Is golf facing a noisy future?

Sergio Garcia’s spat with Tiger Woods during the Players Championship at Sawgrass could change the face of golf tournaments for ever.

That’s the claim of former player Frank Nobilo who believes the sport must get set for a noisy future.

Sergio claimed he was distracted during his third round by the crowd’s reaction to Woods pulling a club from his bag just as Garcia was about to hit his approach to the second hole.

Tiger countered by saying he thought Sergio had already played his shot.

Now Nobilo believes the incident holds more serious implications for golf and it’s fair to say the majority of traditionalists will not want to hear them!

“I think five or 10 years down the road we will realise golf doesn’t need to be played in the kind of silence we’ve become used to over the years,” he states.

“I’m not talking about the way Sergio was subjected to heckling out there.

“One of my colleagues heard a fan shout: ‘Nothing personal, but I hope you miss it’, as he was standing over a putt.

“That is deplorable.

“But, this is the real world now, and Sergio and Tiger were half a football field apart when Tiger pulled his club out of the bag.

“It’s true people clapped Tiger, and nobody would like that going on when they’re getting ready to play.

“But there was a wall of people obstructing Tiger’s view of Sergio, and while an apology may have helped from Tiger, you were never going to see that!”

Unfortunately for Garcia, his frequent list of laments to anyone who would listen means many people categorise him as as a whinger.

Last Sunday evening, to his credit, there were no excuses for his meltdown as the tournament reached its conclusion. Joint leader with Tiger on the 17th tee, he dumped two balls into the water as he ran up a quadruple bogey to end his challenge and allow Tiger to win.

“I like Sergio. He is an open book,” says Nobilo, now a respected TV pundit.

“We knew these two guys weren’t bosom buddies, and they were playing in one of the biggest championships in golf.

“They want to beat each others’ brains out.

“At this level, we want people to give it everything on the golf course and if they don’t like each other, that, once again, is the real world.

“But Sergio faced the media after his final two rounds and didn’t make excuses or point fingers.

“So let’s not be negative about him.

“Remember what they said about Adam Scott (left) last year after The Open?

“Sergio has to look at how he rebounded and won The Masters and realise he can do the same.

“And if he needs any further encouragement, remember Phil Mickelson was Sergio’s age when he finally beat his Tiger bogey and won at Augusta.

“Playing in the same arena as Tiger is difficult for any player. Phil figured it out.

“Sergio has to realise the missing ingredient lies somewhere in the winning formula he uses for the Ryder Cup.”