Q Golf - Official online magazine for Golf Queensland Spring / Summer 2011 | Page 16

g lo Matt Cooper’s B Follow Matt on Twitter: [email protected] What did we learn? Another season of major championship golf is over and four new champions (Charl Schwartzel, Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke and Keegan Bradley) have added their names to the record books. But what else did we learn in this year’s elite events? “That major championship experience is over-rated.” - Those four winners (and 10 of the last 11) were first-time major winners. We are in an era of nondominance by any male golfer. “That Charl Schwartzel is the real deal.” Not only did he win the Masters, he also rubber-stamped his world class status by becoming the Major Aggregate Champion too. Only 11 players made the cut in all four majors and no-one could get within 10 shots of Schwartzel’s total of 1118. “That Tiger Woods is lost.” - Remember this? During the final round at Augusta he made the turn in just 31 shots (fiveunder-par), tied the lead and looked, briefly, like the legend of old. Injury and swing problems then intervened. When he played the PGA Championship four months later he ranked outside the top 130 for Driving Accuracy, Greens in Regulation and Scrambling. Missing the cut was inevitable. “That a 16th Australian major champion is on the cards.” - Geoff Ogilvy was the last Australian winner of a big one (in the 2006 US Open) but two members of a talented generation have taken a big step towards adding to that tally. Jason Day was the star, finishing second at both the Masters and US Open, but Adam Scott was also runner-up at Augusta and seventh in the PGA Championship; both looked comfortable on the highest stage. Win number 16 might come in 2012. “That Poms are consistent but can’t win the big ones.” - Lee Westwood and Luke Donald are good golfers. In fact they’re very, very good golfers who fully deserve to have been ranked world number one this year. But they’re also English. And since the Second World War only four Englishmen have won a major. “That Americans can play links golf in the wind.” - The 2011 Open Championship was one of the windiest in recent years and the local press couldn’t suppress giggles at the prospect of the Yanks struggling with it. And yet, contrary to popular belief, local favourites Westwood and Donald missed the cut whilst five of the top seven finishers were American. “That Ireland is a golfing hotbed.” - Who can argue? Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Darren Clarke … five majors in just five years. It’s the power of inspiration. And Guinness. “And finally, that the ladies game has what the men’s hasn’t.” - And that is 16 Q Golf Online Spring / Summer 2011 www.golfqueensland.org.au a world number one who has the lot: consistency, the ability to win and, most importantly of all, the ability to win majors. Her name is Yani Tseng and she does what a world number one should do: she dominates. She won two majors in 2011, has four in the last two years and five in all. The Major Championship Player of the Year.