McDowell loses clubs, can’t play tomorrow, why?

[Cornwall1888]

Graeme McDowell’s clubs were lost on a flight and he’s now said he can’t play tomorrow in open qualifying and will concentrate on the Irish open

 

Surely a tour pro can get clubs at short notice? Even if they aren’t his exact specifications getting a good set of clubs which suit him shouldn’t be a problem?

 

You’d think someone from his manufacturer could get them and drive to him through the night, there must be a tour truck somewhere in the uk or won’t he have clubs lying around his house?

 

I find his difficulty getting clubs pretty bizarre for someone at his level

 

[Naptime]

Agree seems a bit lame for a touring pro, especially at his level.

[ClintDagger]

Yeah, it’s a handicap for sure but I’d think he could pull something together if he really wanted to give it a go. I guess you could say he wasn’t all that optimistic anyways? Who knows.

[FadeFace]

Were there’s a will there’s a way. Unless I’m missing some technical aspect of lost/missing clubs rules wise it does seem like a excuse

[MtlJeff]

Well it is a lot later over there with the time difference. But you'd still think he'd have someone's number he can text to get clubs. He's a friggin US open winner!

[Cornwall1888]

News of the missing clubs broke at 12pm uk time so he would have at least 19 hours to get them and that’s if he has an early tee off

 

He said on Twitter only 3 of 72 qualify so maybe feels like he’d be wasting his time with an unfamiliar set of clubs

[Naptime]

One would think he has a spare set at home.

[golfgirlrobin]

I bet there’s an alternate out there who would be glad to give it a try with a strange set of clubs.

[ckay]

Eh, whatever, if it is only 3 of 72 I probably wouldn't bother either. Spend all of that time playing and practicing, only to go back to your gamers with some unknown compensating move you made to play your temps.

[03trdblack]

It would also have been an awesome story if he had shot a fantastic score using a rental set or something. I personally would have enjoyed the challenge of trying to make a set that wasn't mine work. Plus you have a built in excuse if you play like crap.

[farmer]

He could find something to play. Driver, putter and wedges are critical, but he could get around with strangers.

[iteachgolf]

It’s not as easy as you’d think. One of my players had his clubs lost before the Open last year Monday Morning. It took until mid day Tuesday to have a full set made and that’s on site at a major. There are no equipment trucks on site and Open Qualifying spots.

[Ferguson]

He might be having marital problems.

[SirFuego]

How are equipment contracts typically structured? What would happen if a pro would show up playing a competitors set of clubs and/or not have the logo on their bag? Are the contracts typically structured with a "lost equipment" clause that allows them to play whatever they want until the clubs arrive?

 

I see that he uses Srixon clubs, so I wonder if there weren't any Srixon dealers nearby (to at least get something off the shelf) and would need to pay a penalty if he bagged a different set of clubs?

[puttingmatt]

Yeah, he plays Srixon, and

if he wins playing something else

can be bad for the Srixon brand.

I am sure Srixon is working to remedy this issue.

[grm24]

Update from McDowell.

[slimeone]

Pro golfers are a delicate bunch aren't they?

[Llortamaisey]

Everyone knows you can’t play a tour event qualifier with retail clubs. They have to be tour issue.

[Tiptx1122]

I guess that goes to show you that when people go out and buy new clubs and they don't perform well for them they go out and sell them or start forums on here and bash certain brands without giving them a chance. In McDowell's case maybe he doesn't need the money or the fire inside has left him since he is not the contender he used to be? K.J. would have found a set to play with if that was him

[bravesgolf]

Unlike most on here, McDowell is about as far from being a ho as you can be. I think he still plays 745's and I'm sure he's still using the same Odyssey 330 he used to win the US Open 8 years ago. You don't just grab any old set or even a newly built set to your specs and play well enough at an Open qualifier if you're that guy.

[cardoustie]

I personally have played two wicked rounds w rentals after my stuff went AWOL on flights

[bscinstnct]

Dumb@ss

 

Make sure your clubs are there. What if it was the Open?

 

He wouldnt play?

[JonnyKrasnodar]

Maybe money would erode my competitive spirit but if it was SO important in the first place I'd crawl through hell and do whatever I had to and give it my best shot to qualify.

