European Pga Tour

European Pga Tour, We accept cash, check, money order or PayPal.Welcome to the new season of Teeing Off, where Devil Ball editor Jay Busbee and head writer Shane Bacon take a day’s topic and smack it all over the course. Suggest a future topic by writing jay.busbee@yahoo.com, or hit us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @shanebacon. Today, we consider whether it’s time for the PGA Tour to start paying appearance fees to its marquee players.

Busbee: So Tiger Woods is playing on the other side of the world, and to no one’s surprise, money is a factor. Woods confessed that the appearance fees offered up to play in Abu Dhabi were enough to get him to turn his back on Torrey Pines. So is it time for the PGA Tour to read the writing on the check? Is it time for the Tour to start paying its marquee draws to come to less-than-marquee tournaments?

Bacon: I never thought it would come to this, but it seems time for the PGA Tour to follow suit. Honestly, if it was you or me, and someone was going to pay us $500 to play at this course, or $0 to play this other one, we are taking the one with the cash, and anyone out there that dogs Tiger for taking the money is being hypocritical. I know it’s a slippery slope with this, but just LOOK at the comparable fields. Tiger, Rory, Lee, Luke, Sergio vs. Phil and Bubba? It seems like a no-brainer which tournament is a bigger draw.

Busbee: $500? Shoot, I’d play a course for a free hot dog at the turn. The PGA Tour has to realize that it’s no longer the only show in town, and home-country loyalty will only get them so far. The European Tour and other organizations can and will pay big money for the big names. And if the PGA Tour runs the numbers, I think you’d find that the payoff from sponsors could more than offset appearance fees if, say, you could guarantee that Woods, McIlroy and Mickelson were going to tee it up at the Anonymous Midwestern Insurance Concern Open. But how do you implement this without setting off a. a bidding war or b. resentment and fury among the Mark Wilsons of the world?

Bacon: I think B.) is the biggest problem. Where is the line drawn? Do you stop at Rickie Fowler? Hunter Mahan? Greg Chamlers? Will the PGA Tour be forced to hire some Moneyball-like mind to value what exactly a player brings to the tournament?

I guess it all comes down to what you’re expecting. Pros used to always say that Tiger was the best thing that ever happened to the tour because it raised purses so high, and if he (or any of the others you named) is going to raise the interest in the event your playing, it can only end up helping you (especially if you play well).

Busbee: That’s a good point: maybe any appearance fee could be tied to a measurable increase in the purse, to satisfy the other players? Then again, it’s not like they’re a union. This is the downside of that “independent contractor” mantra the players love to wield like a nine-iron in the driveway: sometimes, you’re not the most desirable contractor.

European Golf Tour

European Golf Tour, (CP) – Scores Saturday from the Dubai Desert Classic, a 2.5 million us and to European Tour events, par-72, 7301 yards Emirates Golf:
Strong off the tee and hit his shots with exquisite control, Tiger Woods seemed like his old one. He turned in the best score of the day with a bogey-free 6-under 66 Friday in the running waves to the Dubai Desert Classic. The cycle put him four shots behind leader Rory McIlroy and gave him every reason to believe he can for the first time in over a year.

Woods was part of a power group that included top-ranked and second-ranked Lee Westwood Martin Kaymer. But that day, Woods has played as if it was undoubtedly once again No. 1.

“I felt good today. I hit many good shots, “said Woods, who compared his game to the way he played last year’s Challenge Chevron World, where he lost in overtime at the U.S. Open Graeme McDowell.

Woods, who was outdriving his playing partners, added precision to his blistering drives and approach shots. And unlike Wednesday, when he missed putts makable and approach shots hit across the green, the winner of 14 majors is regularly gave chances.

He finished with six birdies and was at 7-under 137 entering the weekend at the Emirates Golf Club. He won the tournament in 2006 and 2008.

“I felt like I drove very well,” he said. “I feel good. We worked on some things last night that I did not like. ”

McIlroy followed his opening 65 with a 68. This course brings out the best golfer in the 21-year-old from Northern Ireland, who won his only Tour victory for Europe in this tournament two years ago.

One stroke back at 10 years was Sergio Garcia (67) and South Africa Thomas Aiken (67), followed by England Steve Webster (68) at 8 under.

“I’m just concentrating on myself,” said McIlroy. “I do not mind playing well over the weekend or pull on this score. So I go out and shoot the numbers I want, while the most important thing. ”

Woods was tied for fifth place with Jean-Baptiste Gonnet of France, Anders Hansen of Denmark, Michael Hoey of Ireland North and Brett Rumford of Australia. Westwood (70) is 5-139 and under Kaymer (71) at 4 under.

McIlroy has struggled since winning the Championship Quail Hollow last year. He says he approached his game with more patience, and it seems to be working – he finished second in the championship last month in Abu Dhabi.

McIlroy bogeyed the par-4 whole seconds, but five birdies on his last 12 holes, including 18 for the second straight day.

“I thought after the start I had, I really hung in there and stayed patient and just sort of pick my birdies when I can,” said McIlroy. “I think I had 5 under 7 go. So, really pleased all around. ”

Westwood had four birdies but bogeyed two of his last four holes, missing two putts makable. Kaymer never seemed to go. His three birdies over the first six holes have been undermined by two bogeys.

“I do not give me enough chances,” said Westwood. “It was just a trick really plod a bit of a boring day.”

Westwood, who last year struggling with a calf injury, said his distance and control are not what they should be. He showed on approach shots that fell short, leaving long putts on several holes.

“Remote control is low when you’re not hitting it very well,” he said. “I’m just playing for fat greens and really try to do some long that I did not, which is why I’m 5 under. Always they’re with a chance. ”

Aiken, ranked 97th and known as much for his shoulder-length hair as for his swing, had 67s in the first two rounds.

“Missed a green all day and I was at the limit and I could putt,” he said. “Just been to put the ball in the right positions, and these vegetables are so pure that you will dig putts.”

Garcia, once ranked No. 2 but now No. 79, showed the consistency of this week had failed last year. He had two bogey-free rounds.

“I think the setting was probably the thing I’m doing my best these last three weeks,” said Garcia, who had a top-10 in Qatar last week. “It’s nice to see my game, my long game up for it. ”

Westwood could lose top spot if Kaymer wins and he finishes lower than second, and if Kaymer finished second and Westwood is outside the top 10. If Kaymer is tied for second, he could still become No. 1 for the first time if Westwood finished on the top 36. Woods could move ahead of Kaymer Kaymer if he wins and finished outside the top five.

Woods suspects it might do better going into a weekend when the strong wind is expected. Yet he enjoyed his second round, drawing his sixth hole emblematic of his era.

Woods drove the lane of 485-yard par-4 holes and hit an 8-iron about 160 yards off the stem, where he made a birdie easy. Just as he did with a monster drive on 18 on Thursday, which led to an eagle, the blow cheering crowds and a reminder of how good Woods can be when his game is on track.

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