Since the Masters there have been six European Tour golf tournaments but you wouldn’t really say that any of them have caught the imagination of the general sporting public.
Maybe GolfSixes was the exception because it was a new format.
But there definitely seems to have been a spring lull.
The BMW PGA really needs to come back with a bang.
They’ve spent a lot of money on a rebuild of the rebuild at Wentworth’s West Course and hopefully the positive pre-tournament opinions of the pros continue through the weekend.
With this being the start of the new Rolex Series, European golf needs its top players to buy into the big events and to play well when they get there.
That’s because the gap between the money available in America and over here seems to be showing no signs of slowing. And, even though we’ve got a good few players near the top of the world rankings, they all seem to play more in the States than Europe.
Of course it’s on a different scale, but curling has the same issues.
There are more Grand Slam events in Canada than ever. All the top names are there, they boast the biggest prize pools and the best ice conditions.
Europe is struggling to compete.
We’ll always continue to support as many events as we can – particularly the two big ones in Scotland – but it’s a tough balancing act.
It’s a short career and you have to play where the top teams are, otherwise you would drop off the pace when it came to the Worlds and Olympics.
In golf, the European Tour can come up with good ideas and try to compete with the PGA Tour but they’re not in control.
They are only as strong as the players who compete in their tournaments.
* My own golf season is starting to gather pace.
I had a great few days’ break in Arran last week and got in a round at Blackwaterfoot.
I’ve got a medal on Sunday, scratch league on Monday and I’m playing at Dundonald on Tuesday at a Women in Sport event.
Hopefully my game will be in decent shape because the Celebrity Cup at Celtic Manor is starting to loom large!
* The French Open tennis isn’t the easiest to predict this year.
Roger Federer isn’t playing, and I think he’s got the right strategy given Wimbledon is his most realistic shot at another grand slam this season.
Rafa Nadal is back but he’s not at the same level on clay as he was three or four years ago.
Novak Djokovic has teamed up with Andre Agassi but it would be a lot to expect an instant impact and we all know that Andy Murray is really struggling at the moment.
Stan Wawrinka never seems to have the big ups and downs. And he doesn’t get spoken about nearly as much as the ‘big four’ but he’s got as many grand slams as Murray.
I think it could either be another win for Wawrinka or we could see someone jumping out of the pack behind to get their first major.
