The BBC's dwindling portfolio of live, televised golf is set to be diminished further after it emerged last night that the Ricoh Women's British Open will also move to Sky in two years' time.
Hard on the heels of the Royal & Ancient's announcement that the Open Championship, which has been broadcast on the BBC for the best part of 60 years, will be screened by Sky from 2017, the Ladies' Golf Union (LGU) confirmed that it has agreed a similar deal with the satellite broadcaster for its own showpiece event.
In an agreement that mirrors the arrangement of the men's Open, the LGU and its partner, IMG, has signed a five-year contract from 2017 to 2021 with Sky providing live coverage of all four days of the championship. The BBC, meanwhile, will show a daily highlights package although it will be a one hour slot instead of the two hour production that has been agreed for the men's event.
A statement from the LGU was brief and to the point. It said: "The Ladies Golf Union and IMG can confirm a new five-year broadcast agreement for the Ricoh Women's British Open with the UK's two largest sports broadcasters, Sky and the BBC, running from 2017 - 2021, in an arrangement similar to that announced last week by the R&A for the Open Championship."
The latest migration of a live, free-to-air event from the BBC to Sky will no doubt be greeted with further despair from the UK golfing public. When this agreement comes into force in 2017, it means the final two days of the Masters will be the only live golf shown on the BBC. Not so long ago, the Beeb's golfing output totalled 24 days with events like the BMW PGA Championship and the Scottish Open also being shown live. Those championships are now broadcast by Sky. The two days of live coverage of the Masters should at least remain on the BBC for the foreseeable future after the corporation signed a "multi-year" deal with the officials at Augusta in 2014.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Peter Dawson, the chief executive of the Royal & Ancient, claimed that the BBC negotiators had made it clear to him during the bidding process for the Open rights that showing highlights of the championship was their preferred option. Against the financial clout of Sky, it seems the BBC has opted for the 'cheaper' option again with the women's event. This season's Ricoh Women's British Open will take place at Turnberry in July.
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