Monty criticises Masters invite criteria

[Ruari]

Ask Lee Westwood ... I don't remember hearing his name too much here in the U.S.

Could that be because he hasn't really played on the PGA Tour outside of the Majors and WGC?

Just a thought. But, to sweeten it, I have to agree with your observation that Monty wouldn't be griping if he'd qualified for the Masters - that stands to reason. He does tend to 'shoot from the hip' when he's cheesed off, of course - that's what makes him good media fodder. As a matter of interest, the last time he failed to make it to The Masters was in 2005 and heralded something of a comeback - he won the European OOM for the eighth time and, if he'd kept half a golfing brain in his head, he'd have won the US Open in 2006, too. But he and Mickelson were heavily involved in a 'who can make the biggest dork of themselves' competition. It was a close run thing and I wouldn't like to call it... Not saying history will repeat itself but, while it's often his worst enemy, Monty's temper can also lead him to achieve remarkable stuff. He needs to look at a photo of Mark O'Meara at the age of 44 and compare. He looks like he's got a few more laps left on the track!

[Elsfan]

Cabrera, Romero, Westwood, Howell, Adam Scott, Els, Goosen...

Thats funny cause those guys are on my tv everytime I turn on a PGA event. In fact after Romero won last week he said he would be playing in the U.S. all the time now. If you took a guy even like Furyk he would be the Tiger of the European tour.

[BASHERBAKER69]

Anyway, ive said my piece on this thread about Monty- the Euros think that he should play on the whole and the Americans mainly think that he should not.

btw, Lee Westwood has done well in the States recently. His form dropped off a few years ago meaning that he did not compete well on the PGA or European tour. Im not keen on the perception that the PGA tour is so much better than the European tour- i would like to see that idea borne out by hard facts not conjecture.

[Ruari]

Thats funny cause those guys are on my tv everytime I turn on a PGA event.

Obviously, you don't watch the TOUR on TV as much as you think you do.

Romero was mistranslated, FYI. He said he would be playing 'more' not 'all'. (I dunno - us Europeans and our multilingual skills, eh?) You'd favour Furyk ahead of your hero, Els? Well, let him come and show us how it's done. We always give our colonial cousins a warm welcome. Rest of the comment is beyond satire, I fear.

[DiverDown]

Hmmm.... what should be change the name of this thread to?

My dad can beat up your dad!
Who has the better golfers, American or Europe, and who really cares?
I can p1ss farther than you can!
Why can't we all just get along!

Take your pick.

This is really quite silly.

[Elsfan]

Obviously, you don't watch the TOUR on TV as much as you think you do.

Europeans have to be multilingual so they can keep up with the big boys on the PGA tour. By the way how do you claim Ernie? Because he lives in England. He plays about 15 events in the U.S. every year and is from South Africa.

[Ruari]

Europeans have to be multilingual so they can keep up with the big boys on the PGA tour.

Actually, no. It's so we can talk amongst ourselves and be rude about English-only speakers without them realising. Spanish and French are pretty good but when we really want to go private, Welsh is the premier choice.

By the way how do you claim Ernie? Because he lives in England. He plays about 15 events in the U.S. every year and is from South Africa.

Yes, he lives in Wentworth - that's the golf course you may have heard of - though I understand he's moving to Florida for (a) better weather in winter (can't blame him for that) and (b) better support for his autistic son (ditto). He plays 14 events in the US each year - the minimum to keep his PGA Tour card is 15, and event no. 15 is the British Open.

He's won a couple of European Order of Merit titles, of course; he has, historically, been more focused on the European Tour - as a world golfer, that's natural. Several of his International titles, on the Sunshine Tour and elsewhere, have been jointly sanctioned. He doesn't stop being S African and no-one would expect him to. Ermmm... by the same token, how do you claim Els, Cabrera, Romero (apparently), Garcia, Donald, etc, etc?

[r7 425]

European Tour guys coming to the U.S. and doing poorly would be known as the "David Howell Effect"

[Elsfan]

Actually, no. It's so we can talk amongst ourselves and be rude about non-English speakers without them realising.

Well Ernie said, and I don't believe I am misquoting, winning in America is all he had wanted when he won the Honda. Last year for example he played more events on U.S. soil then anywhere. This year he has stayed in the U.S. to get ready for the Masters. I don't claim Els as a PGA tour player solely, he is a world player that in my opinion neither can claim. The same case can be made for Luke Donald and Aaron Baddely. They live in the U.S. and play a lot of PGA events but they are not American golfers. Just like Els, Goosen, Baddely, or half the guys you claim.

[JaY_B]

Thats funny cause those guys are on my tv everytime I turn on a PGA event. In fact after Romero won last week he said he would be playing in the U.S. all the time now. If you took a guy even like Furyk he would be the Tiger of the European tour.

Europeans have to be multilingual so they can keep up with the big boys on the PGA tour. By the way how do you claim Ernie? Because he lives in England. He plays about 15 events in the U.S. every year and is from South Africa.

