Where have those tournaments gone and why? Firstly, the name 'European Tour' holds little geographical significance as this year 20 out of 43 tournaments (including WGC events, excluding majors) are held outside of Europe. Golf really is a global game now and it's brilliant to see the big names playing in Australia one week and Spain the next. But Britain is the ancient heartland of the game and it seems the only time this is celebrated is at the Open. In the wind and rain of a British course are characters revealed and it's a shame this test is only seen at the Open and at the BMW Championship. Thank god there are still competitions in Scotland, Ireland and Wales because the game looks to be increasingly moving away from our shores to more lucrative areas.
As always it's all about the money. Sponsorship is the key to making a golf tournament the European Tour want to endorse and it's the reason why competitions haven't materialized in England for so many years. The English Open was first cancelled in 2003, rescheduled for 2009 but has been cancelled every year until sponsorship is agreed. It is a sad state of affairs when England can't agree big enough sponsorship deals. It's an Olympic year and golf is set to be included in the Olympics in 2016, surely it's a no brainer for Of all the tournaments in the European Tour the ones that can pose the most unique conditions are the ones scrapped. Moreover the tournaments that have replaced them are non-events to many pros schedules.
This will seem like a digression but I go with it for good reason. The Masters is a brilliant competition, one of the best majors, if not the best. However I would argue the Masters has done an unbelievable marketing job on the world of golf. It only started in 1934 and is now regarded as the most historic and sentimental golf tournaments in the world. The home of golf is St Andrews and the Open is its traditional prize yet in many players' eyes the Masters jacket is the most sought-after possession in golf. This is what money and a brilliant marketing team will bring you in the long term. These are the kind of methods British and English golf should use more of and if they did we would have more pro tournaments and sponsorship to show off.
The top 3 players in the world are from Great Britain, two of them from England, from that we are more than deserving of professional golf events and the European Tour should open their eyes to this.
