This Week at WorldGolf.com: June 19, 2007

When Tiger Woods loses it hurts the PGA Tour pros? Count the rea$on$ why

Out of this year's U.S. Open coverage, one little, easy-to-miss factoid jumped out: In 1994, the last time the Open was at Oakmont Country Club, the winner, Ernie Els, took home $320,000. Angel Cabrera, this year's winner, walked away with $1,260,000.

That's a massive increase in prize money. What gives?

Inflation, you say? In 2007 dollars, Els' paycheck would be worth $449,012. Where did the other $810,988 come from?

The answer is easy: Tiger Woods.

Since Woods turned pro in 1996, PGA Tour purses have increased some 40-50 percent on average. Consider just the U.S. Open's prize money since 1990. From 1990 to 1995, the winner's check at our national championship increased each year by an average of 12 percent. Since 1996, the average is closer to 20 percent. That's a lot more cash going into players' pockets - and it's not even taking into account how the Open's total purse has increased.

Pro tournaments are now big business and Woods is the main reason why. This reality raises an interesting question: Is it good for pro golf when Tiger Woods doesn't win, as was the case this week?

Since 2000, we've had a lot of "no name" winners at the Open: Cabrera, Ogilvy, Campbell, even Goosen and Furyk who, while now in the world's top 10, were hardly household names when they broke through a few years ago.

That's great news, if you're out to tout, as I have in this very space, golf's egalitarianism.

But that overall fairness works against the financial reality of pro golf, namely that the more of these career journeymen like Cabrera who come out of nowhere and win, the less people are going to care. Tournaments, networks and advertisers want Woods and Phil Mickelson and (however unlikely) Sergio Garcia in those final Sunday pairings. They draw the galleries. Where is Michael Campbell these days?

Not a few pro golfers probably said this week that it was good to see Woods not prevail. Good for the game. They forget how much richer Woods has made them.

They have him to thank for their second and third homes.

As always, WorldGolf.com welcomes your comments.

U.S. Open Commentary: Ridiculous?
Unfair? No, Oakmont was just right

OAKMONT, Pa. - Tell Angel Cabrera that Oakmont Country Club was unfair. He was the only player to shoot two rounds under par this week. The reward? A U.S. Open trophy. No course in professional golf draws more attention to itself than the year's U.S. Open venue. Despite plenty of complaints, accusations and excuses this week, the USGA set up a perfect U.S. Open golf course in 2007, Brandon Tucker writes.

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