Swipe the MasterCard Masters?
IN: News | Australasian PGA | MasterCard Masters (2006) | General | by Anthony Powter | 25 Nov 2006
If you take a step back and view the Australian golf schedule you'll see this summer there's only three main tour events with any merit. In the scheme of things it's not much, especially given the success our players in the US and Europe and the fact we have three players in the world's top ten with Webb, Ogilvy and Scott.
Corporate sponsorship for Australian Golf appears to be looking the other way, and we will continue to struggle to put together a decent schedule with sizable prize money unless the situation improves.
The Masters promoters have claimed the tournament lacks a bit of punch to what it use to be. Walking around the Hungtingdale layout you feel that comment is a tad harsh. There are a number of factors working both in favour and against this week's tournament.
Should the MasterCard Masters be then swiped from the Tour or even worse is there a chance that it will fade away?
The timing could have been better for the Masters. Clashing with the Ashes Test Match has taken to sparkle away from the tournament; even in the media tent one television is on the golf, the other on the Ashes. The normal silence broken periodically with roars each time an Australian batsman makes a four or a six.
This year the Masters is a co-sanctioned event with the European Tour whereby the field is split between the Europeans and the Australian's. There are a number of young Aussie players like Andrew Tampion, amateur Aaron Pike, Kurt Barnes and James Nitties, that have the opportunity to regroup their game and would not have it otherwise without the tournament.
Nitties and Barnes are classic illustrations of players with talent to burn, yet trying to find a main tour. There are plenty of others in the same boat who are hanging on the MasterCard to give them some platform to work on, particularly regarding status on the European Tour.
Tampion making the cut in his first venture as a professional, having obtained his European Tour Card in Spain last month, is keen to play well at the Masters before the re-ranking in a few weeks. A solid result could see the Victorian's schedule expand throughout Europe, gaining starts that otherwise would not have fallen his way in your rookie year.
Aaron Pike is another that has elevated himself to the sports pages following his first round 64 that equaled the course record. The amateur exhibited a degree of quite confidence at last night's press conference, having followed up with a 69 to have a two shot cushion moving into the weekend. Pike will play with Justin Rose in the final pairing this afternoon.
The cricket mad Pike entered the tournament primarily to obtain experience and to get the feel of professional golf. He's open that he wants to make a living from the game and it will be interesting to see if he has the resolve to win the event wire to wire in an arena where he has no experience.
There's plenty of experience breathing down Pike's neck with amateur in their sites. Defending champion Robert Allenby, the inform John Senden and Peter Lonard are precariously close.
Pike's comments at yesterday's media conference, claiming another good round would see the rest of the field finding it hard to jump over him, received raised eyebrows from the media. Many feel he's already played beyond his capacity this week. Pike is keen to prove them wrong.
The MasterCard Masters suddenly has a different perspective and whilst some may be claiming this week's tournament lacks the elan of yesteryear, you only have to look under the surface to see other interesting factors are at stake. Careers will be defined and there's that ever present issue of competitions within competitions with players positioning themselves on the rankings for next year.
On this basis alone you feel the MasterCard should not be swiped or even worst lost as there are too many players out there this weekend looking for a "priceless moment".
Photo - Anthony Powter
