he five-year deal
that Tiger Woods signed with Titleist last weekend is nothing like the
one he signed when he turned pro in 1996. Don't look for any print advertisements
about why Woods likes the Titleist driver. You won't see him in television
commercials holding up a Titleist ball. In fact, Woods won't even be carrying
a Titleist bag before long.
The only benefit
that Titleist gets from its contract with Woods is a guarantee that he
won't be playing another company's equipment.
"Tiger Woods is clearly
one of those very special players and very special people whose impact
on the game and society will transcend everything that he accomplishes
on the course," said Wally Uihlein, president and CEO of Acushnet Co.
As part of the deal,
Titleist has agreed to withdraw its complaint against Nike, Inc., that
alleged false advertising and contract interference. That stemmed over
the two Nike commercials, one in which Woods bounces a ball off his wedge,
the other showing Woods's magic rubbing off a dozen other people on the
driving range.
Golf World reported
last month that Woods was renegotiating a deal with Nike that would pay
him about $90 million over five years. Mark Steinberg, Woods's agent at
IMG, refused to confirm the numbers but said a Nike deal could be completed
in the next two months.
The Nike swoosh likely
won't show up on Woods's bag, but that appears to be the next order of
business. Two likely names for the bag are American Express and Rolex,
which already have endorsement deals with Woods. One source close to Woods,
however, said the bidding right now is wide open.
ST. ANDREWS CRITICS:
Remember when Scott Hoch was bashed for his disparaging remarks about at
St. Andrews? He's not alone. It was open season on the Old Course during
the Dunhill Cup.
Consider this exchange
between England's Mark James and Lee Westwood.
"I played here in
the Walker Cup (in 1975) and thought there were about 15 blind holes --
and I wasn't all that keen on the other three," James said.
"I wouldn't say it
was in my top 200," Westwood added.
"In the east of Scotland?"
James asked.
"In Fife," Westwood
replied, referring to the county where St. Andrews is located.
Westwood's complaint
was that the Old Course does not reward accuracy.
"You can hit what
you think is a very good tee shot, pitch on a very severe slope and kick
into a bunker that is hard to get out of," he said. "You can pitch on to
a green 10 feet from the flag and roll 30 yards away."
Westwood should keep
that it mind when the Open is played there next year.
PEAK PERFORMANCE:
Three players on the verge of having to return to qualifying school came
up big in the Betsy King
Classic last week, none more than former NCAA champion Marisa Baena.
Baena closed with
a 70 and tied for fifth, worth $28,273. That was enough to move her from
107th on the LPGA money list to 86th, giving her full-exempt status for
2000. Only the top 90 keep full playing privileges.
"It is an indescribable
feeling to earn my card on the final day of the season," Baena said.
CAPTAIN'S POOL:
While Curtis Strange is regarded as the front-runner to be the next Ryder
Cup captain, the class of candidates behind him is deep.
That means at least
one potential captain is going to get squeezed out, similar to what happened
to Larry Nelson and Hale Irwin.
"Once a player is
eligible for the Senior Tour, he no longer can be considered as a captain,"
said one player close to the selection process, speaking on condition of
anonymity. "Because once you're on the Senior Tour, you lose touch."
Corey Pavin and Paul
Azinger are 39. Tom Lehman and Fred Couples are 40. Hal Sutton is 41, while
Payne Stewart is 42. Including Strange, that leaves seven potential captains
available for the next five Ryder Cup teams.
"Somebody is that
group is not going to make it, and that will be too bad," Azinger said.
"But that's the way it has to be."
It's possible the
PGA of America could start considering younger captains. Tom Watson was
44 in 1991, the youngest U.S. captain since the matches got serious in
1979.
"You're getting jammed
up with guys who are real close in age," Davis Love III said. "You might
start seeing guys more in their mid-40s than their late 40s."
DIVOTS: Colin
Montgomerie has been named European Tour player of the month for September
for picking up 31/2 points in the Ryder Cup -- and for handling the harsh
heckling at The Country Club. ... Cindy McCurdy was re-elected to a two-year
term as president of the LPGA executive committee. ... Tom Kite on whether
he is looking forward to next year, when he will be eligible for the Senior
PGA Tour: "You get over the anticipation of birthdays after you get your
21st behind you." Kite says he plans to continue to play a few events on
the PGA Tour. ... The purse for the 2000 Women's British Open has increased
from $1 million to $1.25 million. The Open will be played at Royal Birkdale
next year. ... According to a National Golf Foundation online survey of
nearly 600 golfers, 33.8 percent said they would play if the temperature
was 35 degrees or lower.
STAT OF THE WEEK:
Looking for a favourite to win the Open next year. Consider Carlos Franco,
who was 16-under in three rounds at St. Andrews during the Dunhill Cup.
FINAL WORD:
"It's taken me a long
time to do something Monty couldn't do." -- Sam Torrance, after defeating
Raul Fretes of Paraguay in the Dunhill Cup. Fretes upset Colin Montgomerie
in the 1993 Dunhill Cup.
