Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn earned a brand new Volvo for a hole-in-one during the final round of a Volvo World Match-Play Championship.
He lost the final and also the vehicle instead handing the keys to the car to his then caddy and not realising at the time the worth of the car.
Bjorn recorded his third official European Tour ace today at the par three 15th hole in the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship.
There was no new car, no cash, no cigar and no champers only the honour on the 16th tee.
However in speaking with Bjorn after his round today it was more about the European Tour’s decision to bring in ‘monitoring’ bad time penalties in order to speed up play;
Bjorn had been a party to an incident last October during the Portugal Masters when Spain’s Alvaro Quiros demanded something be done with regards Frenchman Gary Stahl, who is this week’s defending Abu Dhabi HSBC Champion.
Thomas Bjorn grabs a third Tour ace and says the Tour is moving in the right direction. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Bjorn, as Chairman of the Tournament Players Committee had chaired a lengthy three-and-a-half session on Tuesday night that dealt with the issue of slow play and resulted in the new ‘monitoring’ rules brought in today by the Tour.
“We’re pushing forward aggressively,” said Bjorn after shooting a four under par 68
“We want to make the Tour stronger. The positives are that the sounds from our top players are really, really good. We know we need Rory, Justin and Henrik and others to be on our side. There’s been feel of the last three or four months that they are very excited about going forward. Now we feel we can do things.
“I had some really long chats with (Keith) Pelley about slow play. I feel that we have a game, a product we need to sell, to TV and people watching it. We need to be leaders in how the game is played, not just in the professional game but at all levels. So we have to set an example that we are going to do something about it. We’re going to move this on.
“The guys are going to feel uncomfortable about it. We got monitored today. You can’t yet make up what’s monitoring and what’s timed. In two months time it’ll be just the way it is. It will make the product a lot better.
“I don’t just speak to players out here, or just to sponsors. I speak to players who sit and watch it at home and they all say you have to something about it because it’s dire at times. The only way to do that is to put new rules in so that the new kids that come in get the message. We’ll move it down to the Challenge Tour, too.
“We have to give our referees the tools to do something about it. If referees don’t have the tools to do then we have to give them a more aggressive approach towards it, and the new policy is definitely more aggressive. The guys that know that they are on the line they will be worried about this. But fast players will be delighted.
“We have to take everyone’s view into consideration.
“We’re living in 2016. What’s the one things we are losing in golf? We’re losing the interest of youngsters. We have to appeal to them to make it more relaxed, more fun. This policy helps to that in practice. We are a long, long way from doing itin tournament golf and in the major championships it will never happen. We know that. We have to take the steps to try to get more interest from young golf.
“I can see it happening in tournament days one day. I’m not sure it will happen in my time. 15-20 years ago maybe not. It’s a sport, and you look at these young guys today and how fit they are, they’ll match any other sport for fitness, and in any other sport they play in shorts. In two months time we’ll think it wasn’t a big deal.”
With European Ryder Cup team captain Darren Clarke yet to name his five Hazeltine vice-captains Bjorn is clearly in the reckoning to get the nod as one of Clarke’s deputies.
Of course, you have to take into consideration who is going to lead Europe in 2018 when the Ryder Cup goes to France, and having been overlooked in favour of Paul McGinley for the 2014 Gleneagles role, the Dane is well in frame to take over from Clarke.
“I’m in a position where my golf was so poor last year that I just want to play golf,” said Bjorn.
“I have a great relationship with Darren and I always have done. So if he wants my help I’ll obviously be there. But you never know in golf, you could have four or five month of playing great golf and you’re there.
“That’s not something that sits in mind. I just want to play golf. Over Christmas I said to myself I just want to go out and see how I can play. Result-wise it doesn’t really matter, I just want to enjoy it and when you can enjoy it golf becomes a better game.”
