Golf
Big money in Europe fails to lure some stars
By wire services
Published October 16, 2003
VIRGINIA WATER, England - Tiger Woods wasn't sufficiently tempted by a $1.7-million (1-million pound) top prize, the biggest in Europe and the United States, to fly to England for the HSBC World Match Play Championship that begins today at Wentworth.
Nor was the money enough to lure four others in the top 10 who qualified for the event. Davis Love opted to play the Chrysler Classic of Greensboro, N.C.
"I would much rather get in my motor home or my truck and drive to Greensboro than fly overseas and play," Love said. "It used to be you would chase some extra money overseas and now you don't have to."
Phil Mickelson, U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk, David Toms and Kenny Perry also declined their invitations.
The absence of Woods and others is a blow to HSBC Holdings Plc during the first year of its 10-year sponsorship.
"It doesn't matter if the first prize is 2-million pounds ($3.34- million)," said Thomas Bjorn, the only European in the 12-man field. "They probably wouldn't come anyway. It's not a question of money."
The field does have defending champ Ernie Els, major winners Mike Weir, Ben Curtis and Shaun Micheel, and Vijay Singh.
Weir declined to criticize the absent Americans. "I want to play a little bit more internationally, that's another reason I chose to come and play," he said. "So I think it is important for everybody to come and play as much as they can in other places than their own tours."
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