"It is safe to assume then, that this particular gathering of well-heeled Chinese qualified for a bit of blatant and/or shameless sucking-up."

John Huggan looks at Tiger's Australia visit and adds this about the clinic he gave earlier this week. Kind of makes you long for those First Tee photo opps.

One of the world No.2's duties here this past week was to host and conduct a short instructional clinic for a group of high-rolling Chinese businessmen. Held at the ultra-exclusive Capital Golf Club, the event also attracted the owner of Melbourne's Crown Casino, James Packer (son of the late Kerry, of World Series Cricket fame). According to at least one local, Packer junior performs such an outwardly menial duty only for those able and willing to unblinkingly drop at least an annual $200m on his gaming tables.

It is safe to assume then, that this particular gathering of well-heeled Chinese qualified for a bit of blatant and/or shameless sucking-up. Indeed, such is the accumulated wealth of these entrepreneurs, they reputedly play matches amongst themselves for $1m per hole, $1.5m if said hole is won by more than one shot. Want to caddie, Tiger?

Comments

[OWGR Fan]

Huggan with each pasing article that he writes comes off looking more and more as the UK version of Steve Elling. Both act like whining little 7 year olds that convey no actual skill of writing about the game of golf. Each time one of those clowns has an article published both Bernard Darwin and Herbert Warren Wind must roll over in their graves.

[fatgoalie]

So, Packer, who runs a HUGE casino, hosts whales at his club, and that is bad? How the hell
does a casino roll in money without those wealthy gamblers?
Tiger, being paid a huge sum by these people takes part in the festivities, as part of his agreement,
but doesn't give a guy like Huggan (who has been ripping him constantly) enough to write anything but this
crap. Disdain of the successful from a man who actually has great abilities to tell a story is embarrassing

[Tread softly]

come on Huggan... try to rekindle the old days when you wrote good stuff!!

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

Sari, didn't you know that a dour demeanour is the very essence of what it is to be scottish!

[Sand Lake Road]

This is normal operating procedure for luminaries of the game like Arnie and Tiger.

[Longy]

And your point is ?

[seak]

Maybe the media should try asking different questions if they want different answers. Seems like the same 5 questions get asked in different variations constantly. I get that the media want different answers to those questions but doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity.

[Sari]

C&C:

One of my favorite vacations consisted of a week of golf in the Highlands (Nairn, Dornoch, etc..), and nary a dour Scot was to be found! To the contrary, I found them all to be a genuine pleasure to be around and play with. Then again, none was a member of the media...

[Dexter Morgan]

Huggan makes perfectly valid points.

Woods gave a private clinic to 30 billionaires who can't hit it onto the ladies tee, in order to get free food and lodging for the week.

How is that supposed to promote the game of golf? If Woods was really interested in the game of golf and his place in history, he would have gone to a few local schools instead.

Woods is a total and utter disgrace. If he was European, all you cantankerous Yanks would be ripping him a new one.

[Longy]

A pro golfer gets paid by rich guys, who like to have a bit of a bet, to entertain them, or teach them. The horror ! I think that's been going on since Old Tom Morris was starting out and trying to make a living.

[sir real]

Longy,
Good point, but there is one small difference. Those pros of yesteryear didn't have $ 700 mil plus, and just dropped $50mil on just one of those, who knows how many, retreats. He's earned it from those willing to pay him, fair enough...where's the giving back, to show the love. It's distinctly marginal in proportion to what he has reaped. It's his life, but he's lived one of a con, so it's hard to really feel good about the guy. We're all flawed, but where's the real effort on his part?

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Dexter, pointing out little things like that is so "last year" and is liable to make people think you are a hater. Anyway, I played with a 50-something beginner this afternoon who couldn't hit it to the forward tee (it's not the ladies' tee anymore) until I told him that he should tee the ball a little higher than 3/8-inch when using his new 460-cc Cleveland something-or-other. I got nothing but the satisfaction of playing on a perfect day and seeing him become more than a vermicidal maniac through much of the second nine. We all hope Tiger got as much satisfaction in Australia and that this trip is more rewarding for him than last year's, even with a 4th-place finish.

[fatgoalie]

Having spent time at Tiger's learning center in Anaheim, and seeing how well many things are done for
kids there, the comments regarding giving back, make me laugh.
The sheer number of kids exposed to learning opportunities that are real life specific is awesome.
The money that makes it possible, comes from these same type of events, some are griping about.

Nobody has to like Tiger for what happened, but the self righteous bitching about what he did, or needs to do, is comical.

[Sari]

Fat Goalie:

Amen.

[digsouth]

good for Tiger.

[Longy]

Sir Real
Hear what you are saying and I've critised him for the same issue in the past, but...
Have we held him to too high an expectation, when he is just an average guy who happens to have exceptional golfing talent.
He is coming out to Australia regularly now and it was great to see kids in the galleries watching him. Sure..he should travel more though.
Has he done any less than any other great apart from Arnie and Seve. (and they both had mercenary motivations don't forget.)

[Claude]

Why read Huggan? For the same reason we all come to this site - to get an irreverent take on our chosen game.
"Reverence" in golf is generally a given, so it's nice to mix it up with people who get the weird humor of it all.

In this case, I'm not sure I'd get so huffy. Having Tiger play with those gazillionaires was probably an investment in their goodwill. Given the precarious finances of the various tour right now, it seems a good investment. Why be critical? A resentment of the Chinese? Of billionaires in general?
Customer golf is probably the root of professional golf.

Anyway, I'm glad that Huggan's stories get linked here.

[Kevin]

Geoff -- thanks. Now like on forums where links to "not safe for work" images or materials are labeled "NSFW", I now know that I can safely avoid bitter, jealous, repetitive and petty rants just by looking for the code words "John Huggan" in your summary paragraph.

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

I think a little perspective is needed here. This is one of the comments from that article.

"USA 14/11/2010 21:27:21
As an avid reader of Bernard Darwin, Henry Longhurst, Herbert Warren Wind and Peter Dobereiner amongst others,I certainly disagree with #1.
The game has changed so much it would be beyond those esteemed writers' comprehension if they could see the game as it is today.
Mr Huggan may well have an acerebic style, but he is correct to point out the disdain Tiger(and his caddie, who John overlooked this time!)have for the paying fans.
I remember Arnie and Gary Player stopping and having dialogue with the punters at the Centenary Open, and I'm not talking about a few words, it was lengthy dialogue.
Perhaps John Huggan labours the point, or perhaps the first three don't simply appreciate it.
But golf is almost the last bastion in sport where the fans get to interchange with their heroes.
That's why they love Phil Mickelson and others of his ilk.
Anyway, I just had to have my twopence worth. I enjoy Huggan every week, look forward to him, and it is the first thing I read.
Maybe I don't always agree with him, but please remember his is just an opinion as mine and yours is."

[peachtree]

@ Dexter Morgan - "Woods is an utter disgrace" Lets reverse those comments about yourself.! We are all utter disgraces for writng and saying things like these. Thank God , that you are a mere human being and you will go the way of all human being, here today, and gone tomorrow. Be careful how you speak.
By the way, the same billionaires that you so despise are the reasons why there are golf tournaments. Who put up the monies, who play in Pro-ams, who build golf coourses etc? How long have you been following golf, especially now that there is a down turn in economic activity. Please keep to the small space where you were before you emerged,

[Aunt Blabbie]

Good for him. It sounds like Tiger's actually making some money now, instead of spending it on gambling, drink, and floozies. Take note, Kim.