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A number of sports management companies will be earning their keep over these next weeks or even months, after the events at Royal Lytham St Anne’s fully played out on Sunday afternoon - leaving more than one golfer in need of psychological refuge. Perhaps even the winner, South African Ernie Els, who surprisingly saw his 32 strokes on the back nine delay his flight home to Wentworth, in order to collect another Claret Jug. Something he would not have really expected when he started out the day many shots adrift of leader Adan Scott.
Not unlike a number of previous winners of major trophies, this can be an anticlimactic sensation when the winning comes in the wake of a collapse of a fellow competitor. As one Paul Lawrie can attest from events at Carnoustie thirteen years ago.
In 1999 Lawrie became the first Scotsman in 68 years to win the Open Championship on home soil, in what was in fairness an unforgettable tournament and remembered more for the horror story that beset French golfer Jean Van de Velde. Unfortunately in seeking a gallant finish things quickly became a haunting display in self-destruction – opening the way for Lawrie to win the 128th Open in the ensuing four-hole playoff.
Forgotten that day were Lawrie’s birdies on the last two holes to win the Claret Jug from Justin Leonard and Van de Velde and as a result the Scot has spent most years since proving to the world that it was not happenstance – as his results have clearly shown this season. For Els, that self belief would obviously be less of an issue having accrued
three majors prior to the win on Sunday – including the Open Championship at Muirfield in 2002.
The former world number one Tiger Woods would have flown home aside his agent, Mark Steinberg, struggling to understand where his championship went awry, albeit he was already convinced that the bunker at the sixth was to blame for his failed challenge. Like all elite sports people, Woods felt the need to spot the turning point in his round, an oft used tool for top athletes, in order to focus on what may need improvement. The worry for Steinberg’s being that it may not have been in truth the turning point at all.
Hopefully with more time to reflect Woods will realise that despite an improving golf game and more consistency, the real damage at The Open was done little-by-little, bit-by-bit with his chosen tactic for the four days. That insistence on keeping his driver in the bag even when the wind and conditions were totally benign at Royal Lytham. As a result the American paid the price for that conservative approach and was unable to close the gap with the Australian leader by Saturday evening. It will fall on Steinberg to point out some of those harsher truths in these coming days.
And for anyone in sports marketing, no matter what level, those are the chats that prove more difficult and harder to effectively undertake, especially when the man in question is one of the most talented golfers in the history of the game. As a result many managers choose to overlook the negatives, hoping for the tide to turn and the wins to return. However avoiding these home truths is not an option for long term success,
In dealings with the former Republic of Ireland manager some years ago, it was a written follow up to Steve Staunton’s handling of the media - after a result in San Marino in February 2007 – that was a personal turning point.
But when the Republic were spared a draw after Stephen Ireland scored deep into injury time – a result followed so close to the 5-1 loss in Cyprus - the Irish manager was seemingly dismissive of the media questions and it was like car crash television. All of which might have been fine when watching his gaffer Kenny Dalglish at Anfield years ago, but not advisable when the Irish team were dropping vital points for Euro 2008 and spurred me into action.
In the hey-days of King Kenny and the accompanying trophy record at Liverpool, it allowed the Kop Legend to enjoy quirky remarks and an off hand manner with the media, all of which was conducted before the era of a 24 hour news cycle. As Dalglish found out during his return to the club in the 21st Century, the need for media savvy is a must these days, as is an understanding that many media outlets are now paying the wages – as evidenced by Sky Sports last £3.1bn deal for Premier League rights. Consequently managers must offer post match opinions of note – hail or shine. Even Sir Alex Ferguson, or face the consequences.
The fact that Dalglish did not survive a second full season under the new US owners proved how far the game had moved since he was last at Anfield, and perhaps that he was so highly regarded at the club, that few perhaps questioned his actions. So in writing to Staunton the same point was made, perhaps too starkly in hindsight, and changed the relationship irreversibly in many ways between us. Sadly, the Republic of Ireland playing legend lost his job when the FAI ended his contract - not even half way through his four year deal – and damaged for a while the reputation of a very able footballer and stunted a neophyte manager’s progress in the game.
Which all brings us to Australian Adam Scott who will live out the coming weeks and years with the irreversible memory of the events that unfolded on the back nine in the 2012 Open Championship. Which also brings it’s own baggage, no matter how mentally strong the golfer is, and will attract media generated comparisons already keenly pointing out the parallels with Greg Norman’s collapse at The Masters in 1996 – allowing Nick Faldo add his 6th and last major title. All somehow unable to fully explain Scott’s final round on Sunday and just happy to pigeon-hole it as a “Shark like” collapse.
But on closer analysis that is too simplistic and not even that accurate.
Although it will be for Scott’s management company to dissect those issues over the next weeks, and it has to be done with the full knowledge that sport can be very cruel at times, with golf the most brutal. It is a game that is sprinkled with moments of ecstasy against a backdrop of many disappointments – at all levels.
Nevertheless it was the look on Scott’s face - once the putt was missed - that triggered something in my mind, as the normal expressionless Australian suddenly looked empty, vulnerable and helpless as events unfurled all around him in slow motion. Like a child who sees his ice cream snatched away on the beach the sheer incredulity of a major prize lost, was heartbreaking to see. With an important detail totally overlooked that in reality the putt was just to force a play off with the waiting Ernie Els.
Yet embedded memories too perhaps of three bad holes at August National where Scott finished second in The Masters – and any other sense of doubt that can haunt the toughest of minds – would have flooded his mind. In factual terms the title ebbed a way a number of holes earlier and had there been a play-off Els would have been in the better mental state anyway. Just Like Padraig Harrington when he slugged it out with Sergio Garcia in 2007 at Carnoustie in the three hole play-off.
It was clear from the moment the Spaniard reached the tee box he was still weighed down with a sense of loss having missed a putt on the 18th that could have won the Claret Jug outright – and confirmed his promise as a Major winner. Having opened with a 65 on the Thursday Garcia had seen momentum ebb away over the days and it was no surprise that in a match-play situation Harrington steam rolled the young pretender to win, leaving Garcia in a place from where, some experts would argue, he has never recovered.
One curious fact that needs analysis though amidst all the hype is what happened to caddie Steve Williams on Sunday.
Named on the bag no doubt last year to avoid these collapses ever happening, one imagines the New Zealander should have halted a slide earlier in the back nine given his vast experience at Majors. Those many years with Greg Norman too would have taught him a thing or two, even if he was not there the fateful day in April 1996 at The Masters.
But maybe Williams too was helpless as the course balanced out the good fortune Scott enjoyed in the first three days with a true taste of links golf in that demanding run for home at Royal Lytham.
For me, was fear itself that played a role, which can unlock many things that have been bottled away for years for elite sportspeople - and it cares little for Gulfstream jets, sponsors millions, fast cars and the glamorous lifestyle. It is a fear that can mean sometimes even success does not feel right and so inhibits the ability to relax and enjoy the moment as it is happening. Or an angst that it indeed it could not all be unfolding as favourably and as easily as your eyes are showing in one of the biggest tournaments in the history of golf. It is something that most sportsmen, actors and public speakers learn to manage and accept over time.
Those photos of Adam Scott falling on his heels in an effort to win his first major are now indelibly marked all over the world and managing Adam Scott amidst all that will require every skill and intelligence from his support team. Which will not be easy, but by no means impossible
But until every moment that memory of Lytham lingers it has the potential to detonate.
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