KEY POINTS:
Rotorua Boys' High School principal Chris Grinter has called for New Zealand Golf board member and media commentator Peter Williams to "get with the times".
The comments follow a public outburst in which Williams slammed the attitude and contribution of Rotorua's Danny Lee to the New Zealand team
at the recent Eisenhower Trophy in Australia.
Williams described 18-year-old Lee's final-round effort in Adelaide as one where "he dropped his bundle" while shooting a non- counting 11-over par 84.
The comments came the same day it was revealed Lee had been involved in a protocol incident at Auckland International Airport, which saw him questioned by Customs officials, prior to heading to Australia.
Grinter said it wasn't the first negative comment Williams had made about Lee or other Asian-born golfers in the New Zealand system.
"I reckon that was disgraceful," Grinter said. "Clearly Danny is a world-class golfer and has been building to that point for some years - but it doesn't change the fact the boy has just turned 18 and, in all other regards, is a pretty ordinary and self- effacing young man."
Grinter said he expected a better understanding from Williams, himself a golfer and an experienced sports commentator.
"Williams knows all sportsmen and women and all golfers can have a bad day and often get frustrated by it," said Grinter.
"Crickey, we've all seen sportsmen much older than Danny Lee demonstrate those frustrations on world sporting stages. For an experienced sports commentator and a board member of New Zealand Golf to make those comments about a young man who's just represented his country and had three counting scores out of four, I think is unbelievable and disgraceful."
Grinter said Williams had been critical in the media about Lee's academic commitment over the years because the golfer had played a lot of sport as he worked towards becoming the best amateur in the world.
Williams had also been scathing in the past about golfer Sharon Ahn; the fact she had returned to Korea after representing New Zealand.
"Williams needs to - especially if he's going to be a judicious board member for New Zealand Golf - realise it's part of the golfing landscape for New Zealand and he needs to get his head around that.
"That's reality, they are not going to discount their motherlands," he said.
Lee's schooling has been programmed around his golfing goals and Grinter said he believed the results so far proved both the school and Lee had done a pretty good job.
Grinter said there had never been any problems with Lee's attitude and, whenever possible, he turned out for the school.
It was an attitude which had also been apparent when representing Springfield Golf Club and Bay of Plenty.
- ROTORUA DAILY POST
