Westwood shuns Players Championship

[the_paulo]

(Thread title worded to stir up a few folks) :wink:

From BBC

Lee Westwood will not play in the Players Championship - known as 'the fifth major' - at Sawgrass in May.

The world number one said the lucrative PGA Tour event in Florida, with a £1m prize for the winner, does not fit in with his schedule for 2011.

"There is a five-week gap between the Masters and the Match Play in Spain (19-22 May, one week after the Players) and I want to play a couple of events.

"I've said I will support the European Tour, so I am going to Asia."

As a non-member of the PGA Tour, Westwood is allowed only three regular tournament appearances in North America outside the majors and World Championships.

The Worksop golfer's PGA Tour commitments in the United States this year begin at the Honda Classic in Florida (3-6 March), because it is the week between two World Championships there.

He then plays the Houston Open (31 March-3 April) to warm up for the following week's Masters, and will defend his St Jude Classic title in Memphis (9-12 June) the week before the US Open at Bethesda, Maryland.

Stablemate Rory McIlroy has already said he might miss the Players Championship after deciding to end his US Tour membership.

Westwood, who finished joint fourth at Sawgrass in 2010, continued: "I can understand what the PGA Tour might feel about my decision, and they have every right to think that.

"But even with an invite I would not be able to prepare properly and that's not the way to go into a big event like the Players."

The 37-year-old added: "After the two opening World Golf Championships, I would bracket our [European Tour] PGA Championship in May as just as important as it offers exemption for anybody in the world's top 50 to play.

"I don't see many of [Americans] wanting to take up that offer. So you can't really please everyone, can you?"

Guess we can't argue his right to choose, and given his original comittment to the European tour....is this showing some integrity, or is it another 'dig' to stir up the PGA tour?

 

[JB]

(Thread title worded to stir up a few folks) :wink:

From BBC



Guess we can't argue his right to choose, and given his original comittment to the European tour...is this showing some integrity, or is it another 'dig' to stir up the PGA tour?

Personally I dont think its either. The best line of that entire article is this...

"I've said I will support the European Tour, so I am going to Asia."

 

[Dazinkster]

Meh, seems fair enough. He's picked his schedule and looks like it didn't fit in.

If he plays well all year because of good tactical decisions regarding tourney entries then he'll feel vindicated for missing it. The proof will be in his major performances.

 

[TC]

Of course it's fair enough, but c'mon man! This is the Players. This is the 5th major. Lee, you disappoint me! Unless of course you win the Masters.

 

[the_paulo]

Personally I dont think its either. The best line of that entire article is this...

"I've said I will support the European Tour, so I am going to Asia."

To me, that could be construed as integrity....sticking to the original decision despite the lure of a bigger payday elsewhere.

 

[claycribbs]

Of course it's fair enough, but c'mon man! This is the Players. This is the 5th major. Lee, you disappoint me! Unless of course you win the Masters.

Lee Westwood doesn't like the word "major." hehe.

In all seriousness, I hate he isn't playing, I enjoy watching him play.

 

[Golf 'N Gator]

I don't see the problem with any of this, whether it is Westwood or any other European player. They are European's after all and they are not from here. I think it great that they have achieved enough over the years to have a choice. They should play only when and where they want to play.

 

[claycribbs]

Edit: Never mind

 

[JB]

To me, that could be construed as integrity....sticking to the original decision despite the lure of a bigger payday elsewhere.

Of course one could make that argument. They could also make the argument that he is doing this to stick it to the PGA Tour for the rules that they have in place.

 

[Geezer]

They could also make the argument that he is doing this to stick it to the PGA Tour for the rules that they have in place.

One could, if one was so inclined.
Without the aforementioned disposition though, I think you'd have to look pretty hard to come to that conclusion, IMHO.

 

[JB]

One could, if one was so inclined.
Without the aforementioned disposition though, I think you'd have to look pretty hard to come to that conclusion, IMHO.

Like I said, I dont think it is either.

However if you follow Lee on twitter like I know most of you do, he is certainly making a point to bring up the rules in place a lot.

