[Sean_A]

in the World Matchplay at Wentworth this year.  I don't know, but I suspect this is an effort to bone up on matchplay before the Ryder Cup which is the following week.  Mind you, the chance to win a million quid is quite tempting!  I wonder if more Yanks will play the World matchplay this year especially with the Amex Championship at The Grove the week following the Ryder Cup.  I think this would be a lovely three week "break" for the big boys.  For those that qualify for the World Matchplay I think they are guaranteed £64,000.  That should be enough to pay for expenses!

Ciao

Sean

[Tony_Muldoon]

I saw this, Sean, and it did seem like a chance to put the focus on Matchplay. Perhaps he does care about his Ryder cup record after all?

[ForkaB]

I hate to be completely cynical  (Moi! ), but I would guess that Tiger will be earning multiple millions of pounds that week at Wentworth, regardless of whether he wins the whole shebang or loses his first match.

If he wants to prepare for the K-Club and match play, he should stay at Isleworth and speed-dial O'Meara.....

[Ed Tilley]

Don't all the competitors get to stay in one of the (very big) houses on the Wentworth Estate? They're hardly going to be suffering in a cramped hotel room.

[Tony_Muldoon]

Rich I can't see it either. Anywhere, anytime he tee's it up his sponsor's etc make sure he is suitably enriched. So the real question is why play the Wentworth event this year, when he's mostly ignored it?  After all it means 3 weeks away from home, perhaps he's getting wise enough to realise that London (and Ireland) are the only places to be.

[ForkaB]

Rich

I am not sure you are correct.  I don't think Tiger is offered any more "appearance" money than the other 15 guys.  £64,000 and expenses.  The prize of a £1,000,000 is enough appearance money!  It is the biggest paycheque in golf.  Perhaps a lack of sure money is why so many Yanks have been reluctant to come over in recent years.  

You know these guys are spoiled when an all expenses paid trip to London and £64,000 (the cash rises for each match won) and a 1 in 16 chance for a million quid isn't enough incentive.

Ciao

Sean

Sean

If you really think that Tiger is coming to London just for £64K plus the use of a big house (probably not as big as his guest hosue in Florida...), you must have just fallen off a turnip truck....

HBSC may not be paying him anything (although I'm sure they are), but if he can't make a few million in his spare time shaking hands, smiling, giving a clinic or two, etc. then he needs a new agent!  For christ's sake, Wayne Rooney's girlfriend made £5 million last year just being his girlfriend!

[ForkaB]

Sean

I think you are wrong, but dream on!

PS--how does £1 million translate to $2.65 million?  Has Soros been hitting the currency markets again today.......?

[Jim Nugent]

PS--how does £1 million translate to $2.65 million?  Has Soros been hitting the currency markets again today.......?

Rich, by shorting the pound, and then making a semi-killing when the U.S. storms to victory in the RC.  

Ha!

[Andrew Thomson]

I'll be Wayne Rooney's girlfriend for $5 mil.

oops, did i say that out loud?

[Ed Tilley]

Wayne Rooney's girlfriend is an 'aspiring actress' - very talented young girl I'm sure.

Re Tiger - he won't be playing for the money. Give him some credit, he's generally been a 'world' golfer unlike most of his American cousins (here's looking at you fat boy Phil). He's played events in Canada, Dubai, Thailand, Germany, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, as well as in the UK. Yes, he's handsomely rewarded but he would be very well paid if he played other events in the US. I think he feels he has a responsibility to play in other places than the US, and I also think he enjoys it.

[ForkaB]

Andrew

Reminds me of the old story (attributed to Churchill)....

Winston (to a lovely lady at some cocktail party):  Madame, if I were to offer you £10 million would you sleep with me?

Madame (a bit taken aback, but recovering):  Well, yes, probably.

Winston (proferring a note from his dinner jacket):  Here's a fiver, where and when shall we f**k?

Madame (thoroughly shocked):  What do you think I am, Winston, a whore!?

Winston:  Madame, we have already determined that you are a whore.  What we are now doing is haggling over the price.

[rgkeller]

Hopefully a prelude to Woods' abandoning the PGA Tour in favor of the Tiger Tour.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Good one Sir Rich

[TEPaul]

"If he wants to prepare for the K-Club and match play, he should stay at Isleworth and speed-dial O'Meara....."

Rich:

Tiger will be history at Isleworth. Didn't you know he bought Hobe Sound? I heard a rumor that he might try to join Seminole. My advice to them would be to let him in or he might buy Seminole.

 
 
 

[TEPaul]

About a month ago I think I asked on here that anyone guess what Tiger's architectural design fee is. I don't think anyone guessed or got it right. Apparently this isn't even what he asked because he never did---it's what somebody out there is actually trying to pay him.

[Kerry Gray]

Wayne Rooney's girlfriend is an 'aspiring actress' - very talented young girl I'm sure.

Re Tiger - he won't be playing for the money. Give him some credit, he's generally been a 'world' golfer unlike most of his American cousins (here's looking at you fat boy Phil). He's played events in Canada, Dubai, Thailand, Germany, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, as well as in the UK. Yes, he's handsomely rewarded but he would be very well paid if he played other events in the US. I think he feels he has a responsibility to play in other places than the US, and I also think he enjoys it.

