remarks were aimed at.

Jason Day’s unequivocal statements on playing slower because it suits him got some backing – alarmingly – from new PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, who insisted there wasn’t even a problem.

All that makes me think is that Day said what he did with official backing. Thankfully, enough players have been breaking ranks on this and calling out Day for his selfishness – some expected (Brandt Snedeker) and some unexpected (Billy Horschel).

That Tiger has given his backing to those voices is significant. Whatever one thinks of where his game is right now, he’s still the major draw in the field, he still carries considerable authority when he chooses to voice his opinion, which sadly isn’t that often.

It’s one reason to hope he gets back to being properly competitive. Tiger may not exactly be Mr Congeniality on the course, but at least he’s always played the game the right way.

A little lack of star quality

I know I castigated everyone else last week for taking this early season silly streak too seriously, but impatience is even stretching into T2G Towers now.

I can appreciate that Jon Rahm, a former world No 1 in the amateurs, is a coming star. At 21, his victory at Torrey Pines will surely be the first of many, one of the best endorsements coming from Phil Mickelson, who said he won’t let the Swede be anything but his team partner for the famously high stakes games during practice rounds.

In Europe, or to be accurate Qatar, Juenghun Wang, last year’s Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year, laughed off the cliché of that difficult second season with victory in the second leg of the Desert Swing.

An admirable pair, and indeed wins in these early season events as the top names slowly creak into gear can be the making of a career for some. But I’m now growing tired of fresh faces.

It’s not been helped by Rory McIlroy’s stress rib fracture depriving us of the game’s most charismatic figure of the moment. He’ll be back by March but until then we need Messrs Spieth or Day or Stenson or Johnson or anybody we recognise from last year knocking out a few flags.

All this visibly keeping the powder dry for bigger things is tiresome. Some star quality is needed now.

The only important symbolism here was dealt with when women were invited to join the club

The clubhouse of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, which as yet has no changing facilities for lady members.