British Olympics legend Sir Matthew Pinsent was just one of the many stars taking part in Wednesday’s Pro-Am ahead of The European Tour’s flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club, and he offered his thoughts on the day, and the upcoming London Olympics, shortly after leaving the West Course’s famous 18th green.
Pinsent, 41, was one in a trio of Knights of the Realm joining Open Champion Darren Clarke as guests of title sponsors BMW in the morning session, as fellow Olympian rower Sir Steve Redgrave and World Cup winning rugby coach Sir Clive Woodward made up the fourball.
Northern Ireland’s Clarke, then, was amongst a plethora of sporting pedigree as they finished a respectable tied fourth of the morning groups on 12 under par, 11 shots behind the eventual winners, led by Paul Casey, and Pinsent was later awarded the Closest to the Pin prize for his seven iron on the par three second hole.
“It was a brilliant day,” he said. “I played well for that format; just trying to get net birdies and I managed to get four or five so I was very happy with that.”
Pinsent – who over the course of a stellar rowing career accrued ten World Championship gold medals and four consecutive Olympic gold medals, three of which with his good friend and playing partner for the day Redgrave – also took time to praise the condition of the West Course ahead of Thursday’s first round.
“That’s as good as I’ve ever seen the course, condition-wise,” he enthused. “It’s obviously really lush because of the rain we have had in last month, then to have that combination with sunshine is lovely.”
As one of the great Olympians, having competed at the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2004 Games, Pinsent is also well placed to look ahead to this summer’s London Olympics, and he is full of expectation for what promises to be a great British spectacle.
“I do really think it’s going to be a great success, I hope so,” he said. “Hopefully the weather will remain through August, the venues all look fantastic. The team is coming on song right at the right moment, it really is. Hopefully it’ll all align and come together and we’ll have a great experience.”
A golf enthusiast who plays off a handicap of 16, Pinsent was also thrilled that the sport is set to make a return to the Olympics in the 2016 games in Rio de Janeiro after a 112-year absence.
He said: “I’ve always been a fan of golf becoming an Olympic sport, and I know some people aren’t – even some of the players aren’t – but I think that the best golfers playing at the Olympics is good and that’s always what golf has said, that they will take the best golfers to Rio.
“It doesn’t worry me too much that the Open or the Masters or any of the Majors are going to be bigger than the Olympics, because essentially the Olympic games is the chance of a gold medal, and that the golfers will really care about.”
