Tiger Woods - Turkish Match Play?

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Interesting.

Tiger Woods has reportedly been lured to Turkey to compete in an unsanctioned event this fall aimed at capturing attention for a bid to host the 2020 Olympics.

The country will stage the Turkish Airlines World Golf Finals in October, a match-play tournament that will not be sanctioned by any tour. It will offer a $5.3 million purse with $1.5 million for the winner and $1 million for second. By 2013, the event hopes to offer $2.5 million to the champion – the richest first-place prize in golf.

Woods has reportedly agreed to a lucrative three-year commitment to the event, featuring an eight-man field including Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, according to the U.K.-based Daily Mail.

The event, which will be officially unveiled during the British Open, will conflict with the Portuguese Masters on the European Tour and the Frys.com Open, which Woods competed in last year, on the PGA Tour. It's Oct. 9-12 dates are two weeks after the Ryder Cup. As a concession to the major tours, the event will run Tuesday-Friday, leaving the weekend stage clear. In return, the Turkish Open will become a part of the 2013 European Tour schedule, to be played in April.

The event aimed to secure the top eight in the Official World Golf Ranking as of April 1. Martin Kaymer and Steve Stricker declined to play. Justin Rose, Webb Simpson, Hunter Mahan and Charl Schwartzel round out the field.

Golf, which returns to the Olympics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, will also be in the '20 Games.

"Our goal is to hold a competition in the nature of a final that will bring the world’s top 20 professional golfers to Belek and make the whole world sit up and take notice," said Turkish Golf Federation president Ahmet Ağaoğlu in a February 2012 interview. "We have to do something different. After a hiatus of close to a hundred years, golf is going to be an Olympic sport again at the 2016 Olympics. Our aim is to send a couple Turkish golfers there to compete. We are already working on that."
 
could be interesting, a solid field for sure
 
sounds like an interesting event. I bet he's getting some nice coin in his pocket for this
 
Very interesting. Should be fun to watch match place between the Top Players in the world of golf. Also, that prize money is no joke!
 
Wow, that's going to be fun to watch and it's going to be even more fun to post about.
 
1/4 chance of taking home a million is pretty good odds.
 
interesting..thats a large purse. If I was a great golfer, the money and the fact the best players in the world will be there would pull me in
 
It would be interesting to have seen the appearance fee he got for committing to this. Think it's the same or more than the winner's share?

Serious post, because I bet he could have gotten whatever he wanted to commit to this.
 
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The appearance fee is no doubt bigger than the purse I would venture to say.
 
The appearance fee is no doubt bigger than the purse I would venture to say.
good point, its for bragging rights.
 
Sounds like Tiger is cherry picking again. Only playing in an 8 man field. Who cares that is a high concentration of talent. He should have to play in the fall series again. :alien:
 
The appearance fee is no doubt bigger than the purse I would venture to say.

that was my guess too. Esp for a 3 year commitment. All that aside, if it's getting the top players in the world it seems like it's a perfect made for TV event.
 
I know the appearance fee makes it worth his while but what's the draw of Turkey? Bragging rights?
 
I know the appearance fee makes it worth his while but what's the draw of Turkey? Bragging rights?

To help another country's goal of hosting the Olympics?
 
I like match play events. Often said we need more of them. Big bucks to get the top guys competing against each other? I don't mind that once or twice a season.
 
These Turkeys are putting their money where their mouth is, so to speak. I like the Tues to Friday keeping the weekend focus on the other tournaments, but they are taking these players out of the mix. I'm guessing this will get some prime coverage at least. It's interesting that Turkey mentions the Olympics and having golf athletes compete soon, but none in this competition.
 
I think this sounds like a pretty cool tournament and I'd watch it. I'd also play in it if I was any of these guys and I was offered a ton of money like that.
 
But is that really a realistic goal for a country like Turkey? I'm just not sure that a golf tournament proves that a country can host the Olympics..especially since some of these players may not even be able to play in those Olympics anyway

To help another country's goal of hosting the Olympics?
 
Nothing like chasing money around the world. The rich get richer....

But what's the issue with Tiger playing the tournament for the money? Hasn't he earned that right? Better question, what's he supposed to do?
 
Maybe there's a Turkish Perkins (Purkins?) there that he can hang out at

But what's the issue with Tiger playing the tournament for the money? Hasn't he earned that right? Better question, what's he supposed to do?
 
If anyone on here was in his position to make a supreme amount of coin over a week, we'd jump at it. But tiger is a bad guy for doing so. Priceless!
 
If anyone on here was in his position to make a supreme amount of coin over a week, we'd jump at it. But tiger is a bad guy for doing so. Priceless!

I never said that. I said I was curious as to what his appearance fee was and that he probably could have gotten whatever he wanted.
 
Looks to me like they are spending a lot of money on some exposure and seems to be working based on the names they have coming.
 
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