Thursday
Jan102013
How Times Have Changed In The Middle East: Tiger "Not Worth" $3 Million
Mai Akkad reports the disparaging comment from the Qatar Golf Association president suggesting Tiger is not worth his $3 million appearance fee for the Qatar Masters, and it looks like some outlets took this as a put-down of Woods.
“Tiger Woods demands $3 million just for an appearance, if he were to compete in the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters - which is not worth paying for a tournament of $2.5 million prize money,” Hassan al Nuaimi said.
I see it as sign of the Middle East events either coming to their senses or joining the reality based economic world. Thoughts?
Thursday, January 10, 2013 at 07:20 PM
Reader Comments (34)
It will be interesting to see if any other foreign fields take up the same attitude. Depends on his season, I suppose. If he returns to being a major winner, maybe his price will hold. If not, well, they will at least offer him whatever they are paying Jason Dufner.
A couple weeks prior to that Tiger collected a $3 million appearance fee in Turkey, Rory's was $1 million.
To answer Geoff's question, the total purse of the Qatar event is $1 million less than that of the Puerto Rico Open. Last year Paul Lawrie won Qatar and collected $465,000, George McNeill collected $630,000 for winning Puerto Rico.
The point being, Qatar is a minor league event and their bankroll is nowhere near big enough to afford the likes of Tiger (or Rory for that matter)...guys like John Daly, Hunter Mahan and Jason Dufner are the type of neighborhood Qatar can afford to be shopping in.
Some context, the guy was asked why Tiger wasn't coming, & it's far cooler to say he's not coming bc I don't think he's worth it, then admit the reality, which is Tiger was never going to come to Qatar over the payday in Abu Dhabi (he was never going to do 2).
If Tiger (or his agent) quoted $3 mil, he was interested in playing. Pre 2009, there was essentially a waiting list have him show up for $3 mil. No longer. There is not enough demand elsewhere - thus he would have been willing.
Times of changed - obviously.
It used to be the poor relation to Dubai, and then it raised its game a bit and got more of the top players who routinely went to Dubai to stay on, as it was relatively close by. But I think Ab Dab has rather taken the wind out of its sails -- it was somehow shinier from the get go.
But it still gets a pretty good field most of the time. I don't care what Puerto Rico pays -- it's still Triple A. Players on the ET (and visitors) will stay on for Qatar or take time off or travel to the vicinity of their next event -- Tiger to Torrey, etc. -- depending upon the rest of their schedules in the major leagues. Nobody plays every week.
Obviously nothing has changed.
BTW, is there another professional golf tournament (of consequence) that week somewhere else in the world which you are aware of that nobody else knows about? A line forming somewhere?
Qatar can't afford it, simple as that. This bozo in Qatar is not the axe in golf appearance fees by any stretch of the imagination, more likely he's the dumb money.
Rose, Dufner, Ollie, Sergio, Kaymer....these are the players highlighted on their webpage.
No Rory, guess he wasn't worth his asking price either?
Wonder if they'll give Mr. Justice a freebie this year to make up for it?
Press Agent, how would you spread that $3 million around? Keep in mind that Rory's new asking price is reportedly $2 million.
As for Qatar and the dumb money thesis, I see Jason Dufner is playing their event next week.....I am a huge fan of Dufner, love that golf swing and demeanor, but whadya figure his fee it? What's the opinion on what he's worth in that respect? $50k? $100k? $350K?
You are horribly misinformed:
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/eco_213183.html
http://www.tradearabia.com/news/eco_213183.html
And I was advised this morning from a very reliable source in Europe that Tiger in fact entered Qatar and then withdrew his entry, presumably after the question of his fee arose.
I don't think that Turkey, a rookie event, meeting Tiger's fee is particularly relevant -- it wanted to start with a splash. (And seems to be very solvent -- it is now heavily committed to the ET's season-ending events -- pity it was not friendlier with Greece). And China has as ever its own agenda and economics.
As above: we will see who pays. And we will probably hear how much.Aside from the economics of it, there must be a few held noses when his name is even mentioned, but money usually trumps anything else, and certainly in golf, which appears to need all the help it can get (to sustain its inflated growth).
So I know there are (possibly) 4 days, and I know there are other fairways, players, etc. but the ''appearan e fee'' is not about the ''draw'' at the gate, it is about the ''other stuff''- you know, the dinners, the passing the paper under the sall taking a dump next to TW, no brown M&M's other dictates of the contract that wins TW as your bud for a few days-- Corporate America does this every week in the guise of swponnsoring a golf tournament, which they do, but th CEIEIO's and such are eating chips out of the bag with their golf heroes for just a few million of their shareholders dollars----
It is a complex thig, this want to schmooze with famous people. This ''it ain't worth it'' dude must have had his feelings hurt, or maybe TW refused the paer undr the stall, and the glory hole in it :)
They could afford Tiger more easily than Abu Dhabi.
