No Tiger in the Tour Championship
Wow. First, Phil Mickelson pulled out of the season ending, invite-only Tour Championship -- not a huge loss, given how Lefty was playing. Now, however, Tiger Woods has announced he's pulling out, too. "Playing seven out of nine weeks with an additional trip to Ireland for Ryder Cup practice was taxing both mentally and physically and I feel like I need another week away from competitive golf," Woods said.
PGA Commish Tim Finchem must be seething. This doesn't necessarily bode well for next year's FedEx Cup year-end playoff system.
16 Comments:
As has been said too many times, they are independent contractors, and don't get a set salary. Well, the Tour Championship is as free as money gets on the PGA Tour, and Tiger has obviously put more emphasis on continuing the winning streak rather than beating Vijay's one year earnings record, or getting a ninth win in one year. Thus he will choose to play when he feels 100%, I assume. Seems petty, but then again, I can't put myself in his shoes.
It isn't good for golf. But Tiger has the choice. No tournament is mandatory, and no one can say that Tiger has not done his share to build the game, but skipping the tournament can't help the tour in general.
With Ames, Phil, and Tiger skipping this tournament, one can only wonder how many will skip the Mercedes.
You know the other guys can't help but like the fact that the field is now down to 27.
To me, this points to what a necessity it is for the PGA to tighten up the season. No more John Deere, 84 Lumber, Honda Classic, Valero Texas open...to start. At least cut the season down by a month - First weekend in October shoudl be the last of the year.
Perhaps Michelle Wie should be extended an invitation.
I would have loved to have been on the line when Tiger called in sick!
The FedEx Cup will work next year. $10 million is still $10 million.
But the problem with tempting guys with money is that you need more money every time. The top prize at East Lakes is still less than what Tiger will receive in appearance fees at his events in China and Japan.
No one really talks about the prize money at major, do they? Because the players don't care. The majors are about history...the PGA TOUR is about cash. That is why we love the majors.
One more indication that golf...at least men's golf...is in better shape in Europe and Internationally than it is here (in the US). Or maybe it's just that different.
"One more indication that golf...at least men's golf...is in better shape in Europe and Internationally than it is here (in the US). Or maybe it's just that different."
And the other indicators are.........
Anyone knows who are the candidates for Rookie of the year? Who do you think will win?
Who does everyone think is going to be the Rookie of the year?
Sorry, I didnt mean to post a comment twice, I thought the first one didnt make it...
Other indicators...Well, the Ryder Cup victories...the growing audience...the crop of young European players...need more?
check out this golfing gorilla
http://www.golfrilla.com
Patricia,
Have you been to a European Tour event? Compare a crowd at that event to the crowd at a lowly event like the John Deere.
As for the young players, they all go to school in the United States (including the Aussies).
Ryder Cup...well, I have no argument there. Perhaps American golfers are trained to play as individuals while Europeans don't focus exclusively on golf while young and play team sports as well. Thus the Ryder Cup record and the reason that a European hasn't won a major this decade.
"Other indicators...Well, the Ryder Cup victories...the growing audience...the crop of young European players...need more?"
15 out of the top 20 players in the world play on the PGA tour. The US have four tours that are very sucesssful. The US has players that everyone wants to watch like Tiger, Lefty, John, and Michelle.
The US has the largest amateur tournament in the world, nearly 9,000 entries. The US has the best college golfers in the world as well. Why do you think players like Casey, Donald, and even Mongomerie went to school in the US?
Ryder Cup? US won the President's Cup last year, big deal! Who really cares about made-up silly games that aren't part of the game? Majors, are what matter in golf. Everyone's career is measured by it. If Ryder Cup mattered Colin Montgomerie would be considered one of the best golfers ever, instead he's considered one of golf's greatest under-achievers.
Since the new millenium there has been 28 majors, do you know how many of those have been won by Americans? 20. Do you know how many have been won by Europeans? ZERO!
Any questions?
Guys: No need to be defensive. If there wasn't "an issue" with American Golf we wouldn't be discussing this, would we? I don't claim to know an enormous amount about professional golf, however I know I love the sport and I'm apparently not alone in feeling that there's a certain malaise in American golf today, while European / International golf is really coming into its own. I sense it has much to do with money and the fact that in the US, if someone isn't makeing astronomical amounts, he's considered an underachiever. Admittedly, Tiger, Phil and John are wonderful to watch, not to mention the previous generations of US players who had such skill and such individual styles. I just don't see many interesting players coming up. Is it just my imagination, or do they all look/act/play the same? And... "who cares about silly made up games like the Ryder Cup?" Um, I think quite a number of people do, golf purists among them. As for "Majors, are what matter in golf. Everyone's career is measured by it." That's an opinion. Not a fact, unless a career is judged purely on the basis of $. Anyway, it's obviously a subject that begs discussion, and it shows no signs of going away judging from today's post.
Patrica, your ignorance of golf and affinity for all things pc knows no bounds!
I may not know a lot about golf, I acknowledged that in my comment. However, I am learning, and I'm so totally NOT pc. Really.
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