Oh, those heady days in January of 2021. When we all fervently believed we’d be over this.
Instead, we’re tip-toeing into 2022 still struggling to find a way to properly Cope with Covid.
Fortunately golf is a summer game and it seems the worst of this is going to recur mostly in winter. So by high season in July, the world will gather for the historic 150th Open Championship at St Andrews, quite clearly the highlight of the entire year. There might be some restrictions, but it’ll surely be manageable.
Here’s a few of the usual stabs-in-the-dark for what might happen in 2022…
A record aggregate for an Open at St Andrews
I don’t think the feared 60 will be breached on the Old Course – they’ll stick the pins in suitably satanic spots – but if the weather is fair Tiger Woods’ best at St Andrews of -19 from 2000 is well within range for the modern crew.
15-under won at Sandwich last year (a par 70) in perfect conditions, again at Portrush (par 71) in fairly rotten weather. Henrik Stenson won with 20-under at Troon (par 71) in 2016, although he and Phil Mickelson were out and away that year – third placed JB Holmes was six-under.
In 2015 the weather was so poor they needed an extra day, and still Zach Johnson won at -15. The distance game has moved on considerably even since then.
…and a home winner?
The first British or Irish (or both) player to win at St Andrews since Faldo? Surely at last. The top names play the OC so often these days that there are few mysteries left, but in almost winning in 2015 Jordan Spieth proved you don’t have to have detailed prior knowledge.
However there is such a number of quality contenders from these isles that you just have to believe one will come through. Shane Lowry, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Lee Westwood, Danny Willett, yes even Robert MacIntyre have the calibre and knowledge to contend.
And of course, someone hasn’t played an Open on the Old Course since 2010, when he shot an 80 on the second day yet still finished third. One suspects five-a-sides are not on the pre-Open schedule for Rory this time.
Distance insights crawls to a conclusion
The R&A might surprise us – they’ve been good at that recently, to be fair – and finally announce concrete measures this spring resulting from the exhaustive (and exhausting) review of distance hitting.
I suspect it will be drip-fed, the way they’ve been doing recently; a local rule here, a slight adjustment restricting equipment there.
I have little confidence that they will get to the crux of the matter and actually rein the ball in. We’ve probably gone way over the threshold there already.
The DP World Tour grows, but the talent drain continues
The DP World Tour today announced a change to its early 2022 schedule, with the Hero Indian Open moving forward a week in the calendar to now take place from February 17-20.
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 17, 2021
Under the new name, and with the new money, the erstwhile European Tour can breathe a sigh of relief and consolidate after two Covid-ravaged seasons. Doubling prizefunds at many events doesn’t quite return them to pre-pandemic levels, but it’s far better than 2020 or 2021.
But the PGA Tour is the place now, and it’s where all ambitions are. There is great loyalty to Europe as a tour, but the rewards are so great that the moment a player has a chance, they’re gone.
No Masters return from Tiger
I get the overwhelming optimism after the hit and giggle with the bairns the week before Christmas. But be serious, folks, the man’s right leg is still in a state, and even with carts he was obviously toiling at the end of two rounds.
As the standard cliché goes, Augusta is much hillier than it looks on TV. Tiger to his credit won’t entertain having a cart at a proper competitive event. Southern Hills (for the PGA) and the Country Club (US Open) are not easy walks.
There’s an outside chance of the Old Course, relatively the easiest to traverse of the four in play at the majors this year. And there will be a definite desire to play there. Hope he can manage the champions’ dinner at the very least.
Rising stars…
Even this arch-pessimist has been encouraged by the number of young native talents coming out of Scotland of late. The 12 Scots on the DP World Tour this season should surely rope in a couple more wins. Bob and maybe Calum Hill should be thinking seriously about the PGA Tour.
In the amateurs, Louise Duncan will probably turn pro sometime this year, giving us an immediate contender at the top level. Equally talented – maybe not too long away either, I heard – is Hannah Darling, who may be the best all-round golfing talent we’ve produced in three decades.
After a couple of quite years on the men’s amateur side, we have some real excitement coming. I don’t know how good 15-year-old Connor Graham from Blairgowrie can be, and it’s much too early to tell.
But I can’t remember a player of his age having such a year at junior and senior level as 2021 at any time in my 30 years covering golf. Hopefully in 2022 he continues to make waves.
And, finally but inevitably…
Golf’s ‘civil war’ will turn out to be a damp squib. There seems no clamour to join the Saudi-funded revolution – just a handful of players seeking, and winning, a compromise to pick up appearance money in February.
The PGA Tour will juggle their schedule for a few limited-field elite events to placate their members who don’t like the risk of getting occasionally beaten by a Journeyman Joe.
It seems the best Greg Norman can hope for is a sort of Desert Champions’ Tour. Or maybe a slightly augmented Asian Tour the Saudis will soon tire of. I suspect there will be very little to see here.