After #TheMatch, What Is The Future Of Golf?

I tuned in on Friday night to watch The Match, a winner-takes-all match between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickleson in a matchplay event for $9 million that finished under the floodlights in Shadow Creek, Las Vegas. The idea was that two of golf's icons would face-off in an epic challenge for the first time and draw in a crowd via pay-per-view that would help to apy for the winner's purse. To add to the spectacle, each player would be able to bet against each other with the winnings going to a charity of their choice.

Considering that the players are 10 years out of their prime, there were no real spectators, short of a 'select few' and corporate sponsors, the ppv fees were extortionate for those in the States (Sky Sports Golf got the rights late on Thursday so I was able to watch it without paying extra) and taht the Ryder Cup was demonstrably more enjoyable, this Match turned out to be nothing but a daft, self-serving and self-congratulating affair that contrived to entertain only the sponsors who showed that they are still able to make people dance when they throw money at them. In my opinion, it was a sad showing so late in such illustrious men's careers. Congratulations to Phil Mickleson for winning it at the 22nd hole.

So, if that's not the future of golf, then what is? There are no two men who have had more of an impact on the sport than Tiger and Mickleson, surely? I would agree, and there are many who took up the sport between 1998 and 2008 that would have done so because of these two. However, we're ten years on from then and the sport has moved on too.

Consider the success of the Ryder Cup, then consider its format - a matchplay even that combines team play on the first two days with singles play on the last. It's more aggressive and more fascinating as the pendulum swings one way on day one and then the other on day two. These players play for pride, not for money.

So. why not a tournament that is for money? A tournament with format similar to the Ryder Cup but with teams of golfers that are contracted to play for that team and can be traded individually, like in other sports. In the three years between Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup matches, the teams would compete in a league structure to determine the winner. In the meantime, the strokeplay majors and masters can still be competed in and the team matchplay would wrap itself around the current calendar.

It allows players to chose between being involved in both or one individually. Ten teams of twelve 'squad-members' would play three matches a year over three years which is unlikely to stretch the calendar. If more teams want to join, then you can structure a two-tier league system with relegation and promotion.

The format is tried and tested with audiences, it's not taxing on the calendar and it'll draw in crowds at a time when golf is ready to try new approaches.

I've Spent Too Much Time Defending Cricket - Steve Smith Proves That

I love sport in general, as you may have gathered. Top level sport is a dream to get to watch live. I really enjoy a day at the Test, but so many people say to me, "that's really boring, why would you want to do that?" And I point them in the direction of Pakistan at Lord's in 2010, England in Centurion, earlier, in 2009 and several more. Both excellent matches with high level cricket played out over five days. England v SA in Centurion was a real snatch-a-draw-from-the-jaws-of-defeat game. Its exciting, dynamic, unpredictable and that's without even mentioning the days long drinking marathon you can achieve if you go to the ground.

I do the same with Golf - Miracle at Medinah. And with tennis - Federer-Nadal 2008 Wimbledon final and Isner-Mahut at Wimbledon in 2010.

But this is it for me. I fell so incredibly let down by Australia captain Steve Smith that I feel there's no point defending a sport against its 'boring' tag if, to make it more exciting, people are cheating. And wilfully, knowingly cheating at that.

The reason I picked the two tests that I did was because I know that various amounts of unsporting play went on. In the Pakistan test match at Lord's, two bowlers and the captain were embroiled in a spot-fixing scandal to bowl no balls in specific overs.

In SA, the England team were accused of ball-tampering but the complaint went no further.

In both situations, those present either admitted responsibility and were rightly prosecuted and sentenced or the complaint wasn't taken further so no wrongdoing was found.

In the case of Steve Smith, this is different. He knew that his bowler had planned on cheating to gain an advantage with a degrading ball. He knew they were planning on cheating and did nothing. Not only did he do nothing, but he initially suggested that he wouldn't step down from his role as Australian Captain (initially, because as I've been writing this a notification has come up telling me that he has stepped down. But for me the damage is done).

Yes, you've won the Ashes. Yes, you've been pivotal in an Aussie cricket revival that one can compare to the rugby revival in the same country. There will always be a place in cricketing history for Steve Smith - as a cheat and a liar.

There's no excuse. What makes it worse was that he seemed to suggest that he could carry on as captain after admitting cheating.

I'm looking forward to going to Edgbaston in August. I might go to Lord's later on in the year. I hope that I see no unsportsmanlike play, it just wouldn't be cricket.

Nasri Ban Makes Mockery Of Anti-Doping Regulations

OK, so there are things that I care more about than Samir Nasri and his IV-administered electrolytes. Things like what Hillary Benn had for lunch or whether or not my neighbour likes carrots. However, the procedure is not what's caught my eye. The fact that he had it in 2016 and the anti-doping agencies are only now suspending him - that's what's got my goat.

In fact, it's not even the anti-doping agencies that have suspended him, it's UEFA. What have they been doing all this time? Each other?

Now, there are strict rules in place to ensure that no clean athlete gets (for the lack of a better word) convicted, but surely it doesn't take 18 months to prove it one way or the other.

The other thing that bugs me is that he now has a six month suspension. Are you aware he has been without a club for the last three weeks? More to the point, he continued to play for Sevilla (on loan from Man City) long after he got caught.

Look at other athletes that went through the same thing, they ended up getting immediately suspended and then the investigation happened. What was different this time?

It's pathetic. All of it. The system is broken. And if the system is broken, then anyone could slip through the net. Nasri only got caught because the clinic where he received his chronic lack of performance enhancing drugs tweeted about it!