AJC > Sports > Columnists > Archives > 2006 > November > 02 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USTour stars’ absences of responsibility
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Furman Bisher
Who dominated the commissioner Tim Finchem’s annual state of the PGA Tour press conference the other day? An absentee.
A full-page ad in color, trumpeting the approaching Tour Championship at East Lake, featured one central figure, the same absentee finishing a tee shot. “Only at East Lake Can You See So Many Stars in Broad Daylight,” the ad proudly proclaims.
One you won’t see this weekend is Tiger Woods, another is Phil Mickelson, the PGA Tour’s two leading marquee American attractions. Another is Stephen Ames, the Trinidadian by way of Canada, but he has an excuse. A bad back caused him to pull out of the past two tournaments he attempted. But, to show you how generous the PGA Tour is, Ames will still collect whatever his share of the purse might be. I’m not sure that the same applies to Mickelson and Woods, not that it matters. For certain, nobody will be passing the hat for them in their absence.
This is becoming a habit with Mickelson. He pulled out last year, and say this for him, on both occasions he gave the tournament sponsors ample warning. As soon as he returned from the Ryder Cup debacle in Ireland, he let it be known he will not rejoin the tour until the Bob Hope Tournament (presented by George Lopez?) in January.
Him, you might forgive. He is still recovering from his crushing finish in the U.S. Open, when it seemed he had in his pocket.
He gave that calamity his own creative benediction: “I am such an idiot,” he said. He found no dissenters. That considered, he could be forgiven his absence at East Lake had he not thumbed his nose at the tour’s crown jewel event last year.
Now, Tiger. Why wait until the week before the championship? Finchem, at his press conference, said, “Now that I know the details of Tiger’s thing from last week, I understand how he came to his conclusion. … He needed some time away.”
I’m not sure what “thing” he’s talking about, but the only “thing” I understand is that next week Tiger will be playing in China, which is a long way away, and he’s guaranteed $4 million. If he should have played at East Lake and won, his take would have been $1,170,000. If that’s what the commissioner means, then I understand, too. It’s all about the money, but not quite. You see, Tiger’s track record at East Lake has been a rocky one. Five times he has played in the Tour Championship here and he hasn’t won yet. He has finished 20th, 7th and second three times. Retief Goosen blew him out on Sunday in ‘04 and the agrarian Bart Bryant beat him by six strokes last year. In fact, he has won only one Tour Championship, and that was played at the Champions Course near Houston in 1999.
That being the case, could Tiger have been concerned about his winning streak? That his pursuit of Byron Nelson’s 11 straight might come a cropper? We shall never know, but no one can deny our right to suspect so. All that’s left to be played are those concoctions of the “silly season,” then in January, Woods can cherry-pick his way along the tour and keep the streak alive. That’s a damning suggestion to make, I suppose, but what this does is prove that money isn’t everything to him. It’s just a gauge of success.
The Tour speaks proudly of its increase in purses, it’s devotion to charity and the wealth provided its players. But what it has done is create a society of independently wealthy, two-legged corporations, all in this business for themselves, some who show up and are just happy to collect a little walking-around cash. Tiger is on the verge of creating his own private world, as if to say, who needs the tour?
This is not one of his brighter and more admirable moments. Let’s face it, no matter what a world-class attraction he has become, he still needs a stage, and the tour is that stage. Just how much Finchem’s efforts to recharge and reconstruct the PGA Tour to make it so appealing that no player can stay away will have on him is unlikely to change Tiger’s MO. Who knows, next thing you know he may create his own tour, then what?
Permalink | Comments (13) | Post your comment | Categories: Furman Bisher
Comments
By PJM
November 2, 2006 09:30 PM | Link to this
After their lame performance in the Ryder Cup, Tiger and Phil certainly hurt their image among many educated golf fans in the Atlanta area and probably beyond. Claims of exhaustion are pathetic. In their prime, Arnie, Jack, Watson etc. would not miss this type of special tournament. They were men, these guys are not. Haw many tournaments did Tiger play compete in this year? Tiger and Phil are examples of the over-programmed product that american junior golf has created. Think Tiger as A-Rod, and not Jeter. He’s great during the regular season, but come post-season play (Ryder Cup) he’s, well, pedestrian at best. The Tour Championship is one of the great tournaments in professional golf. Its limited field and classic venue make it interesting, important and certainly worth of the “#1” player in golf. As if their performance in the Ryder Cup wasn’t enough proof, Tiger and Phil have either exhibited their lack of heart and true love of the game, or more likely, their self important view of their position on the professional circuit. Hopefully their absence in this tournament foreshadows their absence in the top 10 in next year’s major tournaments.
