The golfing weekend and other matters
Once again Jeremy Chapman came up trumps with his third consecutive winner, Alexandre Levy in the Volvo European event in Beijing. I have a bit of Jewish blood in me so I found myself rooting for the swarthy young Frenchman for reasons beyond lucre. France has produced some exciting golfers recently in Victor Dubuisson, Romain Wattel and Levy as well as some hardy perennials of the tour, Raphael Jacquelin and Gregoire Bourdy, so the country fully deserves to host the next Ryder Cup. Levy is probably the quickest player on the tour. This is not always to his advantage as in the play off hole after an immaculate drive his hasty pitch to the green caught a bunker and his pitch out of it was short. Nonetheless he sank his putt to beat Dylan Fritelli who had been playing solidly as leader till his nerves went on the final back nine. Levy is definitely a star in the making.
Over in New Orleans bad weather blighted the final day. Cameron Smith and Jason Blixt won this doubles event in which favourites Stensen and Rose did not make the cut. It’s so hard to predict. I had a 3rd place with Spieth and Ryan Palmer but the latter surprisingly held the partnership together. Not a format I like.
Michel de Vacri helpfully advised me that laying PSG at 5-8 away at Nice was the bet of the weekend. Nice are unbeaten at home and worthy of their third place. They duly won a bad tempered game 3-1 with 2 PSG players red carded. Mario Balitelli is having a new lease of life and scored a gorgeous opener. Nice lost their manager Puel to Southampton and most of last year’s midfield – Ben Arta to PSG and captain Mendy to Leicester- but new boss Fabre has built a successful exciting team.
In the great Rust debate of attendance v tv watching, on which I generally fall into the tv camp, I am conscious of the inordinate amount of facile betting ads in any one break. Those are designed at guys like me who enjoy a flutter but might be persuaded to part with more cash. Watching the pulsating finale to the Volvo, my enjoyment was enhanced by having a financial stake but I would not have wanted the Pargiter family fortunes to be dependent on it. Gambling is an addiction that can break a personality and those around him. A gambler is serial loser. If he has a system – and most don’t have a winning one – which proves profitable the bookmakers exclude him. Most companies are based on Gibraltar to avoid tax. So Joey Barton is right why does the FA have a betting partner? What are the FA expected to do for the sponsorship money to foster gambling? They are not a company with investors but the custodians of the game and should know better.