I want to say first that Tiger is a great player. But as far as I can recall he has only travelled overseas when offered large appearance fees. Outside of the Ryder Cup or the Open Champ. $2M in South Africa, $2M in his Mother's native Thailand, $2M in Steve's NZ. Call me a crazy idealist but I don't think playing worldwide at a guaranteed $2M per stop makes you an international player, just a capitalist.
Did he go to Australia for the Amex match play when Steve Stricker won? No. No appearance fee there.
If he feels a responsiblilty to be an international player, I would think he could relax his $2M requirement for appearing.
I don't begrudge the guy making his millions, but think about what $2M would do for junior golf in a countries like Thailand and SA.
If he wants to be a international player, I would think he could do it once in a while as just another competitor, or leverage his appearance for the better of the community.
I am curious to see what maturity brings from Tiger.
Kerry.

[Ed Tilley]

Wayne Rooney's girlfriend is an 'aspiring actress' - very talented young girl I'm sure.

Re Tiger - he won't be playing for the money. Give him some credit, he's generally been a 'world' golfer unlike most of his American cousins (here's looking at you fat boy Phil). He's played events in Canada, Dubai, Thailand, Germany, Spain, Ireland, New Zealand, as well as in the UK. Yes, he's handsomely rewarded but he would be very well paid if he played other events in the US. I think he feels he has a responsibility to play in other places than the US, and I also think he enjoys it.

I want to say first that Tiger is a great player. But as far as I can recall he has only travelled overseas when offered large appearance fees. Outside of the Ryder Cup or the Open Champ. $2M in South Africa, $2M in his Mother's native Thailand, $2M in Steve's NZ. Call me a crazy idealist but I don't think playing worldwide at a guaranteed $2M per stop makes you an international player, just a capitalist.
Did he go to Australia for the Amex match play when Steve Stricker won? No. No appearance fee there.
If he feels a responsiblilty to be an international player, I would think he could relax his $2M requirement for appearing.
I don't begrudge the guy making his millions, but think about what $2M would do for junior golf in a countries like Thailand and SA.
If he wants to be a international player, I would think he could do it once in a while as just another competitor, or leverage his appearance for the better of the community.
I am curious to see what maturity brings from Tiger.
Kerry.

The matchplay in Australia was the only individual WGC event he didn't play in. As I recall, hardly anyone went as it was scheduled for the first week in January in Oz which was just mind blowingly stupid. He played in WGC events at Valderrama and Mount Juliet, unlike a number of American pros.

My point was this: If Tiger Woods is playing the value of the tournament to TV, sponsors, fans is vastly increased. The money that tournaments make when he plays is vastly increased. This is as true, if not more so, in the US as overseas. He could make vast sums in non prize money without leaving the US (see Phil Mickelson). In addition the argument that the money would be better spent on junior golf by the relevant countries is flawed - his very presence means the tournament makes his appearance fees back at least. I would also imagine that seeing Tiger Woods in the flesh is a great inspiration to junior golfers in these countries.

I am an 'overseas' golfer and I appreciate Tiger for playing 4 or 5 times a year outside the US. I think Phil Mickelson is an absolute ****** and don't even get me started on Scott Choke.

[rgkeller]

Do Els and Goosen turn down the offered appearance fees and are thus "true" international players?

[Matt MacIver]

I think Tiger has shown remarkable maturity for several years now.  His #1 stated goal is to chase down Jack's 18-20 majors...which he'll nearly soley focus on until age catches up to him (46?).  And he'll make tons of $$ and international acclaim in the process, succeed or fail.  Then he can focus on 1) smashing Senior Tour records; 2) travelling the world; 3) designing courses.  

[Kerry Gray]

Do Els and Goosen turn down the offered appearance fees and are thus "true" international players?

Turn it down, no. But is it a requirement for them to play on more than one or two continents per year? No. I would say that for Tiger, it is.
I am not a big fan of appearance fees in general and I commend the PGA Tour for not allowing them.

[Craig Van Egmond]

Tiger is worth every dollar he makes in appearance money, his presence elevates any event he his in, bring in more tv viewers, ad money, spectators, etc..   He clearly doesn't need the money, but he understands the value of his time.

I don't see Tiger playing many Senior tour events, if any, if he breaks Jack's records.

[noonan]

Who would turn down appearance money?

[ForkaB]

Who would turn down appearance money?

Nobody--particularly the "overseas" players......

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Let's not single out Tiger as the whore here!!!
There is not a top ten player in the world that does not demand appearance money to play in Asia, South Africa or some events in Europe.
Is it a scurge in pro golf maybe, but it has been happening for 50 years, it is not a new problem.
Kerry,  Tiger tees it up at the Open and any of the WGC events outside the US without appearance money..so there are your desired events...but I do see your point.
I wonder if this same thing happens in the world of tennis..anybody know?
I can imagine Federer demandibg a nice pot to appear at some of the events he plays in.

[Craig Van Egmond]

Most players wish they could get appearance money.  

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