Tiger Blows Off Dubai

Filed in archive Golf News on December 12, 2007

Courtesy: AP

It was the kind of remark that PGA Commissioner, Tim Finchem, must have nightmares about when he imagines a worst case scenario for his FedEx Cup.

Tiger Woods, fresh of his latest pga tour Player of the Year honors, has ruled out the idea of playing in the European Tour's newly minted Dubai World Championship, the shiny, 10 million dollar blow-out closing tournament which starts in 2009.

Before he could do so, Woods needs to become a card-carrying member of the European Tour. He's tantalizingly close since Euro Tour membership is based on a minimum of 11 events - which include the four majors, the three World Championship of Golf events and the Dubai Desert Classic.

Tiger competed in all of them plus one more which leaves him one tournament short. But he said today he has no interest in increasing his playing schedule, especially overseas.

This is a huge blow to the European Tour and to the money men of Dubai where Tiger is building his first ever golf course - for a reported fee of 50 million dollars.

The European Tour Players Committee is tackling the issue of membership to their tour and is reportedly leaning at increasing the number of qualifying tournaments to 13.

I don't think this is a dead duck yet. I believe there will be great pressure brought to bear on the European Tour to make some kind of change that will allow Woods to compete.

Maybe he can play under a sponsor's exemption...