Double Open Champion Ernie Els has led a chorus of disappointment  at an impending R& A decision to dump BBC TV in favour of SKY after this year’s Open Championship at St. Andrews.

The R & A, as organizers of golf’s oldest Major, are set to announce shortly the signing of a mega deal for SKY Sports to cover golf’s oldest Major from 2016.

The deal will see the end of any free-to-air terrestrial coverage of golf anywhere by BBC TV.

Els, winner of the 2002 and 2012 Open Championship, was visibly surprised in learning of the impending new TV screening deal, and after posting a superb five under par 67 on the opening day of the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters in Doha.

It left the South African, who has lived a very long time in the UK, sharing third place with five others including double Doha champion, Paul Lawrie and two strokes adrift of England’s Ollie Fisher.

Former double Open champion Ernie Els leads a chorus condemning R & A decision to dump the BBC TV after this years Open. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)

The decision by the R & A to sell TV rights to SKY has already been attacked my many including the BBC’s own Peter Alliss.

Els said:  “I’m really surprised to hear that because I can remember back to the days before Peter Alliss even started when Henry Longhurst commentated on golf for the BBC, and I just used to love listening to him.

“The BBC covering The Open has been like an institution, and while they’re not so great following the golf ball with their camera’s because they’ve only been doing once a year these days, from a pure history point of view it’s always been the tradition to watch The Open being covered by the BBC.

“Of course, SKY’s coverage of golf, and with this new device that tracks the golf ball, is brilliant and you can’t fault it.

“But then the Open Championship has always been extra special knowing it was the only golf tournament the BBC now covers.

“The decision also is going to have a huge, huge impact on British golf in general.  I mean everyone has got BBC but not everybody is going to pay to watch SKY.  I’ve got quite a few