Greg Norman urged his American peers to fulfil a responsibility
and play outside the lucrative US PGA tour.
One of his babies, the four-event World Championship of Golf is
struggling to get support from several top American stars and there
are fears they will be equally reluctant to play in the Presidents
Cup in South Africa next year.
He wants American players to spend more time playing in international
events.
"The rest of world golf are in a bit of a tough position because
the prize money is so large in America right now the guys are thinking
why do I need to jump in an airplane and go," Norman said.
"What's happening is the rest of the world are suffering
dramatically - they don't get to see Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson,
Davis Love III and the rest.
"Back in the 80s we travelled the world, now they don't
want to do that. Why would they want to go somewhere and play for
less."
Norman urged the American players to support next year's President's
Cup in South Africa saying they had a responsibility to promote
the sport internationally.
"They've got to get down there," he said. "It's
for the betterment of the game, take away all the travel and money
issues and go to South Africa and play for those people who never
get a chance to see the top 24 players in the world play.
"Their responsibility is huge, you've got to do things
that you don't necessarily want to do.
"But at the end of the day that is the responsibility of being
successful."
He said non-American players had carried the weight of promoting
the game.
"We international players are saying you've got to, we
are the ones who travel around the world to get to America to support
the game of golf from South Africa, Australia, Japan and Europe
so the reciprocality is a wonderful thing."
Norman
wants the top US players to travel outside the US more often.
Allsport.
Meanwhile, Norman defended his decision not to play in the World
matchplay event earlier this month in Melbourne, saying it was a
result of poor scheduling by the World Championship of Golf organisers.
"I knew it was going to happen," he said. "I had a
discussion early with them about the time issues. What hope is there
in Australia in the first week in January. There's holidays
and we all know what it's like. The place shuts down. But that
was the date they wanted to make it."
Norman said he fully agreed with several other stars who wanted
the event to be held later in the year.
"A lot of players wanted it on the back of the Hawaiian schedule,
that would have been perfect, It would have led into the Heineken
Classic," he said.
"They made a bad decision and I think they realise that."
