BOB CHARLES SAYS USGA AND
R&A HAVE THEIR HEADS
BURIED IN THE SAND

Sir Bob Charles, the 71-year-old winner of the 1963 Open championship at Royal Lytham, has been quoted in a New Zealand newspaper as saying that technological advancements are taking the game out of reach as fairways get longer.
The Kiwi left-hander said the United States Golf Association and Royal and Ancient Golf Club "have their heads buried in the sand".
"It's sad that so many of the great courses of the past have become obsolete because they are too short to hold a major championship," he said.
The Old Course, St Andrews – Sir Bob's favourite course to play on – had shifted tees further and further back. "It's sad what they're doing to classical golf courses," Sir Bob said.
A self-proclaimed traditionalist, Sir Bob said the game of golf had changed "dramatically" in the last 20 years, he said.
"The finesse and ball control that Ben Hogan had and to a lesser degree, Jack Nicklaus had, doesn't enter into the game any more. It's all about power and length off the tee."
He said that now, golf ball performance was maximised by young, strong players and few could get the full benefit of new technologies in the industry.
"They've got to draw a line and rein in the performance of the golf ball before it goes too far."
Tiger Woods was the "modern icon of the game", but did not have the same ball control as other golfing "greats", he said.
Sir Bob provided the names of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Ben Hogan and Woods among his top five players.
Hogan was the greatest ball striker he had ever played while Nicklaus was a true competitor that he could only beat by playing a better short game, he said.
Sir Bob, who has finished building a house at Clearwater, near Christchurch but returns often to his Oxford, New Zealand farm, said he hoped to play in another 12 overseas events this year.
"I'm not competitive any more but I still love to play," he said.
"I'm in pretty good shape, physically, so I may as well continue to do something that I love doing."
Sir Bob said the six United States-based events and six European events would also allow him to spend time with his children and grandchildren in London and Florida.