The hospitality pavilion at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship was an amazing place to watch the action, overlooking the 18th green, more often than not a make or break arena for the players and the scene of intense drama.You were so close to the players as they finished their rounds that you may as well have been on the green with them.
That sort of incredible access is a privilege reserved for a lucky few and yet, amazingly, it is one that is constantly abused by people who seemingly have no understanding of the sport they are watching, or in some cases, ignoring while they fill their faces with food and beverage.
When a golfer is preparing to putt out it is absolutely imperative that there is silence. On the Friday of this year’s championship, when I was there, the 18th hole putt could have meant the difference between making or missing the cut and while most people stopped talking as the players lined up their shot, there were many who continued to laugh and talk loudly, totally oblivious to what was happening below them.
More than once a player or his caddie looked up at the hospitality pavilion with a look of despair. There were stewards in the hospitality area who held up silence signs but nobody took the slightest bit of notice, apart from those who were obviously genuine golf fans, including yours truly.
I considered telling people to shut up but thought better of it for fear of being told to mind my own business. I suspect the stewards felt the same way.
Corporate hospitality is there for sponsors to entertain clients, their families and friends and nobody wants to spoil their fun but they should understand that having exclusive access includes a code of suitable behaviour.
There is plenty of time between players arriving on the green for people to make as much noise as they want, within limits, but to show contempt, deliberate or not, for the players, quite honestly makes me feel as if they should be kicked off the course.
On the final day Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee’s ball found the bunker on the edge of the 18th green. As he prepared to take a crucial shot onto the green he had to stop and ask the people in hospitality to be quiet.
Luckily, he then played a superb shot to within feet of the pin but the fact a world class sportsman had to break his concentration and ask spectators to show a bit of respect is a nonsense.
Sponsors who invite their guests have a responsibility to make sure that there is an understanding that absolute silence is required when players are putting or playing out of greenside bunkers.
If that doesn’t work then the hospitality suite has to be moved further away from the 18th green and that would be a thoughtless few spoiling what is a special experience for those who love golf and behave appropriately.
At the end of the day all the players, not just superstars like McIlroy and Mickelson, deserve better than being distracted by unacceptable behaviour. Quite clearly, something needs to be done.
Mickelson’s got Phil good factor
Professional golfers can occasionally be a grumpy bunch, especially if they are distracted by noise as discussed above or just because they are having an off day.
They won’t acknowledge the crowd and generally prefer to march off the 18th and disappear without a thought for the people who have spent the day following them. One player who rarely seems to be ill-tempered, and that might be because he doesn’t often have a bad day, is Phil Mickelson, a shining example of how a professional sportsman should behave.
Here is a guy who never stops smiling. Let’s face it, he had an absolute shocker on the 13th hole during the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship with a triple bogey which cost him the tournament.
Most golfers would have been fuming and yet he carried on smiling and gave himself half a chance of winning the tournament, taking it all the way to the 18th where he fell one shot short of taking it to a play-off.
The great thing about Mickelson, and why he has such a huge fan base all around the world is that he never fails to acknowledge the crowd.
While many walk past lines of fans on their way from green to tee and ignore all the good wishes and words of encouragement, Mickelson always acknowledges them with a wave of his hand or a friendly nod of the head. He is one of golf’s true gentlemen.
