Give Scottish golfers benefit of doubt over Porsche European Open withdrawals - even if it didn't look good

It’s a question lots of people have been asking over the last few days: why did four Scots all withdraw during last week’s Porsche European Open in Hamburg?

Well, it actually seems nothing more than a coincidence, even though it contributed to what was probably the most disappointing week of the 2022 DP World Tour season so far for the Caledonian contingent.

Grant Forrest, the first Scot to see his race end early on the Porsche Nord Course at Green Eagle, withdrew to an “ongoing shoulder injury” while an “ongoing hip injury” then led to Richie Ramsay also pulling out before the second round.

David Drysdale was next to fall by the wayside due to a “personal reason” before Ewen Ferguson was also added to the list, though no information was shared about what had happened to him.

In total, 12 players either withdrew or retired during the event, with South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout having a pop at them on social media over the weekend. “Not much respect shown by them for the sponsors and fellow players,” he wrote on Twitter in a post that also included three thumbs down emojis.

The former Dubai Desert Classic champion is entitled to his opinion, which will also be shared, no doubt, by many others, and I agree that a dozen does seem a high number.

However, and I’ve known all of them for a good few years now, I don’t think any of the Scots are the types to throw in the towel without having a proper reason for doing so.

It’s been well known that Forrest, who recorded his breakthrough win on the circuit in last year’s Hero Open at Fairmont St Andrews, has been struggling recently with an injury. Just look at his results and you’ll see he’s not been firing on all cylinders.

Ramsay had also been hampered by his hip problem