Where do you start with this Muirfield vote?
It’s a sad day for golf.
It’s a sad day for women’s sport.
And it’s a sad day for Scottish sport.
Credit to the R&A for coming out so swiftly with their statement that The Open won’t be going to Muirfield as long as they aren’t admitting women members.
It was the right thing to do and sends the right message.
But it’s not enough to salvage a terrible news story.
I love golf but, let’s face it, it still has a bit of an image problem, even with guys like Rickie Fowler wearing fluorescent golf shoes.
It’s seen by many as a game for old men.
A lot of good work has been done to try and change that image but the Muirfield story will perpetuate the old one.
As far as women’s sport is concerned, it can never be justified that there is any form of discrimination.
There should never be a barrier in sport these days.
I didn’t know whether to laugh or scream when I heard the “no” campaign’s justification for not wanting women members at Muirfield. Apparently they would slow the pace of play!
That’s certainly not my experience on a golf course.
I’ve been held up by more slow men than women.
For Scottish sport, and Scotland as a whole actually, this sends out an awful message.
It’s not the sort of image you would choose for our country.
We’re rightly proud of being known as the Home of Golf, but we don’t want to be known as this type of Home of Golf.
Muirfield had to drop off the rota.
In pure sporting terms, that’s a real shame.
I was at the last Open there for The Courier and I was blown away by how good the course was. The players loved it and it’s got a history of great Open Championships.
This vote really puts pressure on Royal Troon.
Can you imagine if they vote ‘no’ as well!
That would be two Scottish venues off the rota, three if you count Turnberry which has its own issues with Donald Trump.
All of a sudden you’d be talking about St Andrews and Carnoustie.
I do feel sorry for the R&A and the game of golf.
They have to go to private clubs to host their biggest tournament but if those private club members don’t really care about losing The Open, there’s nothing they can do about it.
I know there are big logistical issues that have to be overcome to get a course onto the Open rota.
But it would be a great story if we could get a couple of new ones in Scotland (or old ones that have dropped off).
If one of them could be in East Lothian, all the better.
It would show Muirfield that golf can survive quite happily without them and show them what they are missing.
French Open a real favourite of mine
The French Open tennis starts next week and I’ll be wishing I was back at Roland Garros.
Watching the men’s final was a real bucket-list day.
I watched bits of Andy Murray against Novak Djokovic in the Rome final last weekend and you couldn’t fail to be impressed with Andy.
It was like a role reversal of the usual routine. Andy was the calm and controlled one while Novak was losing his rag and losing the game.
I still reckon Djokovic will win though.
The very best players learn from what’s gone wrong incredibly quickly and he is brilliant at peaking for the grand slams.
But, a fully confident and in-form Andy Murray would certainly be in with a shout.
