Dawson calls for action

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R&A chief executive wants badly-behaved golfers to be named and shamed and not afforded the privacy given to them by the tours they play on.

R&A chief executive wants badly-behaved golfers to be named and shamed and not afforded the privacy given to them by the tours they play on.

Currently the individual tours handle all disciplinary issues behind closed doors and do not publicise the outcomes, but Dawson feels it’s about time that changes.

With Tiger Woods’ public outburst during the second round of the Masters once again raising the issue of player behaviour, Dawson would like more openness in the disciplinary process in order to discourage further indiscretions.

He admits, however, that they will not be able to make any temporary changes in policy for the upcoming Open Championship, which is being staged at Royal Lytham and St Annes this summer.

“The European Tour have published once or twice. Both tours know our view on that but it is a matter for them,” said Dawson.

“I have gone on record as saying more public sanctioning would not be a bad thing.

“That would not be the Tour policy certainly in the United States and they have reasons for that.

“One would have thought public sanctions would be more likely to lead to a correction of behaviour rather than private sanctions.

“We have always relied on the tours to put players through their disciplinary procedures or tour members if there is some kind of misbehaviour.

“We don’t actually have a published Open championship bad behaviour policy.

“It is not something you can do for one week a year.”

Asked what the response would be should Woods be caught spitting or swearing at the Open, Dawson responded diplomatically: “It is an unedifying spectacle.”

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