When a golf tournament is this nail-biting, it’s hard to know which angle to take

The gripping Turkish Airlines Open was a sports journalist’s dream – but with so much to cover, how do you capture the heart of the story?

(Getty)

When six players tie for the lead after 72 gripping holes of golf at the Turkish Airlines Open, part of the journalist in you is thrilled to watch – but then you realise you need a unique angle on events, and the light is fading fast.

This week, Matthias Schwab coughed up a three-shot lead heading into the final round, which saw Tyrrell Hatton, Kurt Kitayama, Victor Perez, Benjamin Hebert and Erik Van Rooyen – with a dramatic eagle at the last – form a fascinating sextuplet playoff for the first time in 17 years on the European Tour, with the small matter of $2m (£1.56m) at stake.

Dropping like flies, the group was soon whittled down to three, each with their own captivating story. One concerned a Ryder Cup hero and three-time winner (Hatton); another, a two-time winner and candidate for rookie of the year (Kitayama); and another, a pro awaiting a maiden victory but now fragile after 74 energy-sapping holes.

When Kitayama fell away, I found myself torn between following a straight shoot-out between the last two heading into the fourth playoff hole, and speaking to the charismatic American phenom. Golfers tend to be much friendlier and open towards reporters in comparison to other professional sportspeople, so I wasn’t surprised – though I was impressed – that Kitayama was ready and willing to talk to the press immediately afterwards, despite his heartache.

How to capture the heart of the story in Antalya when it all comes down to two contrasting stand-out moments: Hatton’s exciting triumph, and the grim reality of the Austrian Schwab crumbling under intense pressure as his 6ft putt dribbled on by to concede the tournament under the bright floodlights.

Sports journalists are rarely given such a beautiful concoction of stories, all with their own twists, turns and uncertainties, alongside a nail-biting finale which centred on an unexpected miss. This really is sport at its finest – even if it’s also reporting at its hardest.

Yours,

Jack Rathborn

Sports reporter