Look, many airlines suck. They particularly suck at getting your luggage from where it starts to where it's supposed to land. It happens far too frequently with golf clubs. Even when the clubs arrive on time where they're supposed to be, they can arrive damaged.
Needless to say, for a professional golfer, having their golf clubs with them and in good, working condition is of the utmost importance.
That's why the response from an airline to LPGA player Ryann O'Toole was stunning and frustrating.
“Can’t you just use a rental set?” is what someone with British Airways said, as O'Toole told Golfweek about the incident while waiting Tuesday for her clubs to arrive.
Meanwhile, O'Toole has been unable to practice or prepare for the fourth of five majors on the LPGA schedule. She sits, literally, at a disadvantage as players get to take on Evian Resort Golf Club in advance of The Evian Championship in France, which was moved from September to July in hopes of playing a firmer and faster version of the course without the encumbering poor weather that's been associated with the event since it became a major in 2013.
O'Toole has done the sensible thing, reaching out to British Airways for updates.
Come on @British_Airways my golf clubs have been sitting in Philadelphia for over 30 hours now! Get them on a flight already so I can get ready for @EvianChamp this week!!!! #luggagedidntshow #thissucks
— Ryann O'Toole (@RyannOToole) July 22, 2019
Eventually, she was told American Airlines would shuttle the clubs from Philadelphia to Madrid, where Iberia Airlines would take the clubs to her stop in Geneva, Switzerland, which would then be shuttled to the resort.
Hopefully my clubs made the @AmericanAir flight last night from Philadelphia to Madrid. I hope @Iberia_en was able to transfer them and they are on there way to Geneva! @EvianChamp #iminthedark
— Ryann O'Toole (@RyannOToole) July 23, 2019
There's still yet to be an update on Wednesday, one way or another. O'Toole would be particularly game to compete this week as the 32-year-old posted her best-ever major finish, a T-6 effort, in this event last year.