 

[the_paulo]

One could, if one was so inclined.
Without the aforementioned disposition though, I think you'd have to look pretty hard to come to that conclusion, IMHO.

oi! Come on, we're trying to wind people up here! :wink:

 

[RxGus]

Fine by me really... the last I checked it was a 72 hole event, so Westwood didn't stand much of a chance anyways.

McIlroy on the otherhand I think is a big loss because even though he isnt world #1, he has more "star" power than Westwood.

 

[Geezer]

oi! Come on, we're trying to wind people up here! :wink:

Ah right. Gotcha now :good:

 

[Tmex]

Is this really gonna change who tunes in??? Im not trying to be sarcastic, in reality is it really going to impact this event?

I think its great he is honoring his commitment. More power to him.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[arydolphin]

Like I said, I dont think it is either.

However if you follow Lee on twitter like I know most of you do, he is certainly making a point to bring up the rules in place a lot.

He does bring up the rules, perhaps to show how silly they are. Did you know that Martin Kaymer gets to play 12 PGA Tour events even though he's not a member because he's never been a member of the tour, but Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy are limited to 10 events because they have been PGA Tour members in previous years and decided not to renew membership this year? It's basically the PGA Tour saying "you tried our tour and didn't rejoin, so we're going to restrict your opportunities compared to other guys." It makes sense from the standpoint of the PGA Tour trying to protect spots in tournaments for players that are members of that tour, but it stinks from a competition standpoint.

No matter how you look at it, the Players can't trot out the "best field in the world" argument if they don't have the #1 player in the world, right? Westwood can say all he wants about wanting to support the European Tour at that time, but I bet if he had more exemptions he'd be at the Players. He was also quoted earlier today as saying he can't play Quail Hollow in Charlotte this year (the week before the Players, IIRC) because he has used up all of his invites. If he was in Kaymer's position with 12 exemptions, no way he goes to Asia at that time of year.

EDIT: Westwood and McIlroy are actually allowed 11 events, it's a change from prior years. Ron Green of the Charlotte Observer has a good writeup of it here (http://green-side.blogspot.com/2011/01/westwood-sends-message.html), I'll paste the full article in below:

Lee Westwood’s announcement this week that he will not play in the Players Championship in May also means the current world No. 1 won’t play in the Wells Fargo Championship either.

It’s not that Westwood doesn’t want to play here but new PGA Tour rules limit him to 10 starts and he’s chosen not to make the Players one of them.

If you get a whiff of politics in there, you should.

Westwood’s announcement in Abu Dhabi didn’t come as a shock. It had been hinted at for weeks. But it’s a shot at the PGA Tour which desperately wants the Players Championship to be considered the equal of the game’s four major championships.

When No. 1 chooses to skip the event, it stings.

“I’d go over for the Players if I could play in the tournament the week before (the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow), but I don’t want to pitch up at the Players cold, having not played for four weeks since Augusta. So, I’ll play a couple of tournaments on the European Tour instead,” Westwood told reporters in Abu Dhabi.

Because Westwood surrendered his PGA Tour membership in 2008 which required him to play 15 events annually, he’s now limited to 11 events. It was originally 10 events but tour officials offered some wiggle room when it became apparent Westwood may skip the Players.

Westwood plans to play the four major championships, the three World Golf Championship events, Houston the week before the Masters, Honda in Florida between two WGC events and Memphis where he’s the defending champion.

That’s 10.

Allowing an 11th spot for the Players wasn’t enough, not without making Quail Hollow available also.

Though he hasn’t said so officially, Rory McIlroy has indicated he may pass on the Players, as well.

McIlroy is expected to play here as defending champion but he’s not a fan of the TPC Stadium course and, with his starts also limited after choosing not to keep his PGA Tour card this year, McIlroy could be absent from the tour’s sparkly event.

The European Tour also raised its minimum number of appearances to 13 this year.

At a time when professional golf is fighting to maintain its audience, making rules to keep the best players out of top tournaments doesn’t make much sense.

Westwood’s announcement helps bring that into focus.

