Golf-Jacklin says modern golf is too predictable

By Tony Jimenez

LONDON, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Tony Jacklin, a twice major winner and four-time European Ryder Cup captain, believes golf has become too predictable and the excellence of world number one Tiger Woods disguises the problems with the game.

"The ball is predictable, the equipment is predictable, the greens are better and so more predictable," Jacklin said in an interview with Golf World magazine.

"The game has lost the unpredictability it had say 40 years ago. Galleries and people are pummelled with advertising these days so they get used to stuff and it seems easy to convince them everything is all right."

Jacklin, who won the 1969 British Open and 1970 U.S. Open, drew a parallel between golf and the global economic downturn.

"Maybe it will be different when something has to be done but by then it may be too late," said the 65-year-old Briton who now lives in the United States.

"It is a bit like the financial mess the world is in. For too long no one wanted to address the underlying problems in the world economy then all of a sudden it was too late.

"No one wants to believe the game today is not as good as it was. Tiger disguises a lot of the problems.