If you could change one major result in 2017, what would it be?
Alex Perry: Tiger Woods to win the Masters. Obviously.
Joe Urquhart: That doesn’t count. He didn’t play.
Alex Perry: Tiger Woods to win the Hero World Challenge.
Dan Murphy: I wish that Sergio Garcia had won the Open and Justin Rose the Masters. Both financially and because I want see Sergio with the Claret Jug in his hands before he hangs up his, err, sporty golf shoes.
Mark Townsend: I think I’d just like Rory McIlroy to win the Masters. I get a bit uncomfortable just thinking about him not doing it so would like it out the way. I like happy endings.
Alex Perry: A thousand times this.
Mark Townsend: Likewise if Greg Norman could somehow squeeze back into the field at Augusta and finally get over the line that would be tremendous.
Alex Perry: You definitely need to get over that.
Mark Townsend: You need to be more romantic. Golf didn’t begin in 2008.
Alex Perry: I remember ‘96 very well and was gutted for Norman, though Nick Faldo was my favourite golfer at the time. I’m just not old enough to have any affection for ol’ Sharky.
James Savage: Thomas Pieters winning the Masters would have been cool. Tommy Fleetwood winning the US Open. Marc Leishman winning the Open. All pretty cool dudes – and all would have won me money. Justin Thomas can keep the PGA Championship.
Alex Perry: Sergio winning the Masters wasn’t “cool” enough for you?
James Savage: It was lovely but it wasn’t cool. The way Pieters rocked up for the first time without being all starry-eyed and nearly winning was quite cool. He wouldn’t have looked cool in the Green Jacket though in the same way he never looks cool in his Nike gear.
Alex Perry: No one looks cool in the Green Jacket – mainly because it doesn’t go with anything.
Mark Townsend: I beg to differ…
Alex Perry: I asked for that. He’s got the right colours on – light shirt, dark trousers. Imagine if Rickie wins it. Will look like a magic eye illusion.
Joe Urquhart: I don’t think many outside the US would disagree with swapping Brooks Koepka for Fleetwood. I’m not a fan. Not really sure why. Probably his non-existent celebration. You’ve just won a major, mate.
Matthew Beedle: And pocketed two million…
Joe Urquhart: Exactly. Smile!
Alex Perry: Koepka doesn’t do it for me – same as DJ really. Prefer players like Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth and Thomas who seem like they’d be genuinely great company on and off the course.
Matthew Beedle: I wouldn’t necessarily change a winner, but – and no offence to Matt Kuchar – the world wanted Spieth and McIlroy going shot-for-shot down the stretch at Birkdale.
Alex Perry: I would have been happy for either to win in that scenario. Again, nothing against Kuchar, but what a boring Open champion he would have been.
James Savage: Has there ever been a more unpopular Open champion than Stewart Cink?
Alex Perry: Don’t. I can’t.
Mark Townsend: I was just thinking the very same, but about Larry Mize and the Masters. Seve Ballesteros: Incredible player and person, three Green Jackets and all after what happened in ‘86. Norman: Brilliant, best in the world, the nearly man gets over the line. Or Mize: Danny Thomas Memphis Classic champion 1983.
Alex Perry: If you could be any golfer from history, Seve’s in your top three isn’t he?
Mark Townsend: He’d be in my top two.
Alex Perry: With Robert Rock?
Mark Townsend: Paul Way. Rock at three, Sandy Lyle four, Jose Maria Olazabal five. Ian Woosnam is my all-time hero but wouldn’t want to be that small.
Alex Perry: What about away from the majors?
James Broadhurst: Si Woo Kim‘s victory at the Players. Nothing against him – it would have just been amazing to see Ian Poulter win after thinking he’d lost his card just a couple of weeks before.
Joe Urquhart: Seconded. There’s nothing quite like watching Poults in beast mode – especially after that shot from the pines on 18. Still silently hoping he’s got one more Ryder Cup in him just for old times’ sake.
Craig Middleton: Anyone but Paul Dunne winning the British Masters Actually I wanted Scott Hend to beat Matt Fitzpatrick as well.
Joe Urquhart: Hend is a funny bloke. Top lad.
Alex Perry: Is that what we’re basing it on now? How much of a “lad” he is?
Joe Urquhart: He is a lad.
James Savage: A lad’s lad.
Craig Middleton: Exactly.
Course closed – now what are you going to do?
Which golfer would you most like to go for a drink with?