It just looks like they don't want to waste their money.
Which probably explains why their income is the highest per capita.
Now, I know that just me saying so isn't going to do it so whadya say we dig in a little?
What we know is...
(i) for over a decade Tiger never ever entered an event prior to the Friday before in order to prevent a media storm just in case he had to withdraw. He has modified this somewhat for the PGA Tour in the last year but I am certain it is an issue about which he remains extremely sensitive.
(ii) we also know that Tiger has a widely reviled, but extremely experienced and financially competent agent, who leaves nothing to chance.
(iii) additionally we know that Tiger, and Steiney, know the difference between a 1 and a 3.
(iv) lastly, we know that the very second any tournament gets confirmation of Tiger's entry they instantaneously blast out a worldwide press release (which has been pored over for weeks, just in case) announcing his participation in the event.
So, what your guy is saying that (a) Tiger just up and entered Qatar well in advance and (b) Steiney said "don't worry about that fee fellas we'll sort it out later" and (c) all that time the tourney kept his entry top-secret and (d) then when it came time to sort out the fee the tourney said "wait we thought it was $1 million not $3 million" and (e) after they couldn't work it out Tiger withdrew....
....and ALL of this STAYED a secret from everyone, but your "source" has been brought over the wall?
Is that what you are saying? That's sure what it sounds like! I will guarantee you Steiney would never ever confirm Tiger's entry into any appearance fee paying international event prior to having an ironclad contract for said fee executed and filed in quadruplicate -- period.
As for the $3 million, you can rationalize the sources of funds all you want but the bottom line is at least twice in 2012 a $3 million appearance fee hit Tiger's bank account, as well as a $2 million fee for one day. Additionally, Tiger collected $3 million last year from Abu Dhabi and I'd say the odds that he turned up for less money this year are exactly 0%. Clearly there are a number of events, with the money, that think such a fee is worth it and to suggest he's not able to secure such a fee is just factually incorrect.
One more thing, earlier you said "I would venture Rory Mac has far more appeal these days in the Middle East than Tiger." If the info coming out of Australia a couple months ago is accurate Rory's fee is now $2 million, if Tiger is less popular and his fee is more why wouldn't Qatar have zeroed in on him in the first place? Why not get Rory instead?
Out of curiosity, what kind of crowds does this Qatar event attract? Sea Island crowds? Scottsdale crowds? Something in between?
I hope you didn't quit your job to defend all things Tiger. I am sure that Tiger just doesn't care that much - about you or issues like this.
Sorry to break this to you.
I would also contend that it is less a waste of money to pay Tiger 3 mil (or Rory 2) then Duffner or whomever $500k (or whatever they're paying) - I'm just not sure what sort of return you get for Duffner
It is Dufner, not Duffner
As for defending Tiger, I've not said anything good or bad about Tiger. Matter of fact, if you read closely I really didn't even take issue with the "not worth it" part of Mr. Qatar's statement, in fact that part is debatable. But somehow people jumped from "not worth it" all the way over to "he can't get $3 million and never will again" (paraphrasing there) and that's just not the case.
In hindsight though you have a point, I probably could have skipped all the other verbiage and simply said....
....nothing's changed because he's getting $3 million for playing Abu Dhabi next week.
(but then what would I have done to fill the rest of that time?)
My source has often been the source of seemingly incredible statements all of which have subsequently been borne out or substantiated. I tend to trust him. He is seriously connected.
It don't make no never mind to me -- all three mid-East events have very attractive fields as far as I am concerned.
We all know the answer to that!
digsouth
PTBSA
I have to go--The Great Race is starting, the real one, with Jack Lemmon.
He is generally a valued contributor, but on balance, he is a Tiger Fan Boy.
And, that's okay.
But we have to keep that in perspective when he is trying to spin himself as an objective observer.
At least with Elf, she is clear with us where she stands with respect to Woods.
BTW, for the record, I am a Tiger Woods Antagonist. So, if I try to spin things as objective, call me out.
In that context...Tiger is an asshole.
Yal'll feel better now?
PS....Smacking, you familiar with the concept of "self insured"?
PPS...ADG, "objective" is a word that should be eliminated from your vocabulary -- you're banned from using it!
PPS...Lenox Hills was quite nice today given the latitude and time of year, hope y'all had a good one!!