- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Australian golfer Robert Allenby has revealed he will cut back his American schedule next year to play more frequently on the European Tour.
That alone won’t cause US PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem to lose any sleep, but Allenby’s decision is indicative of a sudden shift in the balance of power in world golf.
After completely dominating world golf for decades, and luring almost every top player to its bigger tournaments, the US Tour suddenly finds itself in a battle for the affection of the game’s elite.
Several other world class players, such as Vijay Singh, plan to become fully-fledged European Tour members next year, lured by the megabucks on offer at the tour’s new Race to Dubai.
The new end-of-season tournament in November will offer a $US10 million ($A12.02 million) purse, with another $US10 million to be shared by the top 15 finishers on the 2009 Order of Merit winner.
“You’d be stupid not to join,” said world No.33 Allenby, who is bored with the American tour.
“Some tournaments over here get a bit monotonous, with the thick rough. I miss the fairway by two feet and I’m screwed. My body hasn’t been handling it very well, particularly my tennis elbow.
“The other thing is to freshen my mind up. I’ve been playing here for 10 years, and I played in Europe for seven years before that.
“I miss certain tournaments and next year, health permitting, I’ll play my 11 (the minimum requirement to be a European Tour member).”
Fellow Australian Geoff Ogilvy is also seriously contemplating joining the European Tour, while Adam Scott is already a member.
But the European Tour’s biggest coup is the expected announcement that world No.2 Phil Mickelson will become a member next year.
Tiger Woods, however, has already ruled himself out, saying he cannot meet the 11-event minimum.
Woods, however, is no stranger to Dubai.
Sources say he is receiving $US26 million ($A31.25 million) for the course he currently is designing there, and he has already confirmed his participation, health permitting, in next February’s Dubai Desert Classic, not to be confused with the Race to Dubai.