Matthew Fitzpatrick’s British Masters win gives youth movement a Europ

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The youth takeover movement has a European component now with the British Masters victory by England’s Matt Fitzpatrick, who turned 21 only last month. “He looks young enough to be delivering newspapers rather than starring in them but make no mistake: Matt Fitzpatrick deserves all the headlines,” Derek Lawrenson writes in the Daily Mail. “The youngest player in the field…completed the spectacular relaunch of this much-loved tournament with a stirring back nine that confirmed him as Britain’s newest sports star.”

Mike Clayton is a former European Tour player turned respected course architect who in this story by John Huggan of the Scotsman has some interesting observations about modern architecture. “Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer built their careers around the biggest events, the four major championships, Clayton said. “But when they started building courses they teed-up every week and thought the Open was no more significant than the Quad Cities Open. They built wherever they went, wherever there was money, in complete contrast to how they behaved during their playing careers.”

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The misinterpretation of an obscure rule in the Presidents Cup last week points to a larger issue for the game, Jason Sobel of ESPN writes. “In golf, in which rules aren't just rules but official, black-and-white Rules, the follies of both parties involved should only further alienate those who might have otherwise been inclined to play and watch the game. Think of it this way: If a player competing in his 11th Presidents Cup [Phil Mickelson] didn’t know the rule, and the governing rules committee didn't know the proper penalty, what hope is there for the rest of us?”

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