COMMUNITY

This is their job and if they can get that kind of money for doing it, have at it. Blame the sponsors if you want but I know I wouldn't turn down money like that.

Exactly. Anyone would take $3 million to play golf in an exotic destination like Turkey. Plus he got at least $500K for finishing in T3. Can't remember what he got exactly, but Mahan and McIlroy got $300K for finishing in last place.

As much as I think appearance fees should be done away with, that's not the player's fault. I don't blame anyone who ever accepts an appearance fee.

Can't blame anyone for accepting such an appearance fee. Just goes to show you if you have the talent, someone will pay.

He is the draw so why not. Can't blame him. Easy money.

I would take the money and run, 18 holes is just a meer 16666 a hole.

It will probably be the reason that Tiger eventually gets some kind of status on the Euro Tour. It will happen sooner than later. $$$ Talks.

Hey sometimes..."no bucks...no Buck Rogers"

That line is courtesy of the movie, "The Right Stuff"

The original post implies the two choices are mutually exclusive: Play a tournament with a big appearance fee, or play for the good of the game. I don't see that as the case. In some cases, both elements might be in play. Also, in one tournament it could be about the appearance fee, but that doesn't preclude the player from choosing 3 other tournaments 'for the good of the game'.

Of course there are limits on how much a player can play or how much they can do (not all requests are to play) and still be effective. I think it is hard for some of us to imagine the shear number of requests a top player receives.

One of the things I like about the PGA is that virtually every tournament has a MAJOR charity component to it.

I don't see it as any different than the average Joe who takes a signing bonus up front for accepting a job at XYZ company. If you were offered a job with a $10,000 signing bonus would YOU turn it down? Hell no! If the company is going to hand it over, I say hell yeah!

If your cable company gives you premium stations just for signing up, do you turn it down?

If you play 5 rounds at a golf course and the 6th round is on them, do you turn it down?

There's plenty of examples out there, but the bottom line is, if you can get something for nothing then I can't find too many reasons not to take it. Especially $3 million.

hell I would have done it for alot less

The comment about doing it because it's good for the game reminded me of friends of mine that are electricians, plumbers, general contractors, etc. and are inundated with requests to do things for other people for free. Now all of these people I'm thinking about do a lot of this charity work, but there are limits to what they can do.

I bring it up because it isn't just top athletes and celebrities that have to deal with these realities.

Oh so true!!! I see & feel those requests daily.

You asked about feelings, so I will answer literally: jealousy and regret.

JEALOUSY: I wish I had that much money so I, like all PGA golfers, would not have to work a day in my life.

REGRET: I have dual regret that (a) I was not born with the DNA to play golf on a pro level, and (b) I wasted so much of my youth on academics when I could have been honing my swing in an attempt to see if I could play professionally.

Did you just say EXOTIC DESTINATION????? LMFAO, I have been there and it's anything but EXOTIC. But I agree, I wouldn't turn down the $$$ either. Blame the sponsor's and organizers.

If they players don't get the money who? Same crap happened with the Ryder cup a dozen or so years ago. Players were getting pissed because they weren't getting a DIME and the event was raising MILLIONS. They weren't mad that they personally werent' getting money but they wanted money steered towards charities of their choosing (presumably if your good enough to make a ryder cup team, you aren't hurting for money) in the end a settlement was reached and the players do get a sum of cash towards their charities.

Same arguement happens in pro sports, everyone says the athletes are whiny and overpaid, yet they are the ones who put their physical and as we are now learning more and more with a sport like football, mental well being on the line. IF someone wants to pay him that, by all means take it. They were talking on Morning Drive about how golf's tv ratings were up 30+% this year and were wondering why. Gee, do you think it might have had to do with Tiger getting back in the winners circle 3 times?? Don't get me wrong, it's not all him, the whole Tiger Rory thing is really getting excitement and drawing in the most casual of fans.