I didn’t get it. The job that is. My rival for the post was apparently super efficient at ISMAS, which is the quite complicated management system that the school is using now. Strangely they didn’t even mention it to me. I would’ve lied like mad and told them I’d been doing nothing else but studying it for the last six months! They obviously just thought she was a better bet. I can’t say I’m too disappointed. Still, the search is on for something a little more lucrative and my cup of tea.
It’s been fascinating watching the insular world of professional golf being splattered across the front pages and tv headlines as Greg Norman and the Saudis throw billions of dollars at the new LIV Tour. Norman tried hard to start a World Tour back in the early ’90s and was thwarted by the professional tours all coming together and creating the World Golf Championships, which have become a second tier below the Majors. Greg is an astute and successful businessman, but perhaps more importantly he hates losing, whether it’s golf, big business or tiddly winks. I suspect he’s been nursing a grudge for a long time and just biding his time till the right opportunity came along. I gather that quite a lot of players are unhappy with the PGA Tour (the fact that a number of leading lights have already resigned their membership tells its own story) and despite LIV’s desire to negotiate with them, they’ve been blocked at every turn. It’s not hard to see the early trickle of defectors becoming a flood, especially if one or two more younger big names take the plunge. It could then become the World Tour that Norman has always argued for. It looks as though the European Tour (sponsored by DP World in Dubai which erroneously makes it sound like a world tour) might be the biggest losers and its rumoured that the HQ’s at Wentworth is a twitchy place. The Asian Tour could be the biggest winners as LIV are pouring lots of money into that. It always amuses me that the better players have always said “it’s not about the money, I play to win tournaments and titles and stamp my name in the history books”. Somehow though they aren’t shy about going to play in remote parts of the world when they garnish big fat appearance fees. Anyway, every man has his price and I guess if you can play just a few tournaments a year and earn $100m or more without much effort, why wouldn’t you? The whole issue of world ranking points is going to be critical though, as those will become crucial for still getting entry into the four Majors, which are totally separate to the professional tours, being run by Augusta National (The Masters) the PGA of America (US PGA), the USGA (US Open), and the R&A (The Open).
When it comes to the question of “sportswashing”, the Tours are being pretty hypocritical themselves. Both the European Tour and the PGA Tour have been happy to hold tournaments in Saudi Arabia, with their players earning fat cheques from the Arabian coffers. You didn’t hear much mention of the “despicable” regime then. One thing is for certain. The tremors all round the world of golf are likely to hit 9 on the Richter scale and it will probably be some time before we know how it will all end up. To me it is already hugely surprising how many players have made the leap, so it perhaps won’t be that surprising if a whole lot more follow. In many ways I’m just glad I am no longer involved.
OK, back to the Situations Vacant column……train driver? (highly skilled job apparently according to the lot that are about to cause mayhem across our land by striking), hospital porter? mmmm, van driver for early morning paper deliveries? not great at rising before 9, baggage handler at Gatwick Airport, heavy on fuel costs as it’s an hour each way…..As the nice man that does The Apprentice voiceover says “the search continues”……
ADayInTheStrifeOf 