Everyone's a critic. I recently read an article by Golf Monthly’s Nick Bonfield in which he criticised Scottie Scheffler for his apparent reluctance to leave America.
He was particularly critical of the world number one’s refusal to play in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth even though Scheffler is playing in the Presidents Cup at Medinah this coming week.
I believe he picked the wrong target. Scheffler played in 20 PGA Tour events this season. Rory McIlroy made 14 starts and largely made up his own rules, sitting out several prestigious Signature Events. McIlroy tends to escape criticism because he is an exciting talent who possesses charisma in abundance. He is a crowd pleaser.
But he increasingly does things his own way. He gets away with it because of his star appeal. In the absence of Tiger Woods, McIlroy is the must-see golfer.
Scheffler is a generational talent but he would be the first to admit that he is not charismatic. Scheffler or McIlroy - who would you rather pay to watch?
Wherever McIlroy plays there is huge interest. Part of the attraction is that you never quite know what you are going to get - the superstar who makes birdies and eagles for fun or the golfer who struggles to break par, the one we can all relate to.
(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)
Bonfield wrote: "One thing Scheffler absolutely should be criticised for is the fact he’s seemingly allergic to leaving America for more than a fortnight each year. The World No.1 should be a global ambassador for the game and he falls well short in this department. His reticence to leave his bubble and travel the world is confusing.
"To be clear, I'm talking mainly about the autumn here, when the Tour Championship has finished and there isn't a 'meaningful' PGA Tour event for several months. Clearly I understand why he plays in America from January to August, two weeks in July aside."
Scheffler is a family man with young children at home. He has been fortunate enough to build a huge fortune, which means he can pick and choose where and when he wants to play. He gives a huge amount back to the PGA Tour and to his American fans. If he were European, Australian or South African then we might be having an entirely different debate. But he isn’t.
And in McIlroy’s defence, he is prepared to play all around the world.
Bonfield drew comparisons between Scheffler and Patrick Reed, praising Reed for being prepared to play on the DP World Tour despite also having a young family.
This completely overlooks the fact that Reed left LIV Golf this year and had nowhere else to compete. Let’s not pretend he is doing it for altruistic reasons. He is doing it because he wants to win the Race to Dubai and earn his PGA Tour card. So please, let’s not go down that road. For Reed, this is a means to an end. Period!
Bonfield wrote: "I just don’t understand why he won’t leave his bubble. Getting out of your comfort zone and playing in different conditions on different styles of courses with different types of grasses can only make you a better golfer. It clearly helped the development of players like Brooks Koepka.
"If you only ever play in America on identikit courses, there’s not much benefit. Well, apart from the fact the Ryder Cup is away from home every four years. Did he compete in Europe before Marco Simone in 2023? No. Did that contribute to the World No.1 returning one point from a possible four? Almost certainly.
"Next year, the Ryder Cup takes place at Adare Manor, a parkland course, in September. The BMW PGA Championship is staged on a parkland course in September. I’ll let you decide if he could have gleaned anything useful from visiting Wentworth over the years.
"European fans have so much time for the likes of Billy Horschel because they’re prepared to travel, they have respect for the fans and they recognise the magnitude of the tournaments. They’re not sheltered and closed off to the golf world beyond American shores."
I am sorry but Wentworth and Adare Manor are chalk and cheese. I say again - Scheffler, like McIlroy, has earned the right to play whenever and wherever they like. And only playing on "identikit" courses doesn’t seem to have done Scheffler any harm. I would remind Scheffler's critics that he came across the Atlantic last year and won The Open in brilliant fashion at Royal Portrush.
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