John Huggan: 10 underrated and overrated entities of world golf

by John Huggan

A proper, full-on golf debate is always enjoyable, nearly always stimulating, often thought-provoking. You know, the sorts of things you go back and forth with at the bar with your mates. X is a superior player than Y. A is a better course than B. C’s clubs are way more forgiving than D’s. Arguing the toss, when you come to think about it, is just good fun and, to a large extent, the point of this column.

Here they are – in no particular order – my two lists of the top-ten most overrated and underrated people, players and courses in the game.

Agree or disagree, the choice is yours.

OVERRATED

1. Greg Norman… At the end of many rounds, the Great White Shark’s teeth weren’t nearly as sharp as we thought they were. Two Major victories with all that supposed talent? Really? That’s the same as Andy North and one less than Larry Nelson.
2. Pebble Beach…. Situated in one of the closest parts of this big world, this course definitely boasts some wonderful views out to the Pacific Ocean. And yes, there are some wonderful holes along the clifftops. But there are so many bad holes elsewhere. Way too many for it to ever be considered truly ‘great’.
3. Colin Montgomerie… The record books say he won eight Order of Merit titles. But make Tiger Woods eligible and that figure drops to four. Then there’s that ‘no Majors’ thing. It is a sad fact that history will likely not be kind to the temperamental Caledonian. Which is fitting, given the way he routinely treats people when the cameras are pointed the other way.
4. The Ryder Cup… Admittedly, the invariably thrilling golf played by the two teams routinely comes along to save the day, but one of these years the perennially awful venues are surely going to make us all wonder what the fuss is about.
5. The Masters… Five-time Open champion Peter Thomson calls the year’s first Major “the biggest con-job in sports”. And it is hard to disagree. As an exercise in marketing it is the work of geniuses. As a window into what golf clubs can be at their worst, it is invaluable. And as evidence of the damage the modern ball has done to magnificent old courses, it is merely depressing.
6. The PGA Tour… If you like the same things (height of rough, speed of greens, depth of bunkers, width of fairways) every week then you no doubt imagine that the world’s biggest and richest circuit is great. I don’t and don’t.
7. Non-playing captaincy… Come on now. Anyone could do this job. Throw all the names up in the air every morning and pair those that land closest together. That method of selection has every chance to be successful – if your guys happen to putt better than the opposition, that is.
8. Wentworth… Oh my goodness. The original course designer, Harry Colt, won’t just be spinning in his grave, the poor man must by now be fibrillating wildly. What a shame that such a wonderful course is about to be disfigured for a second time. I can’t look at the 18th hole any more. I just can’t.
9. Turnberry… Other than the stunning vistas across the Firth of Clyde, I never could understand why so many rated this course so highly. But understand perfectly why it is being redone.
10. Luke Donald’s long game… Contrary to popular myth, Luke is neither long nor particularly straight off the tee. And he has a nagging tendency to pull his irons when under pressure. But boy, can he chip and putt.

UNDERRATED

1. Colin Montgomerie… Back in the mid-1990s, just before Tiger Woods emerged to conquer everything and everyone, Monty reached number two in the world playing almost exclusively in Europe. If he had gone to the US back then, he not only would have won tournaments, it says here he would have topped the money list.
2. Gary Player… By everyone other than himself, of course. Golf’s biggest blowhard.
3. Catriona Matthew… A quiet, unassuming soul, the former British Women’s Open champion is not one to toot her own horn. So I’ll do it for her. “Beany” is a brilliant player who, were she male – and, dare I say it, English – would be a huge star.
4. East Lothian… As a native son, I’m biased. But is there another county in the British Isles boasting more good golf? I think not.
5. Seve Ballesteros… But only by the young lads on tour who saw only the wayward shell of a man towards the end of his career and so missed his genius at its best. RIP.
6. The Presidents Cup… As this year’s matches showed only too clearly, this biennial contest between the United States and the International squad is getting to be just as good as the Ryder Cup. Give golf in Asia another decade and it might even be better.
7. The Australian Open… A great tournament, played on (mostly) great courses, this is one national Open that deserves a better field than it routinely gets in years when the Presidents Cup is not played Down Under. Look at the list of past winners if you’re not sure this historic event merits such enthusiasm.
8. (The despicable) Steve Williams… The world’s greatest luggage handler. Underrated only by himself, of course. What a plonker.
9. Luke Donald’s short game… Everyone seems to think the former world number one is a metronomic hitter of fairways and greens. He isn’t. His work on and around the greens (especially his bunker play) is the biggest reason he has achieved as much as he has.
10. Jack Nicklaus… Time was that some thought the greatest player of all-time’s record of 18 Major wins would be broken by Woods. But even if it had, the Golden Bear would still be number one. As well as those 18 victories, he was second 19 times in golf’s four most important events. Ridiculous.

*This article was originally published in The Golf Paper on 25 November 2015.

Tagged Catriona Matthew, Colin Montgomerie, Gary Player, Greg Norman, Luke Donald, The Masters, The Ryder Cup