Jay Townsend - November 27, 2012

• By Morning Drive Team
• Nov 27, 2012 7:25 AM ET

The Nedbank Golf Challenge has just 12 men in the field yet plenty of World Ranking points are available and Townsend feels that something is not right with this. It is a relaxed week but the field is very strong and the strength of the field may make world ranking points justifiable to some.

Rory McIlroy has had an unbelievable 2012 and he has matured a great deal in terms of his course management and the way he conducts himself before and during events. The comment that really got Townsend’s attention was when Rory said the biggest difference for him in 2012 was the fact that he could contend and win even when he did not have his best game.

There will be a new Final Series of four events to close the Race to Dubai in 2013 on the European Tour. This seems like a great idea and he is very optimistic that all four events will have very strong fields. However, he is also concerned about the fact that a lot of star European Tour players will be spending more time on the PGA TOUR in 2013 and therefore will spend less time on the European Tour. This is something that George O’Grady should be concerned about and it hurts the European Tour not to have those stars as often as you would like.

When asked about the announced changes to The Old Course at St. Andrews, Townsend says he and many people on the European Tour consider the changes to be blasphemous. He understands the desire of the R&A not to have a 59 shot at the Home of Golf but at the same time this course is arguably the most treasured course in the world and no one should be trying to alter or modify this great place.