GolfMagic Debates: Tiger Woods, golf fans, distance, best new clubs

In the first of a new GolfMagic Debates Series, our members of staff discuss some of the hottest topics currently trending in golf.

With precisely one month until the year's first major at Augusta National, we mull over the chances of resurgent duo Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson at The Masters, as well as contest whether both fan interaction and golf ball distance are really issues on the PGA Tour right now. 

We also deliberate whether new formats to Tour events are indeed the way forward to encourage new and younger participation into the sport, and reveal our favourite new golf products of 2018 so far...

TOPIC 1: SHOULD GOLF FANS BE ALLOWED TO OPENLY ROOT AGAINST PLAYERS LIKE IN OTHER SPORTS, OR IS THAT DISRESPECTFUL? 

Andy Roberts (GolfMagic Editor): It's completely disrepectful to root against another player, but sadly at the end of the day there are a***holes out there who think it's fine to say or do as they please outside the ropes. These guys out here are playing for millions of dollars every week, and any distraction - no matter how small or petty - can affect or alter the result of a tournament. Sometimes you just need to keep irrational thoughts to yourself, no matter how much money you've got riding on the other fella to pay for your upcoming holiday with the Mrs. If you really need to shout out "get in the bunker" to an opposing player, then you probably should just watch the event in your living room. I'm just glad JT got the job done at the end of the day, and likely cost that guy his trip to Barbados! I'm all for creating atmosphere, but there are ways of doing that without launching abuse. 

Charlie Lemay (Assistant Editor): No! The atmosphere at golf events needs to change, but allowing fans to abuse players does not have to be collateral damage from that. I think fans should be allowed to talk, cheer, chant at all times during a day's play - the trouble is keeping the noise constant, so the yells aren't so jarring as they would be coming from silence. But as soon as a fan abuses a player, they should be thrown out - well done JT, until he bottled it with the apology. You don't support a golfer like you would support a football club, because there isn't the tribal element that comes with team sports, so it begs the question why fans feel the need to hurl abuse at players? If the answer is "it's fun", it's a whole new box of issued. If fans don't like a player, just shout louder for the other guy/girl. We don't see players getting abused in other individual sports like tennis, or even laddy darts - so why in golf?

Max Harvey (Commercial Manager): Of course they should. Fans will always have their favourites, whether it is a hero from childhood or a fellow countryman, you should be able to cheer for whoever you want. As long as it is not during the swing or putt - I've no time for that.