Marcus Fraser almost won and Mark Leishman shot 62 to win a PGA event, while the others couldn’t raise a wimper.
Every Aussie was out of Wimbledon by the end of the second round.
It is quite simply a joke.
In a country where spare time and overweight people abound – one of the worst rates of slothfulness in the world – the greatest country on earth is standing still.
It is not good enough. Why aren’t our kids undergoing physical exercise of some sort at school for at least one hour every day in the country with the world’s best climate?
Australia thrives on team sports and the focus seems to be on that area. It is time that the individuals who manage and coach individuals in the solo sports start to crack the whip.
The battle is being lost on a count of lazy habits.
Fraser is 10-15 kilos overweight. Leishman is almost as bad. They idolise Tiger and copy Fat Albert.
That is the story with many Australian golfers. Other than Jarrod Lyle, there is no excuse. I can’t begin to imagine what he is going through to play golf again, but you know it is not pretty.
Anyone can play four rounds of golf in four days, but if you are not as fit as Tiger or Kaymer or Padraig Harrington forget it, you’ll always be an also ran.
Aussie golfers get it too easy. It is a circuit, so the travel and the practise and the hotels and the second round eliminations are givens. So don’t turn up and sit on your backside.
Get out there and run until your legs can prance and not labour through four rounds. Get in the gym and get toned. Behave like a winner. Look after your body and your career will take care of itself.
And apply yourself mentally to the grind because it is one of the world’s most expansive sports after fishing and you have the honour of playing a sport that literally millions can play easily.
So respect that you are in a privileged position.
As for the tennis players, I’m not going to out Sam any more. She at least is 100% fit.
But Ebden and Matasovic and Tomic were pathetic at times.
I mean there was as much fight in their games as a wet paper bag. They are not physically tough, mentally tough and they look like they are looking for handouts from Tennis Australia or some great coach to come and turn them into world beaters.
It is time that the packaged nature of these individuals is revealed for what it is – an excuse to fail.
If they can’t get Australian youth being mentally and physically fit and tuned into their golf and tennis, the heads of the Australian PGA and Tennis Australia want their head red.
Tom Callaghan
Guest
John, I take your point but with regard to cricket Australia's achievements seem to be fading into the relatively distant past. I take your point about England being one of the sides to consistently beat Australia at Rugby Union-home and away in last two games-but I believe that Scotland have won last two games too and I seem to remember that Ireland beat Australia in the last RWC. It lookss if Japan have the edge on Australia in the World Cup football qualfying group too
John
Guest
We are among the best in the world in both sports. It is considered a national disgrace if we fall outside the top 3 nations in either sport so we have always been (and probably always be) among the best in the world. We are the only country to win multiple world cups in the cricket and one of only 4 nations to have won the RWC. England, NZ and South Africa are the only nations that can consistently beat us (and even they all struggle to beat us here in Aus).
Tom Callaghan
Guest
John, Did you say that Australia performs excellently at cricket and rugby union?
John
Guest
Be that as it may, there are few countries can boast the amount of elite players Australia can. When you look at the world rankings, the only country that has as many top players as us is Nigeria (I fail to understand why them of all countries). At the last World Championship, our team performed so well that we get to send an extra person to the next one in 2013. Don't be surprised if it happens again next year. :) Seriously though, Australia has always had a focus on team sports and that way t'll always be. Sure, we'll get the odd golfer, surfer, tennis player, track and field star come along occasionally but really all this country cares about is team sports. That's why we succeed so well in Union, League, Hockey, Water Polo, Cricket and hold our own in basketball.
Dan
Guest
What a ridiculous article! Are you telling me Appleby Allenby ogilvy baddelly day and ADAM SCOTT are not fit! I'm a trainee pro and the PGA give us all sorts of fitness regimes and diets. We have two weeks a year in an intensive school just for that purpose. Please get your facts right mate! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download The Roar's iPhone App in the App Store here.
Tom Callaghan
Guest
John, I fear for Australia's future as a top ten scrabble playing nation. The increasing influence of colloquialism in the Australian market place, playground,office ,etc, is leading to the erosion of the language skills required for top level scrabble performance.
John
Guest
No need to worry. Australia is still one of the best nations at scrabble. We boast 3 players inside the top 10 in the world with several more in the top 100.
oldhacker
Guest
I agree Art. Too much of the government's money for sport goes on that great bureaucracy in Canberra, the AIS, whose success rate in too many sports is minimal. Our talented kids get it so easy a lot of them never develop the necessary hunger. I have been connected with high-level sport for 30 plus years and the national system has, like any big government aid project, become a self-perpetuating process in which career paths for boys and girls is more important than outcomes. Sure, there are sports and coaches reaching the standard but there are also too many coaches/administrators who are world class at talking the talk but can't get talented kids to walk the walk. Tennis Australia and the AIS, with their blatant, long-term failures on the court, typifies this. Tomic? Soft, spoiled little pouter. Casey Dellaqua? How much did weight issues contribute to her chronic injuries? Etc, etc.