Exclusive: English golf will suffer without more leading events – Westwood

The country that houses the headquarters of the ever-expanding continental tour and is home to the world’s top two golfers and four of the top 20 has only one sanctioned event on the 2011 calendar.

That was the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in May, which saw Luke Donald defeat Westwood in a play-off to replace the 38-year-old from Worksop as world No 1.

Next week’s Open Championship is held in Kent but is sanctioned by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club.

By contrast, Spain’s highest ranked player is Alvaro Quiros at No 26 in the world – but they have six tournaments throughout the year.

For Chubby Chandler, the man behind the powerful ISM group that manages Westwood and new US Open champion Rory McIlroy, the problem is a lack of Government support.

Yet for Westwood, no matter what the reason, it is an ongoing concern which he feels could have a detrimental effect on the opportunities for English players trying to continue the country’s recent dominance of the sport.

“It seems so long since there’s been a tournament in northern England which, from a British professional’s point of view, is very disappointing,” said Westwood, who finalises his preparation for next week’s Open at the Barclays Scottish Open today at Castle Stuart.

“When you consider the strength of English and British golf right now, we should be using that to our advantage and really pushing the game in England.

“The lack of tournaments could very well be detrimental in the long run.

“There are six tournaments in Spain. They’ve (Spain) had their financial troubles as well and I’m not sure of the reason why there’s only one in England.

“But with so few opportunities some players are going to miss out.

“When I came on tour, we were playing four or five tournaments in England and there were regional qualifiers to get into those events and players from that came through and became world-class players.

“As a young player, you need lots of opportunities.

“We’re not short of facilities and people to emulate, so I really think we need to be using that.”

Sunshine is a factor behind the increase in Spanish tournaments and the decrease in English events, and one that can never be dealt with. But it is money that is the bottom line.

The fact that sponsorship is drying up due to the economic downturn has played a significant role.

For nearly two decades Fulford in York staged one of the most prestigious tournaments on the tour but in recent years has struggled to attract sponsorship to bring a Seniors Tour event back to the course.

The money on offer in the oil-rich Middle East is now the big draw, and Chandler believes it is time the UK Government caught up.

Chandler said: “A lot of the money is government money, Spanish government money, the Welsh tournament is government funded, as is the Scottish.

“We don’t get any in England.

“England isn’t very good at putting England on the map, whereas Scotland obviously wants to promote themselves as a golfing destination, Spain, Ireland as well, they all want to do that.

“England doesn’t recognise itself as a golfing destination, which is wrong.

“There needs to be an English Open and an English Masters. We’d like to do something with Lee that is branded around him.”

Malton’s Simon Dyson, meanwhile, has moved up two places to first reserve for next week’s Open. He can still remove any uncertainty by finishing in the top five at the Scottish Open.

South African Tim Clark became the latest player to withdraw from the Open yesterday.

Like Tiger Woods, who pulled out on Tuesday, Clark has not played since the Players Championship in mid-May – in his case because of tendinitis in an elbow.

Also missing from Royal St George’s will be France’s Thomas Levet, who fractured his shin jumping in a lake to celebrate his French Open victory on Sunday. He undergoes surgery today and is out for six weeks.

Former Ryder Cup player Anthony Kim, unable to play last year’s Open at St Andrews following thumb surgery, was being offered Clark’s place after fellow Americans Jason Dufner and Robert Garrigus came in for Woods and Levet, respectively.

It means that Dyson is now first in line to capitalise on any further withdrawals – based on this week’s world rankings – and if there are two more withdrawals then Dane Thomas Bjorn will be able to return to the course on which he led by three with four to play in 2003.

Bjorn then bogeyed the 15th, double-bogeyed the short 16th and bogeyed the 17th to lose by one to shock winner Ben Curtis of the USA.

With his children away looking for the Loch Ness monster yesterday, American star Phil Mickelson turned his thoughts to something that has proved just as elusive – a victory in Britain.

The 41-year-old, who has managed only one top-10 finish in 17 appearances at the Open, believes his chances have been hugely boosted this year.

Not by Woods pulling out through injury, but by the switch of the Scottish Open from Loch Lomond to the new links at Castle Stuart near Inverness.

“I think the move is going to be a huge plus,” said Mickelson, who, forgetting that new US Open champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland is not involved, added: “I expect the winner of next week’s Open will be in the field this week.”

The three-time Masters champion Mickelson was also asked if he was frustrated or embarrassed by his Open record.

“I wouldn’t say either. I look at it more as a challenge. I enjoy the challenge of links golf,” he added.

“I’ve not performed to the level I have week-in and week-out in the States and I want to change that. I’m planning on doing that.

“I always play high through the air and to be able to play along the ground, keep the ball under control, drive it well through cross-winds, I’ve kind of embraced those challenges these last couple of years. I feel if I can overcome this obstacle and compete and win in this style of golf I’ll become a complete player.

“There’s only five players that have won the career grand slam. I look at those players in a different light. I think that would be a great goal for me.

“I’ve not won either the US Open or the Open.

“I’ve had many opportunities in the US Open and I believe that I’ll ultimately win there, but the biggest challenge has been in the Open.”