 

[thedue]

Fine by me really... the last I checked it was a 72 hole event, so Westwood didn't stand much of a chance anyways.McIlroy on the otherhand I think is a big loss because even though he isnt world #1, he has more "star" power than Westwood.

That's what I was thinking as well. Watching the Abu Dhabi now and he's not exactly setting things on fire.

 

[JB]

He does bring up the rules, perhaps to show how silly they are. Did you know that Martin Kaymer gets to play 12 PGA Tour events even though he's not a member because he's never been a member of the tour, but Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy are limited to 10 events because they have been PGA Tour members in previous years and decided not to renew membership this year? It's basically the PGA Tour saying "you tried our tour and didn't rejoin, so we're going to restrict your opportunities compared to other guys." It makes sense from the standpoint of the PGA Tour trying to protect spots in tournaments for players that are members of that tour, but it stinks from a competition standpoint.

No matter how you look at it, the Players can't trot out the "best field in the world" argument if they don't have the #1 player in the world, right? Westwood can say all he wants about wanting to support the European Tour at that time, but I bet if he had more exemptions he'd be at the Players. He was also quoted earlier today as saying he can't play Quail Hollow in Charlotte this year (the week before the Players, IIRC) because he has used up all of his invites. If he was in Kaymer's position with 12 exemptions, no way he goes to Asia at that time of year.

The bold part says it all. All the tours are restrictive to their members in some capacity. I will not really post my opinion on the subject, but lets face it, in the end, it is what it is. If Lee Westwood has a dominant year, wins a major, retains #1 in the world, etc...I think the value holds more weight. But where was this stuff in previous years when TW was #1 in the world. Nobody really cared. I suspect in the end, the only people that will be talking about this is the media as few fans will care one way or another (right or wrong).

 

[the_paulo]

That's what I was thinking as well. Watching the Abu Dhabi now and he's not exactly setting things on fire.

69 in his first round of the year. What are you expecting?

I see Lee having a little dig at a Golf Channel reported on Twitter too. This thing might backfire on him if he feels he has to justify himself to every detractor.

 

[JB]

69 in his first round of the year. What are you expecting?

I see Lee having a little dig at a Golf Channel reported on Twitter too. This thing might backfire on him if he feels he has to justify himself to every detractor.

Agreed. if he would just stop talking about it, it would just be what it is. But he is trying to justify his decisions to every person that brings it up and to me it begins to sound more like making a statement than anything else.

 

[CharlieMoy]

Maybe Lee si playing on the Euro Tour this year so he can hold his number one longer?

 

[interlooper]

I have said this before... Lee Westwood is good for the game. More precisely, the rivalry, in which Westwood plays a part, is good for the game. He knows it and he is flexing his muscles a little bit. The PGA Tour appears to have tried to make concessions for Westy because they know that this rivalry is good for the game.

I am enjoying all this stuff.

 

[thedue]

69 in his first round of the year. What are you expecting?

I see Lee having a little dig at a Golf Channel reported on Twitter too. This thing might backfire on him if he feels he has to justify himself to every detractor.

Actually, I was just watching the first round as he put one in the pond and a couple left rough off the tee, lol. Looks like number one is in 12th place right now?

 

[the_paulo]

Actually, I was just watching the first round as he put one in the pond and a couple left rough off the tee, lol. Looks like number one is in 12th place right now?

You know, you're right. Out of character, he struggled with the big stick today, and shot 3 under. To me, and to the commentary team I was hearing, that was an ominous sign for the rest of the field if he sorts it out on the range tonight. But it sounds like you expect the world number one to start the tournament at number one and never drop a shot on the field throughout the tournament?

 

[JB]

You know, you're right. Out of character, he struggled with the big stick today, and shot 3 under. To me, and to the commentary team I was hearing, that was an ominous sign for the rest of the field if he sorts it out on the range tonight. But it sounds like you expect the world number one to start the tournament at number one and never drop a shot on the field throughout the tournament?

I believe I call that TW syndrome. Is that not what we expected from TW over the last decade? (exaggeration of course)