Tiger wins PGA Tour event...but are we seeing a shelf life on tour golfers? 4/365

As Tiger Woods won his 82nd victory in the first PGA Tour event to be held in Japan, the subject of longevity in golf was the topic of discussion amongst my members at Roe Park this morning. When the Tiger stormed onto the scene in 1997, he changed the game. Golf was a game back then that was played professionally by all sizes and shapes.

As driving distance has become more and more sought after, and the gym work is now important as the range work, a worrying trend has appeared. Just a couple of weeks ago Brooks Koepka was recovering from a stem cell injection in his knee, Tiger has had who knows how many surgeries, and numerous players seem to be nursing chronic injuries.

Are we witnessing a shift in the game to a 'shelf life' or recognised retirement age? Where players are putting their bodies under such physical pressure between a one sided swing action and a demanding gym regime? Arguably there is nobody rugby tackling them, but there is impact from club on ball. With the sometimes hectic nature of travel schedules and media duties, there is often little room for proper rest between events for many of the players, and the cumulative effect of playing, training, and lack of proper recovery may start to make playing the game to the highest standard more difficult in years to come.

Just a thought, as I have always regarded golf as a game for life, but this may begin to change at the highest level...