Spitting Image

Of course, other than the Woods fine in Dubai - not even petty cash to the wealthiest sportsman on the planet - no professional player has been sanctioned, nor have those charged with upholding the values of the game sought to act to remove this disgusting and increasing habit to the annals of history where it belongs.

But, one man who has put his money where his mouth is on the great spitting debate is former European Tour winner turned coach and TV pundit Mark Roe, who is particularly outspoken on the matter.

"It's an absolutely disgraceful habit," said Roe, adding "I saw Dustin Johnson spit on the first tee at Riviera before he hit his tee shot and it was disgusting.

"The problem is they keep sticking chewing tobacco into the side of their mouths; I guess it's a country thing over there. It's something the Swedes used to do on the European Tour, but to the credit of the Swedes they weren't very often seen spitting on camera,” continued the Englishman, concluding, "It's got to be stamped out. It needs to become a fineable offence on both the PGA TOUR and the European Tour.

But, like the issue of smoking during play, those responsible for golf’s governance view the rules - and their enforcement - and their fabled etiquette as a pick-and-mix box of chocolates, choosing the strawberry crème whilst rejecting the hazelnut nougat.

However, there may be a shard of light at the end of the tunnel.

Buoyed by the success they perceived the Olympics to have had on the value of their, ‘product’, the PGA TOUR has entirely - if belatedly - embraced the thorny issue of drug testing and the critical removal of anonymity for any miscreants.

Of course, spitting is not the stain on golf that the drug-taking most insiders believe has hitherto been somewhere between commonplace and rife in the men’s game. But it is a blot on the landscape - literally and figuratively - of the game and must be at worst discouraged and at best, banned. In the mass media world we live in, tens of thousands of young, aspiring male golfers will continue to leave a bad taste in the mouth of those who follow the game.

And, thinking outside the box, perhaps there is an opportunity for Kleenex to become an official supplier to men’s professional golf?