Lee Westwood joins outcry at BBC's 'insulting' decision to give Women's Open highlights the...

[ASFN Admin]

Lee Westwood has added his voice to the outcry at the BBC’s attitude to the Women’s Open here this week, declaring that the TV highlights from Royal Troon have been consigned “to the graveyard shift”. The majority of BBC2’s coverage of the first female major of the season will be broadcast after midnight, with the final-round wrap-up starting at 11.55pm. At least fans who do not subscribe to Sky Sports - which screens all four days live - will be able to use the red button to watch the hour-long programme at 9pm on Sunday. But, unlike last year, in the first three rounds this, according to Tuesday's published listings, will not be an option. That is because the BBC has elected instead to feature the World Seniors Snooker Championship on the red-button platform. This has left Westwood, among many, baffled, if not appalled. “I can’t actually believe it - that is really disappointing,” Westwood said when contacted by Telegraph Sport. “I know BBC TV has been turning its back on golf for years - this is first time in 55 years that it will not screen one day of live golf from any event, anywhere - but if you have the rights to one of the biggest events, in global terms, that will happen in Britain this summer, then why not put on the highlights at a watchable time, not after the graveyard shift has started? “It’s an insult and it makes no sense as there are loads of the British up there in the rankings [Charley Hull, Bronte Law, Georgia Hall and Jodi Ewart Shadoff are all in the world’s top 60]. They clearly deserve better.” By speaking out, Westwood is following the lead of countryman Justin Rose, another former world No 1, who in the midst of the pandemic in June stepped up and did his bit to help out Britain’s female professionals by setting up the Rose Ladies Series, an eight-strong mini circuit that gave players such as Charley Hull and Georgia Hall somewhere to play. Essentially, Rose was answering the long-made call for a big-name male golfer to stand up for their women counterparts in their fight for greater recognition to address the huge disparity at the elite end of the sport. “It was great what Justin and Kate [Rose’s wife] did with their series and I agree that it is time the men do whatever they can to share the spotlight,” Westwood said. “But things like these BBC highlights going out so late does the cause no good whatsoever.”

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