Orlando, United States: Arnold Palmer has decried golf’s critics and asserted that the state of the game ‘is just fine’.
In the wake of a barrage of media negativity surrounding the Royal and Ancient sport, Palmer delivered a bullish state of the nation address.
In particular, Palmer, one of golf’s legendary characters, predicted that Asia will have a prominent role to play in growing the game in the future.
“In 2014 some analysts questioned whether golf – a sport that has been growing worldwide for about 500 years – is dying,” wrote Palmer.
“You’ve heard some of the eulogies: Participation, they say, is down. That’s not exactly accurate. Sure, golfers are always leaving the game, but new golfers are always joining and if you ask the National Golf Foundation the churn we’re seeing is in line with historical norms.
“The critics cite the problems experienced by one or two sectors of the industry while ignoring the solid results of others. For instance, nearly all of the Chicken Littles screeched in July when 500 PGA professionals were laid off from a national sporting goods retailer. The media played up the fact that the lay-offs were due to softening sales of golf equipment. What the headlines didn’t mention is that those golf equipment sales were down just two per cent from the previous quarter.
“For six years, the doubters have been describing Tiger Woods and his recent struggles as a drag on the game. Sure, a healthy, winning Tiger is good for the sport, but I think that as we look ahead to 2015 we’ll have the best of two worlds: a returning, rejuvenated Tiger and a roster of talented young players who want to take him on at his best.”
Palmer also had high praise for world number one Rory McIlroy. “What a pleasure he is to watch. His power and flexibility are hypnotic. He seems to be maturing from a boy into a young man and as he does so his game is only improving.
“I fully expect that he’ll contend at this year’s Masters. A green jacket would complete for him the career Grand Slam at the age of 25. I’ve got 60 years on the guy and I haven’t completed the Slam … yet!”
Palmer said another promising sign for the game can be found at the Golf Channel which will celebrate 20 years on the air on January 17.
Palmer, one of the founders of the venture, said: “We seem to grow stronger with each passing year, something that simply couldn’t happen without a vibrant, healthy industry to support us.
“How those 20 years have flown by. I remember like yesterday standing beside my friend and co-founder Joe Gibbs and throwing the switch to put Golf Channel on the air. Our recollections of the birth of Golf Channel can be found in a recently published book, The Golf Book: Twenty Years of the Players, Shots and Moments That Changed the Game.”
The book, by veteran golf writer Chris Millard, takes a look back at the last two decades of the game and it dedicates an entire chapter to the rise of Golf Channel.
Palmer said: “The last chapter is titled The Next Twenty. It makes a very strong case for the future of our sport. It details the likely growth of golf in Asia and the global boost that the game is likely to enjoy as a result of golf’s return to the Olympic Games in 2016.
“Golf has had a couple of tough years, but we’ve had them before. In fact, all sports go through cycles.
“Before we bury golf, we might want to note that Golf Channel’s ratings last year were the second best in its 20-year history. The fact of the matter is that golf is alive, well and booming worldwide.”