 

Then again I don't get paid obscene amounts of money for being average in my job, I don't always play immaculate courses with 60 yard wide fairways that give me 100 yards roll, I don't get to lift clean and place if it's been a bit cloudy and I certainly wouldn't have a dozen identical sets of clubs to my specs if it was essential for my job. That would be preposterous. And I wouldn't keep one of those sets in my home country because DUH!

 

Sincerely hope he doesn't qualify.

[Krt22]

Dumb@ss

 

Make sure your clubs are there. What if it was the Open?

 

He wouldnt play?

 

Well at least if it were the Open he wouldt have access to tour trucks. He plays an odd mix bag of clubs so not likely to find everything he needs.

[iteachgolf]

Maybe money would erode my competitive spirit but if it was SO important in the first place I'd crawl through hell and do whatever I had to and give it my best shot to qualify.

 

Then again I don't get paid obscene amounts of money for being average in my job, I don't always play immaculate courses with 60 yard wide fairways that give me 100 yards roll, I don't get to lift clean and place if it's been a bit cloudy and I certainly wouldn't have a dozen identical sets of clubs to my specs if it was essential for my job. That would be preposterous. And I wouldn't keep one of those sets in my home country because DUH!

 

Sincerely hope he doesn't qualify.

 

Not a single player with a card on any major tour is average at their job. Especially not a major winner.

[iteachgolf]

Dumb@ss

 

Make sure your clubs are there. What if it was the Open?

 

He wouldnt play?

 

How do you suggest he does that? And if it were the Open he’d have 3 days. You know like the Irish open which he is going to play this week that starts on Thursday. Get a new set by Thursday is easy. By Tuesday morning would be very tough.

[bscinstnct]

Dumb@ss

 

Make sure your clubs are there. What if it was the Open?

 

He wouldnt play?

 

How do you suggest he does that? And if it were the Open he’d have 3 days. You know like the Irish open which he is going to play this week that starts on Thursday. Get a new set by Thursday is easy. By Tuesday morning would be very tough.

 

I hear ya, teach.

 

But I cant believe a professional at this level cant arrange to have their essential tools where they are required to work on time.

 

Its like a surgeon showing up without their scalpel.

 

Whoops?!

 

How do your guys make sure they have their clubs when needed. Gotta be a way to insure redundancy.

 

Congrats on your success, btw ; )

[MtlJeff]

Maybe money would erode my competitive spirit but if it was SO important in the first place I'd crawl through hell and do whatever I had to and give it my best shot to qualify.

 

Then again I don't get paid obscene amounts of money for being average in my job, I don't always play immaculate courses with 60 yard wide fairways that give me 100 yards roll, I don't get to lift clean and place if it's been a bit cloudy and I certainly wouldn't have a dozen identical sets of clubs to my specs if it was essential for my job. That would be preposterous. And I wouldn't keep one of those sets in my home country because DUH!

 

Sincerely hope he doesn't qualify.

 

Not a single player with a card on any major tour is average at their job. Especially not a major winner.

 

LoL, seriously. The card holders on the PGA and euro tours are literally top what , 250 guys in the entire world at their job.

 

I'd say thats not average considering the size of the workforce

[tiderider]

It's not as easy as you'd think. One of my players had his clubs lost before the Open last year Monday Morning. It took until mid day Tuesday to have a full set made and that's on site at a major. There are no equipment trucks on site and Open Qualifying spots.

 

while that is true, and pros and tournament level players have a feel for their specs that we can't comprehend, it's still golf ... you wanna play in the Open, then get some clubs and give it a try ... if you're good enough, you can get in with a decent set ...

[iteachgolf]

Dumb@ss

 

Make sure your clubs are there. What if it was the Open?

 

He wouldnt play?

 

How do you suggest he does that? And if it were the Open he’d have 3 days. You know like the Irish open which he is going to play this week that starts on Thursday. Get a new set by Thursday is easy. By Tuesday morning would be very tough.

 

I hear ya, teach.

 

But I cant believe a professional at this level cant arrange to have their essential tools where they are required to work on time.

 

Its like a surgeon showing up without their scalpel.

 

Whoops?!

 

How do your guys make sure they have their clubs when needed. Gotta be a way to insure redundancy.

 

Congrats on your success, btw ; )

 

You can’t make sure of anything unless you fly private everywhere. Like I said one of my players did have an airline lose his clubs last year the week of the Open, and it took til mid day Tuesday to get a replacement set. His clubs finally showed up at 11pm Wednesday night.