New Event Aims To Raise Turkey's 2020 Olympic Profile; Also Means No Tiger At Frys.com
/It's been speculated that Tiger Woods would tee it up in the Fall at the Frys.com Open this year but as James Corrigan and Derek Lawrenson both report, a new $5.3 million Turkish Airways World Golf Finals will be contested just eight days after the Ryder Cup, luring many big names with a huge purse.
And in Tiger's case, there is an extra appearance fee and endorsement deal.
It is understood that as part of a three-year commitment Woods has forged a lucrative “relationship” with the country’s national airline.
This will be more welcome news for Woods’s management team as they rebuild a sponsorship portfolio depleted in the wake of their client's sex scandal.
By next year the event intends to offer “the richest first prize in golf” – a mooted $2.5 million – and this cast-list shows the elite are interested in signing up for four days which will remind of the first World Matchplay Championship founded by Mark McCormack.
Lawrenson notes that the event hasn't made the tours very happy.
I understand a tie-up for the next three years will be announced with Turkish Airlines, with the American clearly seen as a key component of the country’s Olympic bid.
Golf, of course, will be an Olympic sport once more by 2020.
As you can imagine, this event, to be officially announced at The Open in a fortnight, has gone down like a lead balloon with the US and European Tours, who are not involved. Who is going to be interested in the conflicting Portuguese Masters and the Frys.com Open in California when Sky could be showing a final between Woods and McIlroy? As a sop to both tours, the event, beginning just nine days after the Ryder Cup, will finish on a Friday, so as not to affect weekend coverage.
**Bob Harig with this and more from agent Mark Steinberg regarding the new event:
"We've been in discussions for a couple of months," Steinberg said. "It's not finalized but we're trying to work toward that end. At this point, Tiger's schedule is pretty fluid. We're looking at this year and seeing if the event is absolutely going to happen. Beyond this year, we don't know what the dates are for the Turkey event. Tiger had an enjoyable time at the Frys last year (where he tied for 30th). But I'm just looking at this year for right now."
In 2013, the Frys.com Open will become the start of a new wrap-around fiscal-year schedule for the PGA Tour. The schedule will begin in October with several events played in the fall and then to resume in January. Both the tournament and the tour would love to have Woods there to kick off its new season that will begin just a few weeks after the 2013 season ends.
