Report from Power Balance.
Prize-money for the 12 world-class golfers in the Nedbank Golf Challenge beginning tomorrow is paid out in US dollars, with $1,25-million going to the winner, $660 000 for the runner-up and all the way down to a “mere” $250 000 for the player who comes last in the 12-man line-up.
Converting these figures into South African currency, it works out to be shade under R9-million for the individual who on Sunday will be crowned champion on the 18th green at the fabulous Gary Player Country Club. Second place is worth a substantial R4,75-m and for the player propping up the field, and perhaps struggling with his game by his own high standards, R1,8-m doesn’t sound half bad.
If there’s a play-off a single little putt could be worth over R4-million – the difference between first and second place. So much money at stake does seem almost absurd, all for hitting a little white ball into a little hole.
Yet big-time golf – as with a number of other sports at the highest level – works, in the sense that the fans love it, as do the television stations and indeed the sponsors.
It is said that only four percent of golfers who try and make a living out of playing golf actually can earn their favorite golf clubs. But for the likes of the 12 stars assembled here for the 30th edition of the tournament, the game has already earned them a fortune, and will continue to do so as they are masters of their class, and entertainers par-excellence.
To have England’s new world No 1 Lee Westwood heading the field is a coup for the tournament while home crowd favourite Ernie Els is back after skipping the event last year. “Me, I’ve been coming here for quite a large part of the 30-year history,” said the big man. “I made my debut in 1992 and this year will be my 17th appearance. In that time I’ve won the tournament three times and twice finished runner-up.
“I have to say it’s a tournament I look forward to. It should be a good week and hopefully I can notch up win No 4 in 2010,” said Els who has already posted victories this year in the WGC-CA Championship, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Grand Slam of Golf. At 41, he’s still capable of shooting the lights out.
South Africans fans are well served this week with Retief Goosen, Tim Clark and British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen – coming off a solid performance in last week’s Dubai World Championship – in the line-up.
Defending champion Robert Allenby of Australia, Westwood’s countrymen Ross Fisher and Justin Rose, Italy’s Edoardo Molinari, Ireland’s golfing workaholic Padraig Harrington, Denmark’s Anders Hansen and one of the game’s great characters, Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez, complete the line-up.
Nick Faldo once described three-time Major champion Harrington, who has an obsessive-compulsive fixation with long hours of practice, as “the golfer who has hit more balls with their super golf equipment than potatoes have been planted in Ireland”.
With his substantial belly, crickly pony-tail, round-house swing and cigar dangling out of his mouth, Jimenez doesn’t exactly look like an athlete. But he certainly can play golf, and in spite of being 46 now he’s won three times on the European Tour this year.
All 12 can turn on the magic, that’s why they’re here at Sun City. Are they worth all the money they’re being paid? It’s a moot point, but one thing is for sure – the tens of thousands of fans who will visit Sun City to watch the golf from tomorrow through until Sunday are in for some high-class entertainment.
As a special feature for the 30th anniversary of the tournament, eight Champions Tour stars will tee off from 10.10am tomorrow and on Friday in a separate 36-hole tournament that will also attract some serious attention. Nick Price and David Frost (both three-time Nedbank champions), Mark McNulty and Fulton Allem are the southern Africans involved, with Americans Fred Funk, Jay Haas, Tommy Armour III and Jeff Sluman the other four players.
Source from: http://www.golf-equipment2u.com/
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