The Loop
Muirfield vote ‘wasn’t against ladies,’ was ‘against media telling us what to do’
Stories of interest you might have missed…
Muirfield members rejected a proposal to admit women at the historic East Lothian club because they did not like the “media telling us what to do” and wanted to “prove a point,” a high profile member said in this story by Martin Dempster of the Scotsman.
“Former Scotland rugby player John Douglas, 81, said: ‘It wasn’t so much a vote against the ladies as a vote against the media and the press telling us what to do. No-one likes being hammered all the time.’”
Douglas also said called criticism, including that from Rory McIlroy, “ridiculous.”
Masters helped Westwood overcome doubts about future
Lee Westwood tied for second at the Masters, a timely performance for a man who had begun to wonder whether he was still capable of competing at the elite level, Derek Lawrenson of the Daily Mail writes.
“Now 43, that stunning performance from nowhere has completely transformed the landscape for one of the game’s most popular players. Westwood is not only guaranteed a place in the next three majors, he’s right on the coattails of those currently holding berths for Europe’s Ryder Cup team.”
Cancer survivor celebrates life, fourth-place finish
Matthew Southgate, 24, finished fourth in the Dubai Duty Free Irish Open, yet celebrated as though he had won. In a sense, he had, James Corrigan of the Telegraph writes.
“Ten months ago Southgate was diagnosed with testicular cancer and…there was a genuine belief within that this was the end of his career. Yet somehow he managed to make his way through the three stages of qualifying school and there he was at the K Club, winning more than £150,000 to secure his Tour card. It says plenty of the potency of this tale that it was able to grab even a piece of the spotlight from Rory McIlroy’s home glory at the Irish Open. In truth, this was about so much more than golf.”