Lydia Ko of New Zealand acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green after winning the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Photo / Getty Images
Lydia Ko of New Zealand acknowledges the crowd on the 18th green after winning the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Photo / Getty Images
Chris Rattue looks at the best and worst from the sporting weekend.
WINNER: Baffling Kiwi golf stories
What a weekend for New Zealand golf, with LPGA legend Lydia Ko and senior star Steven Alker crushing the opposition in Hawaii and Florida.
Their stories have become as crazy as eachother.
Teenage prodigy Ko’s career has had far deeper troughs than anyone would have predicted.
The best explanation (put forward by commentators as she won the Tournament of Champions by four strokes) was her constant commitment to getting better and the attendant fiddling had taken her down rough paths.
Even that doesn’t fully explain how a fantastic comeback in 2022 could be followed by such a dud 2023.
A great start to 2024 has Ko set for Hall of Fame entry, and well placed to mount a charge for that elusive Olympic gold medal.
The short-game creativity is back, and her confidence is surging.
“Never count her out - she continues to reinvent herself,” as one commentator put it, as Ko cruised to a two-shot win on her home course.
Alker’s rise from regular tour nobody to senior superstar keeps on keeping on, and remains a mystery to the greatest minds in the game.
The 52-year-old left a trail of big names in his wake with a four-shot win, his eighth in just 54 starts on the PGA Champions tour.
Apart from one piece of outrageous luck, when an approach shot bounced off rock and on to the green, Alker was way too good for Steve Stricker, Ernie Els and co.
Commentator Lanny Wadkins - who won a major during his career - put it this way over the weekend.
“He has a gorgeous setup, his lines are terrific - it’s a beautiful golf swing,” Wadkins opined.
“I don’t see anything weak in his game. I don’t see any flaws anywhere.
“My biggest question with Steven Alker is this: where the hell has he been, why hasn’t he been doing this for the last 20 years?”
Steven Alker. Photo / Getty Images
WINNER/LOSER: Chris Wood
The Big Kiwi striker looks like a “target man” throwback compared to the agile wizards who dominate the English Premier League.
But Wood knows how to make his game work, and he is on a fine goalscoring run under new Nottingham Forest manager Nuno Espírito Santo.
But Wood’s EPL future is under threat - Forest are struggling to stay clear of the relegation zone, they face a points deduction threat, and Wood’s latest goal didn’t save them from defeat against Brentford.
WINNER/LOSER: Silver Ferns
Edged past Uganda in London, but not in a way to say they are on a glorious path forward.
WINNER: Grace Nweke
Off the top of my head…the Silver Fern shooter is the single most important player to any of our national sports teams. Any other contenders?
WINNER: Scott Robertson…with the crowd
Breath of fresh air? More like a gale-force wind.
The sometimes zany new All Blacks coach conducted a crowd singalong at the Black Clash cricket match in Tauranga.
Not exactly Steve Hansen country.
All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson.
LOSER: Ignoring the march of time.
I found it a bit sad watching 54-year-old Brian Lara, among the finest of all batsmen, struggle so badly that he needed a fake no-ball to keep his innings going at the Black Clash in Tauranga.
The game itself didn’t grab me at all. Exhibition nonsense isn’t my thing.
But others loved the party atmosphere, star factor and quirky commentary. Each to their own.
LOSER: The Wallabies’ latest Hail Mary
In better days, the appointment of Kiwi Joe Schmidt to coach the Wallabies would have received a lot of fanfare.
But the never-ending search for magic bullets is a yawn.
WINNER: People power
The Buffalo Bills have been using fans - as in the people variety - to get rid of snow on the field so their NFL games can be played.
The climate is causing a lot of problems for sport around the world. In this case, an American Football team is paying its supporters $20 an hour to deal with their snow issue.
WINNER: Welcome to Wrexham (Disney+)
Season two is fantastic. The makers have found great stories in and around Wrexham’s bid, fuelled by Hollywood’s Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, to return to the English Football League. Wonderful television.
They sure make some noise. A crowd of 9000 did a great job of generating a vibrant atmosphere for the top-of-the-table clash against the Melbourne Victory.
And 10-man Phoenix responded with a surprising draw thanks to a very late penalty from captain Alex Rufer, whose influence reminds me a lot of what Tim Brown used to do at the club.
It was a stirring game - but all those empty seats at the Wellington stadium are a disappointing reminder of how low the A-league profile has sunk.
Modern life offers so many alternatives - maybe that’s what it comes down to.
Bottom line: The new Auckland A-league franchise will know it has its work cut out.
Alex Rufer (C) of the Phoenix celebrates after scoring. Photo / Photosport.
WINNER: Sporting voices during war
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is causing angst in major tennis circles, as it should.
Ukrainian players are using their star power to try and keep their country’s dreadful plight at the forefront of people’s minds.
Marta Kostyuk said as much at the Australian Open, revealing her mother sends her videos of missiles flying over their house.
But who can speak for the people of Gaza… although Tunisian tennis player Ons Jabeur has donated money to Palestinians who are facing the terror of Israel’s attacks.
“It is not a political message, it is humanity,” she said late last year.
Chris Rattue has been a journalist since 1980 and is one of the most respected opinion writers in New Zealand sports journalism.
Scott Robertson has resisted any temptation to rotate his side for the All Blacks’ year-ending test against Italy, naming as strong a side as possible for Sunday’s clash.
