Talking at St. Andrews, Scotland in July 2022 as The Open Championship was celebrating its a hundred and fiftieth anniversary, Tiger Woods epitomized this dedication when discussing LIV and the gamers who’ve joined its tour. “They’ve turned their again on what has allowed them to get to this place,” he mentioned. “It could be unhappy to see a few of these younger children by no means get an opportunity to expertise and stroll these hallowed grounds and play in these championships.” Woods was speaking about respect, and the sense of obligation to the sport’s founding architects, its historic innovators, its earliest superstars, and others at present taking part in.
The way forward for golf is at a crossroads, and there are a few paths skilled golf might take from right here. One actual risk within the short-term is that folks related to LIV like Rahm, given their monitor document, might merely flip their backs on LIV and try and realign with the traditions of the sport.
One other is for all gamers to come back collectively, act collectively and negotiate as one with LIV, the PGA and different excursions as required. The Framework Settlement could possibly be step one. By doing so, they’d be higher in a position to defend their pursuits, but additionally in the end function true custodians of the sport.
From this level ahead, schooling about golf’s traditions and all they embody must be a precedence focus for everybody who participates within the recreation. These traditions are a shared duty, and what made this whole scenario doable within the first place is that folks throughout either side might have did not show the significance of this deep appreciation over time.
In his baseball Corridor of Fame speech, Sandberg mentioned he was taught to by no means disrespect his opponent, his teammates, his group, his supervisor, his uniform.
“Enjoying day-after-day? That was my job,” he mentioned. “I didn’t play the sport proper as a result of I noticed a reward on the finish of the tunnel. I performed it proper as a result of that’s what you’re presupposed to do — play it proper and with respect.
Heeding the phrases of one in all baseball’s greats might assist this era of golf greats keep away from cleaving their sport from its traditions, and precipitating the decline of the sport on their watch
David Lavallee is a Professor of Responsibility of Care in Sport at Abertay College in Scotland, and an Adjunct Professor on the College of Limerick.
