Justin Rose …and fell
There has been so much fuss over the omission of Georgia Hall in the final list for Sports Personality of the Year (SPOTY) but little if any on the absence of Justin Rose who could have gone to world number one over the weekend.
As the BBC has so few sporting rights SPOTY has lost its lustre since the days that it was Sports Review of The Year.
I could not take two hours-plus of Gary Lineker’s sardonic humour and Sue Barker.
Lewis Hamilton is the most achieving sportsman on the list but “personality” is the key word here and for that reason I could not vote for him, nor Geraint Thomas, whose SKY team has consistently attracted attention of the worst sort.
Justin Rose was offered at 7-4 for the Indonesian Masters, a very skinny price in a big field. So I did a terrible thing. I bet against him. This meant that I did not want my hero to sink those crucial putts. As it happens I was right. He had a poor tourney, not making the top twelfth position he needed to be world number one.
Thai golfer Sarasin won the tourney. Not that I feel that sorry for Justin. With smaller prize money I am sure he and Henrik Stensen were offered generous appearance money.
Over in South Africa the Dunhill at the course in Kruger Park was won by American David Lipsky.
This tour event is an enjoyable one for lovers of big game who regularly appear on the course.
Commentator Tony Johnstone is something of an expert on animal life so his golf duties are extended. World number one Brooks Koepka launched his career on the European tour and I can see David Lipsky doing the same.
