Will golf go the way of football eventually

[drawboy]

This week saw the first premiership team to go into admin. This must have something to do with the demands made on the club by players wages. Last week Ian Poulter raked in 1.4 million dollars for what amounts to around 25 hours or so work.How much of this prize money is offset by fans tickets, not much I'll bet and for how long will companies be prepared to offer multi-millons in prize money. Many of the golfers in the field will have also been paid an appearance fee on top of any earnings. Can golf continue to pay such large cheques?

 

[SammmeBee]

Interesting point....but I would say:

Q: How much of this prize money is offset by fans tickets? A: Very little - do the math with how many people go watch and how much they pay

Q: How long will companies be prepared to offer multi-millons in prize money?
A: For as long as they get access to the top pros to play with in the Pro-Am and anything else organised for they top clients

Re: Appearance fees - none...prize money is too big now to have to worry about that....

The size of cheque for Poulter or any other winner I actually have no problem with...the problem is how people like Ross McGowan (and he was the first name that came into my head) who will never really win anything end up getting a 'cheque' for basically coming nowhere in an event....

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think particularly in the ladies game both in Europe and America there is already serious issues with a lack of sponsorship and so dwindling purses and fewer events. I can see this happening on the mens tour too and the US might suffer from the "Woods effect" where potential sponsors won't invest until Woods is back and playing. Not saying that is right or good for the game but an economic relaity that he has on the sport.

I think the European Tour is a little more balanced. Yes there are some silly prize money events (desert swing in particular plus the race for dubai) but in general terms there a significantly smaller purses on offer. I think the fact that it moves around more means there is always one sponsor in each country that would probably fill a gap if an existing one pulled out.

Sadly football has become all about the money and the game itself is almost a by-product now. Its all about revenue streams (tickets sales, replica shirts, sponsorship, TV money etc) and the only way to generate more of these is to become a successful club. To do that needs better players and higher wages until it becomes a self perpetuating circle. Even my club Fulham who have never had any lofty ambitions are now playing in Europe. With a squad our size this is putting a huge strain on the players who are available. We're no big spenders but we're still losing money every season.

 

[pokerjoke]

I think it could,however i do believe that there will always be some company willing to sponser the event but i can see the prize money and appearence money reducing considerably.

 

[TRS30]

Where it will or not, only time will tell.

But golfers have a lot more class and are better role models (bar the odd club throwing, spitting & tantrum) than footballers will ever be.......

 

[Down_The_Middle]

What gets me with it is you get a lot of golfers who know they only need to make the cut to pick up a nice cheque to keep them in a nice lifestyle.They know they dont need to be in the top slot of golfers.Its almost like 2nd rate footballers getting paid huge sums

 

[didsbury_duffer]

I think we had a similar thread a few weeks ago relating to golf prize money. My take then, and now, is that the prize money for the players should be reduced, and there should be nothing for anyone who is not in the top 10 to 15 places. The remainder of the sponsorship money can then be spent on junior golf, assisting ailing clubs, school golf...etc. I know it's a pipe dream - it won't happen on either side of the pond.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I think we had a similar thread a few weeks ago relating to golf prize money. My take then, and now, is that the prize money for the players should be reduced, and there should be nothing for anyone who is not in the top 10 to 15 places. The remainder of the sponsorship money can then be spent on junior golf, assisting ailing clubs, school golf...etc. I know it's a pipe dream - it won't happen on either side of the pond.

Nice idea, but sadly flawed IMO.

Can you imagine if Alex Ferguson said to his squad "Right lads, I've noticed that those of you on the sidelines are getting too much money for not being good enough. Therefore I've decided to only pay the players that make the first 11 and the substitutes that I put on. This is to encourage you to try a bit harder to break into the first 11...."

Don't think that would happen.

 

[didsbury_duffer]

StrangelyBrown - we must have our wires crossed. I was only talking about golf prize money. I'm personally not that bothered what happens in the crazy world of professional football, where the financial bubble WILL eventually burst and will result in the demise of one of the big clubs (with respect to Portsmouth).

 

[brendy]

The difference between golf and footy is simple. One is performance related pay and the other is bloated spiceboy nonsense.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

Hi Duffer,
I know what you're getting at, only giving prize money to the top 15 in a tournament. I'm suggesting that that would be akin to only paying the footballers that make the first 11 in a team. That'd mean that in a squad of 40 players (small by Premiership standards) 29 wouldn't get paid.

In a golf tournament the average field is, what... a hundred... a hundred and twenty?

Can you imagine a hundred and five of the best players in the world having to pay their airfares, hotels, transfers, entry fees, caddy fees and then not get anything for their troubles?

Can't see it myself.

 

[didsbury_duffer]

Having to get into the top 15 to earn their bacon might put a rocket up a few of their backsides!!

 

[AuburnWarrior]

I think the bubble will burst in the football world. Far too many clubs are living far outside of their means and they will all come crashing down. At one point Portsmouth had seven full England internationals on their books with a gate of 20,000+ - where did the money come from. They had no sugar daddy so, eventually, they're going to crash. Too many football teams are in trouble - Man U, Liverpool, the mightly Palace. The bubble will burst..

Golf is slightly different I think. The Faldo article in this month's GM alludes to the money that's in the game now. His first winner's cheque in 1977 was £60. But, he says that back then the money didn't matter - it was the winning. Surely though, the guys on the tours now want to win otherwise they'd play for a couple of years and retire?? Surely, the money's nice but unless they win some big tournaments/majors then they'll be forgotten men.

I don't begrudge either footballers or golfers their money. They've worked hard to get there and continue to work hard to stay there. They are revenue generating so they're entitled to their cut of the spoils from sponsors, etc.

Sorry if I've bleatered on - I can't remember the OP..