5. Team of individuals
As mentioned, Golf is a sport for individuals, like Tennis, Boxing, or Snooker. Its a more isolated sport than those three, and what other sport can you finish the competition behind the leaders and yet end up winning? The recent FedEx Cup carried with it a $10million bonus prize for the overall winner, Tiger Woods has earned over $100million in prize money alone, and endorsements can add tens of millions to a players bank account. However, there is no money on offer to the winners of the Ryder Cup. The Davis Cup gets short shrift from Andy Murray. Ronnie OSullivan doesnt represent England. Once they are into the professional ranks, boxers do not don the gloves for their country. Yet for these multi-millionaire golfers, the race to secure a Ryder Cup place takes precedent. No one turns down the invitation. Only serious injury keeps them out (and unlike England footballers, they arent back playing the next weekend). There is no standby list because those who would be next in line will happily cancel whatever they had planned to be part of this spectacle.
Alan Frost
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Reporting on football and sports at large since 2007. Written for Channel 5, BT, the PFA, the Football Ramble amongst many, many others.
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