European Tour guys coming to the U.S. and doing poorly would be known as the "David Howell Effect"

The majority of your arguments are based on biased assumptions that are not backed up by fact, all you are doing is filling this thread with ignorance and stupidity.

[Elsfan]

The majority of your arguments are based on biased assumptions that are not backed up by fact, all you are doing is filling this thread with ignorance and stupidity.

Pot calling the Kettle black

Look back at some of your posts Jay B I see no brilliant insight

[BASHERBAKER69]

where is Iacas?

[JaY_B]

I lol'd at how ignorant you just made yourself sound.

He chose the wrong club and mis hit it, I'm assuming by what you said you have never done this before??

It's quite apparent you don't know what your talking about, it is hard to understand pressure, yet alone handle it. Colin did not crack under the pressure as IMO his irons have always been impeccable under pressure, his putter has always let him down. You can not call one bad shot under the most intense pressure a blow up, simply because bad shots can occur regardless of the situation the golfer was in, Monty was unfortunate that him and his caddy chose the wrong club.

First we must understand that Monty is very angry at himself for not earning his way in to the Masters, and not getting an invite is just the bitter icing on the cake.

So if a golfer that you thought highly of hit the same shot under pressure that Monty did you would protect him, your making yourself sound more and more clueless with every post.

The European Tour is growing at a faster rate than the PGA Tour, for example the new race to Dubai series in 2009 (I believe) which has something around a 10 million euro purse (I believe) something the PGA Tour can not match.

Hope your prepared for change, the European Tour will soon be competing with the PGA Tour money wise and competition wise.

The majority of your arguments are based on biased assumptions that are not backed up by fact, all you are doing is filling this thread with ignorance and stupidity.

From the looks of it, I have been neither ignorant or stupid, so I don't believe I'm calling the kettle black

[BigAl5150]

If people are going to resort to name calling and whatnot, the thread will close.

Let's get back on topic: Monty not going to the Masters although after 10 pages, I'm not sure what else can really be said.

[JaY_B]

If people are going to resort to name calling and whatnot, the thread will close.

Agreed, this has got pathetic Apparently all the players feel the same way as Monty, but do not want to speak out and draw attention to themselves?

[Ruari]

Well Ernie said, and I don't believe I am misquoting, winning in America is all he had wanted when he won the Honda.

Yup, cos it had been a long time.

But Monty hasn't got an invite to the Masters because he didn't qualify.

Last year for example he played more events on U.S. soil then anywhere.

He played 14, according to his website, including the WGC and Majors - that's six.

If Monty had really wanted to play in the Masters he'd have made sure of qualification last year. Gosh, it's hard to keep on topic sometimes!!

[Thrash13]

I haven't read all the other threads on this 10th page, but I wanted to make a couple comments about Lee Westwood, since I brought his name up. He played 15 events or so in 2005 and 2006, and I wouldn't exactly call his performance stellar. I'm not saying he didn't make a little money ($500,000-$600,000 or so), but he definitely wasn't extremely successful by any means.

I've already said my piece about Monty, so I won't go there again. I just wanted to back up my Westwood statements with a little fact. A little fact never hurts anyone does it?

[Ruari]

I haven't read all the other threads on this 10th page, but I wanted to make a couple comments about Lee Westwood, since I brought his name up. He played 15 events or so in 2005 and 2006, and I wouldn't exactly call his performance stellar. I'm not saying he didn't make a little money ($500,000-$600,000 or so), but he definitely wasn't extremely successful by any means.

Here's some facts for you, then, about Westwood (though as this thread's supposed to be about Monty I'm not sure what a Sandtrap staff guy is doing going off-topic like this).

2007 earnings - over $2 million - But, of course, that was from the European Tour (25 events, so not his brightest season) 2006 earnings - just under $1.5 million, from 18 events. On the European Tour. 2005 earnings - just over $1 million, from 16 events. On the European Tour. In each of 2004, 5 and 6 he made over $500,000 on the PGA Tour, from a few events outside the Majors and WGCs. But then again, he's not a PGA Tour player, to any great extent - he's a European Tour player. Last weekend, he preferred to play the Andalucia Open, rather than in New Orleans. He's currently ranked 19th in the world and I'm not sure he gives the proverbial tuppeny d*mn about being 113 on the FedEx Cup standing. I suspect he may be more interested in being second on the European OOM (he's already won over $1 million this year, btw, on a tour that currently isn't as rich as the PGA). But he wants to be first. I know it's hard for some to understand but not everyone believes that the PGA Tour is the be-all and end-all. The current leader on the European Tour is Henrik Stenson, btw. No slouch of a player and not even registered on the PGA Tour. But you'll see enough of him in the Majors and WGC events to get to know him. Believe it or not, there is a big wide world beyond the small horizon you see out of your window. And just because it 'hasn't happened here' doesn't mean it doesn't matter, isn't worthwhile or isn't important. Take your blinkers off, for goodness' sake.