For a second year running, a Wentworth war of words erupted at the BMW PGA Championship and with course re-designer Ernie Els again having to defend changes to the West course.
On a day when all players uniquely honoured the memory of Seve Ballesteros, it was Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter and Paul Casey slamming Els’ second reworking of the ‘Burma Road’ layout.
Poulter, who joined his Wentworth colleagues in wearing Seve’s 1984 Open winning blue and white wardrobe, was easily the most red-faced.
Poulter arrived at Wentworth buoyed by capturing last week’s Volvo World Match-Play crown.
But that feeling sank when he saw his ball spin back off the 18th green and into a water hazard on route to a double bogey ‘7’ for a 74 and a level par tally.
Still some good scores on day two despite the Wentworth war of words
“I had made a great four on 17, and I decided to continue my love affair with this golf course on the last,” he said.
“Obviously, I’m walking away disappointed but I just don’t like this golf course, period, end of story.
“You hit a couple of poor shots and you will get punished for it, and if you just can’t do anything wrong on this newly-designed Wentworth golf course to struggle.
“I used to come here as a kid watching all the great shots but unfortunately we have lost that because we are not going to see those wonderful shots that we used to see around this great golf course.
“There was Faldo’s shot out of the trees right on 15, and I can go on and on and on at those type of shots but it’s all changed.
“We are not going to fill up the archive with a lot of new shots.”
Poulter’s now contested the flagship event on 10 occasions and this year is only the third time he’s made the cut.
Casey, winner at Wentworth two years ago, played alongside Poulter and while he eagled the third, he also doubled the 15th in a score of 71 to finish tied with Poulter at one over par.
“I used to really enjoy playing this golf course, but now it’s a grind,” said Casey.
“Richard Caring (Wentworth owner) was perhaps wanting something like level par to win. Well, he might get that. “But does that make it entertaining?
“One of the beautiful things about Wentworth was the great finish and the fact the guys could finish with maybe four threes in a row of five threes, and shoot up the leader board.
“But that’s all very difficult now.”
And Els’ Springbok-born Major Champions, Charl Schwartzel and Louis Oosthuizen might also agree.
The Augusta winning Schwartzel finished birdie, triple bogey and birdie in 75 for a shock 12-over par score.
Oosthuizen, the reigning Open Champion, was also cut from the event after a 74 for an eight-over par tally.
And World No. 29 Justin Rose, who was in Schwartzel’s group, ran-up a ‘9’ at 17 to miss the cut with a score of 73 for a six over par total.
Reigning U.S. Open champ, Graeme McDowell last year lambasted the course that left Els livid his fellow competitors were whinging to the media rather than seek him out.
And the triple Major winning South African again has taken offence at the negative comments with his ISM management team preparing a page-and-a-half statement for Els.
Ernie Els happily signs autographs before being forced into 'damage control' mode.
“Wentworth is now a fair and honest test of golf. Make no mistake, in two weeks at Congressional, if you are marginally off, you will pay the price,” said Els’ statement.
“This is by no means the U.S. Open, but it’s a great warm up, tournament and venue.
“I can understand people saying things in the heat of the moment. A guy comes off the 18th when he’s just made a double and he’s going to be hot.
“Unfortunately players are being asked about their rounds as soon as they have signed their cards so what they say two minutes later after finishing might not be indicative of what they think two hours later.
“I have said this could be England’s Augusta because the golf course has never looked better so there are lots of positives.
“So the course is by no means unfair. It was last year, but not this year. It’s a true test of the game.”
