It’s an utter disgrace as I posted on social media that the BBC has now formally snubbed 2022 US Open champion, Matthew Fitzpatrick as a nomination for their ill-named ‘Sports Personality of the Year’ award.
Fitzpatrick, 28, brilliantly became the first British golfer since Danny Willett won the 2016 Masters, to triumph at the game’s highest level following his spectacular fairway bunker shot down the final hole at Brookline.
It was a month ago that Fitzpatrick had a strong inkling he would not be among the final five nominees and clearly showed his then disappointment in declaring he would snub the awards whether or not he would be short-listed.
England’s Matthew Fitzpatrick wins the 2022 US Open but is snubbed by the BBC for a SPOTY nomination (Photo – USGA)
Well, Fitzpatrick’s intentions were confirmed with the BBC listing their final-five nominees, and no Fitzgerald.
On the 19th June, 2022 the Sheffield-born golfer did British sport proud in narrowly edging out the American duo of Scottie Scheffler and Will Zalatoris (five-under) – to become the fourth British-born golfer in 13-years to win a US Open.
However, the BBC seems totally blind when it comes to recognising the achievements in golf, whether it be men or women, as since the first SPOTY award in 1954 only two golfers have been honoured with the award. That’s 68-years. Yes, 68-years! With Dale Rees being honoured in 1957 and Nick Faldo in 1989.
Twice Tony Jacklin was runner-up in 1969 and 1970, and in those years he won the back-to-back 1969 Open and the 1970 US Open while Darren Clarke was a SPOTY runner-up in 2006 and 2011.
Then we have Rory McIlroy, a winner of four majors, and was a SPOTY runner-up in 2014. Now after ending 2022 as the first British golfer to end a season as both the PGA Tour No. 1 and DP World Tour No. 1, McIlroy can’t even get a BBC nomination.
It’s simply pathetic!
Or could it be the result of the BBC continuing not to show live golf, having lost the rights in 2020 to show any round of the Masters live while since 2016 the BBC has not covered The Open and thus ending a more than 60-year relationship between The R&A and the BBC.
Of course, the BBC cannot match the financial pull of SKY but the question has to be asked: why should this effect what should be an impartial BBC decision in recognising achievements in golf such as Fitzpatrick’s victory?
It’s ‘their collective heads buried deep in the sand’ stuff and this is being reflected in the media flack the BBC is justifiably facing.
