If I Were A Rich Man...

Filed in archive Golf News on September 6, 2007

There may be a very good reason why the game's top players are taking turns skipping out on Mr. Finchem's party called the FedEx Cup.

Money.

Of course, that was the giant carrot dangled before the noses of the players all season long, urging them forward like pack-mules.

But it might also be why it's not working.

Golf Digest has published a list of the top 50 money earners in the game today. They include money won on the course and money made through endorsements, bonuses, appearance fees, corporate outings, etc.

That money is huge. At least double what a player makes on the course.

In Tiger's case, he makes 8 times as much money off the course as on.

So, these guys aren't that hungry for MORE MONEY. Woods told NBC after he finished his round on Sunday that winning is what it's all about.

But even he knows you can't expect to win week after week. So, what's the motivation for the top players to compete in four straight FedEx Cup events?

Off-course earnings aren't freebies, by any means. Appearance fees are earned when you make an appearance; corporate fees are paid when the TV commercial spots are shot or when the golf outings are completed.

All these things take time. Away from the course. On off-weeks, when the top guys aren't playing, they're not at home watching their colleagues on wide-screen TV. They're still working.

It's a different world of golf from the one that existed only 47 odd years ago when a golfer lived and died by his or her winnings.

Then, along came Mark McCormack and that all began to change. McCormack, founder of International Management Group, was the young lawyer who landed the first endorsement deals for Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Other golfers soon followed suit when they saw what Arnie and Jack were making.

The off-course business is way up in the stratosphere now. Even McCormack must be shaking his head in awe.