www.globalgolfpost.com
JUNE 18, 2012
The Wisdom Of Celebration In Moderation
JOHN HOPKINS
E-MAIL JOHN
SAN FRANCISCO | There are times when
one wonders what has happened to the
pound and to the euro, to three-hour
rounds of golf and to replacing your divots? What has happened to broadsheet
newspapers, hardback books, half-pen-nies, ties, suede shoes?
Then there are times when one wonders what happened to good old-fashioned
British decorum? Anybody seen good
manners lately? What about sportsmanship? What happened to what we were
taught at school? In victory, conduct
yourself with modesty and magnanimity.
Don’t gloat. In defeat, smile, shake your
opponent’s hand and keep your chin up.
Play up, and play the game.
The Duke of Wellington’s famous saying that the Battle of Waterloo was won on
the playing fields of Eton was not a reference to posh boys playing sport and going
on to shape the country (Eton College,
founded in 1440, has educated 19 Prime
Ministers, including the present one) but,
rather a reference to “the manly character
induced by games and sport,” whether at
Eton or anywhere else.
In polite circles, it was always said, you
don’t talk about sex, religion and politics.
One more thing one wishes we would not
talk about, at least at the moment: exult-
ing about the success of our golfers. To
stop talking is asking a bit much. Perhaps
it would be better to say tone it down.
It is not only tempting providence. It is
rude. There’s celebration and then there’s
that way danger lies.
best player currently and the Ryder Cup is
being played in the US this year, a distinct
advantage.
At a hotel at Heathrow airport last
month, it all got out of hand. The occasion
was the annual Players Awards dinner
of the European Tour. It was the Tuesday
evening of the BMW PGA Championship at
Wentworth and the European Tour was en
fete. Just about everyone who was anyone
in golf was there.
Exulting about the success of our golfers
... is not only tempting providence. It is
rude. There’s celebration and then there’s
hubris. Cross the line between the two and
that way danger lies.
Europe’s victory in the Solheim Cup came
only after a stirring late-in-the-day rally
in Ireland. And only a curmudgeon would
deny anyone the right to cheer the last
Ryder Cup and Europe’s victory. Take great
pride in the fact that two of the three leading players in the world ranking are English
and the third is Northern Irish and that golf
in Europe has never been so successful.
But remember that, just as one man’s
rainbow is another man’s poison, so, in
some eyes, Luke Donald’s inability to win
major championships mitigates against
universal agreement that he is the world’s
Awards were given, presentations made.
Pete Cowen, the respected coach, was
hauled to the stage to receive an award for
his outstanding services to the European
Tour and he said the words that seem to
have tipped this whole thing over the edge.
Cowen said he thought that Europe’s sec-
ond team could win the Ryder Cup and it
has to be said that this was a view that was
not met with wholehearted disapproval.
