European Tour Strength?

[Imurg]

Now I know several of the European Tour stars are in USA for the Fed-Ex play-offs but the quality of players on show at Gleneagles is pitiful.
Padraig and Poults are the only fullish European Tour players at the Barclays - Garcia, Rose and Donald can't really be called Euro players and Casey's still injured.

There are 4 players in the world top 100 on show in Scotland this week. And one of them missd the cut. Only 30 of the top 200 even entered.
Where are the big boys? Is 270k Euros not enough to get them up the Gleneagles?
If our Tour is going to rival the Yanks then this has got to change. Ok there are bigger events but I think its a pretty poor show.

 

[Herbie]

I agree with that Imurg, good point.

 

[vig]

Now I know several of the European Tour stars are in USA for the Fed-Ex play-offs but the quality of players on show at Gleneagles is pitiful.
Padraig and Poults are the only fullish European Tour players at the Barclays - Garcia, Rose and Donald can't really be called Euro players and Casey's still injured.

There are 4 players in the world top 100 on show in Scotland this week. And one of them missd the cut. Only 30 of the top 200 even entered.
Where are the big boys? Is 270k Euros not enough to get them up the Gleneagles?
If our Tour is going to rival the Yanks then this has got to change. Ok there are bigger events but I think its a pretty poor show.

Totally agree with this,

I thought that the spectator numbers on Thurs & Fri were woeful.
Then again I'm not sure i'd pay to watch some of the lower ranks of the european tour.
Sad really!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think you have to look at it in a wider context. A lot of the top names have had a pretty hard few months (Open, US PGA and the bigger European events - French, German Opens etc) and so are probably taking a few weeks out before the final push and the big money closing events.

I don't think the Scottish Open has really fared that well over the years in terms of major names since it moved further back in the season. Years ago I'm sure it was just before the Open before being usurped by Loch Lomond and so a lot of top players would use it for practice or a final route into the Open.

 

[clubchamp07]

I watched a bit of it today and thought some of the golf played was good, ok the big names arent there but what the hell. Some of the lesser guys are getting a chance and making a few quid!

 

[Dodger]

The scottish open aint this week Homer...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I realise that (now) but my point remains the same. It has fallen in a bad spot in most top players schedules. Most have had 6-8 weeks of competitions including two majors and so need to take time out to recharge and get ready for the season finale. It happens every year around this time but is a great opportunity for those sweating about making the top 125 to maybe sneak a few £'s and relieve the pressure

 

[freddielong]

I no you guys will slag me for my it ain't like the good old days attitude, but the problem is the pros have it to easy, the top 250 players now make to much money, they can pick and choose where they play. In the 80's if you were not one of the top 3 you had to play every week just to earn enough money to continue, I am not suggesting we go back to this (they would just go to the US in bigger numbers) but it is so apparent that some competions are not worth stageing as a result perhaps they could up the numbers they have to play or they loose entry to the big tournaments and majors.

 

[JustOne]

Sorry but I think it's a waste of time holding any golf tournaments in Scotland at all. Why not have them where more than 500 people live. If I was Scottish I'd get BORED of going to watch tournaments, it seems there's one there every 5 minutes, and I'm certainly not going to be travelling all the way up the entire country every other week. Why not put more where the masses live? Have more top tournaments next to Birmingham/Manchester/London and save Scotland for a few of the best ones. Even Devon/Cornwall would be better.

 

[drawboy]

Hedblom shoots 72,68,68,67=275 to win at Glenneagles. Slocum shoots the same score to win the Balclays, both scores were very good winning scores,Regardless of who was in the line-up. At the Johnnie Walker the standard of golf was just as good as the "stars" in New York. Congrats to Hedblom, and well played a pro tour win is a pro tour win regardless of the field.Had he shot the same score in the Barclays he would have been hailed a fitting champion as indeed Heath Slocum is.

 

[viscount17]

what a shock! I actually agree with freddie. there still is a lot of money available and a lot of tournaments to get it in. Has it become less about winning and more about staying in that magic top 125?

now, I just need to get freddie out in some shorts . . . .

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think for a lot of tour pros, the 125 is the focus for the year and has to be simply to guarantee ongoing playing rights without going to Q school. Look at it in the same way as the three sides coming up from the Championship each season. First priority is always survival at any cost. A cup run (equivalent to a top ten finish) or a cup win (pro win) is a bonus as long as the main goal is secured.

I think for a lot of guys the top 125 is pretty much a given and so then the focus changes. It may be to get a few top tens or maybe even break into the worlds top 100 which has exteneded playing rights in some events. For the top 30% though I guess its all about winning or at least performing regularly and so its no surprise to see the same old names in the Race to Dubai listings (compared to the old OOM)

 

[stevek1969]

Agree with what you say but Hedblom picked up £275,000 ,Slocum picked up $1.3 million not much of a difference.
Give the European Tour any day different types of course every week not the PGA Tour with its target courses, this weeks is a belter from Cran Sur Sierre.