There is a good reason this HSBC event in Shanghai is called a WGC or World Golf Championship..
There are 21 countries represented !! None of them called Canada...
"Tournament winners from 21 countries with more than 500 international titles between them and 30 Major Championships with seven of the world’s top ten players, all ten leading players in The Race to Dubai and 35 of the world’s top 50" is the official release
Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer are all household names but check out these 3 teenagers..Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, 19, Korea’s Seung-yul Noh, 19, winner of the 2010 Malaysian Open and Matteo Manassero, 17, winner of last week’s Castello Masters in Spain who have all qualified.
After a close look at the leaderboard flags here are the countries and number of players
Italy 3
England 8
Japan 7
Sweden 6
S Korea 4
Spain 3
USA 12
Scotland 1
South Africa 7
Nor Ireland 2
Denmark 1
Australia 9
Germany 1
India 1
France 1
Thailand 3
Columbia 1
Singapore 1
China 4
Wales 1
Ireland (Eire) 1
Italy's Molinari brothers are the World Champs and 17 year old Manassero lead the golf revival in a country that only had Constantino Rocco for years
England is so strong now with the growth of Poulter, Fisher, Casey Donald etc, not to mention our new world #1 !!
Japan has 7 including their rock star Ryo Ishikawa who shot 58 this year !
Sweden with Stenson and Karlsson has had a solid core for years
South Korea is exploding with pro golfers especially on the LPGA tour where they dominate and now young seung-yul Noh is their 19 year old sensation. The Champions tour went out there several weeks ago to play and I expect more and more from this dedicated golf mad nation
Spain has 3, none called Garcia and there are more playing around the world, all thanks to Seve..
USA with 12.. My oh my how the golf world has changed from the days when Gary Player was called a "foreigner" when he won the Masters and there were no players from many of the nations here this week.
Scotland with 1 and I really hope with the Ryder Cup being at Glenrothes in 2014 and the Scottish government avowed to introduce every 9 year old to the game by then that my dear old home and the home of this game has a much needed resurgence..
South Africa has a great blend with Ernie and Retief backed up by youngsters like Charl Schwartzel from Ernie's fine junior golf program... Don't forget your Open Champion either Louis Oosthuizen !
Northern Ireland with 2 stunners in Rory and Graeme McDowell and several others playing on the European tours are making the great Christy O'Connor smile..
Australia is the biggest producer of male pro golfers in the world outside of the States and consider this, they have a population of under 23 million to 310 million in the US..so they may be the biggest per head of population Only 9 of their guys are here, but there were 23 with some sort of PGA status this year including young Michael Sim who just tore the Nationwide tour apart last year( and I might add was born in Scotland !! before moving to Australia when he was 5)... Thanks Peter Thompson and some guy called Greg Norman !!
Germany 's Martin Kaymer is just 25 and you can argue is the best in the world.. Of course the patriarch Mr Langer may win it all on the Champions Tour again this year..
Now look at the growth in the Far East, Thailand has 3, China in it's golfing infancy has 4 and many many more to come from a population of 800 million and the relentless move toward westernization being allowed, even Singapore has a representative in Marman Mamat and an event of their own coming up.
Columbia with Camilo, Ireland with Paddy and Wales with Rhys Davies are there as are France, India and Denmark !!
Next year Canada will have 5 at least.. Weir, Ames, DeLaet, Baryla, Hearn and maybe Jon Mills can make it 6 when he goes to at Q school..
It would be nice to see at least one of them at this elite event next year !!
Bryan Angus bryanangus4@gmail.com
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