Confusion surrounds 2004 golf tour
By Don Riddell, CNN World Sport
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Padraig Harrington won the first event of the 2004 European Tour
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London, England (CNN) -- Some things in sport just don't make sense. For example, why is a try worth five points in rugby, what is so global about the World Series and why use the word 'love' when you've just brutally whitewashed your opponent in tennis?
Actually, I have got answers for all of those, but I am slightly confused as to why the 2004 European golf tour starts in 2003. And just to complicate matters, it teed off the other day in Hong Kong.
Not to mention the fact that the tour's golfers will have their passports stamped in South Africa, Australia, Malaysia, China and Singapore before even thinking of exchanging their prize money for Euros.
Inevitably the comparisons are made with the US tour, and the relative strengths of each. It's widely considered that the PGA is stronger -- it'll certainly make you richer if you're any good -- but the recent and regular success of the European Ryder Cup team suggests that the rival tours may be equally matched.
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Add to that, the recent admission by ex-PGA champion Rich Beem that the US tour is too predictable. And he's not the only one encouraging his countrymen to book some flights and sample the delights of overseas courses.
His criticism is that Uncle Sam's courses are too easy -- lush and beautifully manicured, designed to look great on television -- but not to provide the most rigorous test of golf. There's no doubt that the likes of Phil Mickelson would do better at The Open in Britain if he travelled more often, but it's not as if the Americans can't deal with the Royal and Ancient's links courses.
Seven of the last 10 winners of golf's oldest major have been from the States. Whereas, there hasn't been a European winner of the US Open in my lifetime, and I'm 31.
Clearly it's not that easy. Colin Montgomerie, for all his years as the European number one, could never crack the States, and very few Europeans even try their luck abroad.
Quite apart from anything else, it's a stronger field in the States. On any given week a winner could be any one of a hundred guys, perhaps in Europe there are only thirty or so genuine contenders.
But that's good enough to ensure the Americans don't run away with the Ryder Cup every year.
Unfortunately the best players will always go where the money is, and on the whole that means the PGA tour. But while the European tour may play second fiddle, it has every right to be taken seriously -- in it's own right.
Don Riddell presents World Sport on CNN International at 0930 GMT, 1230 GMT, 1430 GMT, and 2130 GMT daily (also 0030 GMT at weekends and daily in Asia.)
