’Great supporter of women’s game’
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So now you’re a great supporter of women’s golf, how would you like to see their situation improve?
I would love more clubs to have an easier manner towards juniors and women. It’s not about just being welcoming, it’s about explaining and overcoming their fears.
When you start you don’t understand the Rules and the etiquette and which clubs to use for each distance. Luckily I’ve had friends who have taken me round and explained how to tend the pin and where to stand and how to repair divots and pitchmarks.
It’s all those things that are tough to get to grips with unless you’re out there playing. And until you’re good enough you don’t want to be out there. So it’s a vicious circle. But I’m so pleased I stuck with it. I love playing different courses, it gives me so much pleasure.
There has been much publicity recently about women playing in professional men’s events. Where do you stand on the issue?
I think it’s a huge step forward and for a sport that has a reputation of being middle-aged, stuffy and incredibly male dominated, it’s a very positive move.
And I don’t care if it’s sponsor driven. I think it’s one of the most exciting developments in world sport, because unless incredibly talented women are given a chance to push themselves beyond the boundaries that have been set for them by their gender, they will never progress in the game.
And golf is one of the very few sports where it’s not inconceivable that if you started from scratch and said that everyone can qualify for the Open, there would be more than one woman that makes that qualifying mark.
We already know that if a 14 year-old is good enough to almost make the cut in an American tournament then she’s good enough to do a Ben Curtis. You never know.
So would you call for a European Tour event to offer the opportunity for a woman to compete?
Of course. I’d love to see a genuine European Tour event, not a slightly sidelined event in Australia, offer an invitation. I’m all for it.
And what about major events when there are exemptions for past winners taking up genuine places? How many guys are they taking out that might have qualified.
You can’t make the argument for not allowing exemptions and still allow players like Tom Watson to play in The Open.
The overall aim should be to improve the game and encourage more people to play it. And get the very best males or females qualifying. And that’s not beyond the realms of possibility. In a lot of other sports it will never ever happen but in golf it actually could. And what is there to be frightened of? Nothing. This could be the most fantastic movement ever.
If I were a 10-year-old now and wanting to play golf thinking that one day I could play in the Open, what a dream that would be. Because that’s what it’s called, The ‘Open’ Championship of golf.
