The sports industry throughout the decades has always been vast and expansive. In fact, in today’s society there are thousands of sports and sporting games ranging from football and tennis to rugby and golf. In recent years in particular, there has been a growing public interest in golf with golf participation in England holding rather steady at 946 thousand people who play at least twice a month at any intensity or duration. Indeed, the popularity of this sport has increased so much because many people are beginning to see its benefits.
Why is Golf a popular sport in the UK?
Firstly, there are a myriad of reasons why many people participate in this sport including the fact that it allows them to play casually on a weekend with friends. In this sense, it is a sport that is not just solely for professionals and allows people to start from scratch or for fun. Although golf isn’t‘t quite as popular as football and other sports, it certainly is getting more and more of a name for itself among sports enthusiasts.
Furthermore, for those who are more serious about golf there are a myriad of tournaments around the world for example PGA, Open Championship and many others that many UK golfers have performed in. These are a great way to have a personal investment in sport and even give UK punters the opportunity to place bets on their favorite golfer. There are now many ways UK punters can place bets on golf tournaments including placing bets on mobile apps, a quick and convenient way to access real-time odds. Not only is betting on golf a great way to inject some extra fun into being a viewer of the game, but there are loads of things that people can bet on including who will win the game and specific scores.
UK’s top Golfers
The sport of golf is also widely known for producing some of the best UK golfers who have gone on to become worldwide champions.
Nick Faldo
One of the most successful UK golfers of all time is Nick Faldo who secured his first Master‘s Tournament in 1990. Faldo is a well-respected figure in the golfing community as he is known for dominating the golf scene with his wins and has a total of 9 PGA Tour Championship wins including 6 majors. In fact, Faldo is so renowned in the golf scene that he has been the recipient of Knighthood for his dedication to the sport.
Rory McIlroy
Furthermore, Rory McIlroy‘s legacy in the sport of golf is widely recognized and he remains one of the most successful professional golfers to ever come out of Northern Ireland. Mcilroy‘s achievements are made even more impressive by the fact that he became the youngest player ever to reach 10 million euros in career earnings during the European tour. Mcilroy has also spread his name across the globe by working with various brands including Nike and EA video games. To this day, Rory Mcilroy remains to be one of the highest paid golfers ever as he has amassed about $54 million which has been made possible by his major wins including a total of 18 PGA Tour Wins which includes 4 Major wins at the US Open in 2011, the PGA Championship in 2012, the Open Championship in 2014 and the PGA Championship in 2014.
Ian Woosnam
Moreover, Ian Woosnam is a well known name in golfing circles and was a regular fixture in the top 10 of the world rankings as he won five times in 1990. Woosnam has had many victories including the world No 1 as well as beating Faldo as Masters champion at Augusta National. Woosam was said to have hit his peak in the early nineties with several top-10 finishes during 1991.
Lee Westwood
A few decades later, Lee Westwood made a name for himself in 2010 as he took the world No 1 for the UK. This sportsman then went on to rank in the world’s top four throughout the rest of the year, achieving the runner up position as the WGC-HSBC Champions.
Luke Donald
A lesser-known figure in golf but one that has still gained significant success in the sport is Luke Donald who apart from Westwood, has been the only other player to have taken part in the world No 1 without possessing a major championship title. Indeed, 2011 was a notable year for Donald as he became the first player to win the PGA Tour and European Tour Money Lists in the same season.
Those professional golfers who have achieved success in the sport like those listed above credit many of their achievements to a regimental practicing routine as well as a high level of discipline which they implement in their every life. They are also candid about the importance of remaining calm throughout a game of golf as a positive and relaxed state of mind has often made the difference in winning or losing a game.
In conclusion in the future, it is predicted that we should witness an upsurge both in terms of the volume of people watching golf and playing gold both for leisure and in a professional sense. Unlike many sports which can only be played professionally, with golf there are now many courses available that allow golf enthusiasts to play for fun without feeling the pressure to win. More people are also engaging in watching golf games and tournaments as people are becoming more competitive. In fact, as golf allows people to bet on it and be in for the chance of winning some lucrative payouts, there seems to be no downside to the game.
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