GIVE US YOUR VIEW ON TODAY'S TALKING POINT

THE OPEN SHOULD BE

THE TOUGHEST TEST,

SO LET'S MAKE IT

OVER SIX ROUNDS!
This week sees the Bob Hope Classic in California, the only five-round or 90-hole event on any of the major golf tours of the world – if you discount the qualifying schools.
When, where and why did 72 holes become the norm for a professional golf tournament? Was it a bit like 18 holes becoming the standard length of a golf course, really by chance rather design?
Does anyone out there agree with me that the Open championship should be over at least six rounds?
Why? Because it should be THE major test of golf and two extra rounds would ensure that the best player in the field is the winner at the end of almost a week of solid play.
“Normal” cricket matches are over three days. But Test matches are over five (unless it’s England playing Australia, of course).
“Normal” boxing matches are over 10 rounds. But world championship matches are over 15 rounds.

UNIVERSITY EXAMINATION
And I am sure there are other examples.
Michael Bonallack (before he became a “Sir), pictured above, once told me – and a few hundred other golf writers at an Open Press conference – that the rough SHOULD be longer, the fairways SHOULD be narrower, the bunkers deeper, etc at an Open championship because it is a tournament to find out the best all-round player.
He compared it with education: A university entrance examination should be and is a lot harder to pass than say your normal term test at school. And so it should be with the Open championship compared with run-of-the-mill tournaments.

On a not so serious note. When you think of the money that the R&A makes from a four-day Open championship and spreads liberally around the world for the good of golf, just think how much more money would be generated by two extra days of tournament play.

COLIN FARQUHARSON

YOUR COMMENTS, PLEASE. Let me have your view on the subject by E-mailing me at colin@scottishgolfview.com