By Malted Falcon
November 2, 2006 11:50 PM | Link to this
I second everything by PJM. It IS about the money for some of these guys. It’s a lot of money, but let’s call it what it is. If this IS the championship, where are the best players? Would Eldrick skip the Players Championship for a ten mil guarantee in Dubai? I don’t know.
By Lee Barton
November 3, 2006 07:43 AM | Link to this
I can’t be sure, but I bet the Tour uses the Tour Championship to bring in the biggest and best sponsors and let them “mingle” with the players. Without the sponsors, well there wouldn’t be a tour. You can’t make a player play, but he should be called on it when he doesn’t. I remember Tiger bailing on the old tournament at Callaway Gardens where he was going to be presented an award at a big banquet that had presold hundreds of expensive tickets. He was tired. I can’t imagine the stress of being Tiger or Phil on your personal life. But I do understand respecting your sponsors and those that make it possible for you to earn a wonderful living. Would a NASCAR driver miss the championship because he was “tired and needed some time away”? I don’t think so.
By Paul Hamilton
November 3, 2006 08:28 AM | Link to this
It’s an individual sport, there is no team depending on tiger. He makes 100 million or more a year. If I was tired I would take a day off too. The public doesn’t factor into my decisions in life, so why would it matter to Tiger. Why don’t you show the other side of the spectrum and how much time he spends helping kids and promoting golf outside of actually playing in a tournament??? Tiger generates tons of ratings and revenue for the PGA, he is like Micheal Jordan. Whoever compared him to loser A.Rodriguez, get an I.Q. You compare a guy who is most famous for the largest payout in baseball history? Tiger has brought golf into the mainstream around the world, he is arguably the best golfer ever, I will stop there because you could name record after record that this guy has broken. Oh and he is a big time “clutch” performer, which is one reason why he makes so much money. He wins! The PGA needs Tiger Woods a lot more than he needs the PGA.
By Jim Goodwin
November 3, 2006 08:38 AM | Link to this
Question, if 3 players have with drawn, and we are down to 27 players, why doesn’t the Tour let 31,31 & 33 play so that we have a full field of 30 players? And they knew months ago that Phil was a drop out, why not a replacement???????
By CMathews
November 3, 2006 10:03 AM | Link to this
When was it ever established that the “Ryder Cup” was the post season of golf??? It’s the majors that drives Tiger. Always has been and he’s never tried to hide it. Sorry he isn’t in Tour Championship. I would love to have seen him play, too. If you love golf you’ll watch anyway.Or do you only watch when Tiger is playing :)
By sam doughty
November 3, 2006 11:00 AM | Link to this
The PGA tour is too long. It should end in Oct. Phil always drops out of sight after the Open. Tiger went to China for 4 million. Most would.
By Pompano
November 3, 2006 11:42 AM | Link to this
Every Tour player (and everyone on the PGA payroll) should have a little Tiger doll that they say “thank you” to each night before they go to bed. Purses have sky-rocketed with the notoriety that Tiger has brought to the Tour.
Finchem understands this which is why he is quick to defend Tiger. No different than the NBA riding the back of MJ for all those years.
By JT
November 3, 2006 02:29 PM | Link to this
If they don’t want to play that’s their business but don’t feed me a line of being tired or needing the time off…. I am a hugh Tiger fan, but he has only played 15 pga tournaments, so that means 6 days per tournament times 15 and he has “worked” less that 1/3 of the year and he expects “US” to accept this BS about being tired… Tired from what? Thinking of ways to spend all of his MONEY? And is far as FAT Phil and his fake little family, I don’t really care if he ever plays again..
By Cee G
November 3, 2006 03:24 PM | Link to this
Tiger could be tired from actually “winning” six tournaments in a row as opposed to just showing up & collecting a check. A lot of mental & physical preparation is done before a trophy is hoisted on Sunday! Furman, this sounds like a tired rationalization deep-down why you either don’t like, or are jealous of Tiger anyway!! The people that are making the fuss are probably the same ones who feel Tiger wins too much & he gets all the attention. Seems like they ought to be happy he’s not there so “someone else” can win. Get back on your rocker Furman.
By george
November 3, 2006 04:00 PM | Link to this
If I’m not badly mistaken, Byron Nelson won 11 straight tournaments, NOT 11 that he chose to play in. That being the case Tiger can win 100 in a row like he is doing and will still not equal Nelson’s 11. Only an idiot would see it otherwise.
By bushwacker
November 3, 2006 06:29 PM | Link to this
Tiger does not understand the meaning of doing something “for your sport”. Arnie’S legacy is not about wins and money, he made people want to watch. When the stars quit showing up, so will the people. After Tiger and Phil and Ernie and DL3 and that group quits, golf is in big trouble.
By bushwacker
November 3, 2006 06:29 PM | Link to this
Tiger is gutless, he knew the streak would end this week!!