Slump or decline for Australian golfers?

It’s not long ago that Australian golfers were the international flavour of the month. How, many asked, could a nation of barely 20 million people punch so far above its weight and produce so many world-class players? What a difference a couple of years make.

Now, these same people are asking what’s wrong with Australian golf?

It’s a fair question, because currently there are only three men ranked in the top 50 in the world – headed by No.14 Robert Allenby, who isn’t playing this week’s PGA Championship, due to a knee injury.

Two years ago at this time there were seven Australians in the top 50.

More disturbingly, Australian players on the leader board at major championships have been rarer than the Tasmanian tiger the past couple of years.

Only Mathew Goggin, at last year’s British Open, has been in contention over the final nine holes.

So the question begs, is Australian golf just going through a quiet phase, or are the days of a dozen Australians or so in the top 100 in the world gone for good?

As golf becomes increasingly global, it’s only going to become more difficult for any single country to dominate. For example, the once dominant US now has only 20 players ranked in the top 50.

Geoff Ogilvy, who is going through a short lean spell of his own, thinks Australian golf is just experiencing a quiet patch, not beginning a long-term decline.

“Australia has a great infrastructure (for junior golf),” said Ogilvy, the 2006 US Open champion.

“It’s hard to see Australia not having 10 or 12 really good worldwide players.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with Australian golf. It just goes in phases. We’re probably just all having our bad patches at the same time.”

Ogilvy identified Adam Scott, Stuart Appleby and Aaron Baddeley as three players who lost form last year at the same time, but pointed out that Scott and Appleby have both won again this year, while Baddeley has shown signs of improvement.

“Australia has no right to have as many good athletes in any sport as we do, if you purely go on participation,” Ogilvy said.

“We manage our athletes very well. Sport’s a priority in Australia more than a lot of other countries.”

Ogilvy opined that nobody in the international media would be surprised if there were three Australians in the top 10 at the PGA Championship.

Then again, nobody will be surprised if there are none, because thats the way it’s been at the first three majors this year.

AUSTRALIANS IN MEN’S WORLD GOLF TOP 50

NOW:
14 Robert Allenby
32 Geoff Ogilvy
43 Adam Scott

TWO YEARS AGO:
9 Ogilvy
11 Scott
24 Aaron Baddeley
28 Stuart Appleby
31 Allenby
49 Richard Green
50 Rod Pampling