Turkish Airports On Alert For Players Smuggling Absurd Amounts Of Appearance Cash Out Of Country

The players, the press, everyone who had their way paid just had a swell time at the Turkey Final taking gobs of money for a few days of inspired work. No one sounded like he was having more fun than the headbutting Turkish Golf President Ahmet Agaoglu, who played with Tiger Woods in Friday's post-tournament pro-am.

Bernie McGuire reports (thanks reader Oliver for making me read to the end of a story I normally would not have gotten through):

Agaoglu was asked if he was nervous playing with Woods.

"I'm not nervous but what I want to do is make him nervous, as I will own him for the next four or five hours," he said with a smile. "I paid for him to be here in Turkey, so he's my property this afternoon."

Woods was reportedly paid a $3 million appearance fee to compete in Turkey. He also earned $600,000 as a semifinalist.

GeoffShackelford.com is offering a lavish reward to the first reader who spots a post-event story touting Turkey's fitness for hosting future golf tournaments and the 2020 Olympics, since that's what everyone was brought there to do!

Comments

[Press Agent]

LOL - nothing like telling it like it is.
He probably should have said "The people of Turkey paid for him to be here" though.
Interesting term: "ownership"

[Rob]

"I'm not nervous but what I want to do is make her nervous, as I will own her for the next four or five hours," he said with a smile. "I paid for her to be here in Australia, so she's my property this afternoon."

Ba dum tiss

[Adam Clayman]

Those mortars from Syria will make for some awesome blowouts. That's worthy enough?

[dbh]

I'm guessing it will be former TGP Ahmet Agaoglu before too long, but he sure has been entertaining!
Much better than the lame-o event.
Surprised he didn't go all Jungle Bird on his own trophy ceremony.

[Stanley Thompson]

Good for them.
If someone wants to throw away that Kind of money....why not.
I only wish they would throw it my way.

[GolfFan]

jealous?

[Del the Funk]

Wonder what the other guys got paid? Wasn't there a thesis floating around that the appearance fee market had cratered, especially as it relates to TW? So much for that...

[UKWendy]

They wore shorts - wow!

The Turkish people would not be shocked at President Agaoglu's claim of personal ownership, more's the pity. I know people don't like politics on here, but at least Turkey is calling Syria's bluff at the moment which is more than the rest of us are doing.

[TLB]

There was a golf tournament in Turkey. Who played??????

[LeeWatson]

3 mil, not bad for just basically hanging with the boys and playing(just in a different country). Hope he threw La Cava a nice tip.

[elf]

I get what the guy is saying, but lets hope the whole property comments was a lost in translation moment, Not the best word choice.

[Pasaplayer]

Well stated, Elf, but if you have any familiarity with Turkish (Arab) sexual mores, the translation may have been quite accurate.

[walkie talkie banks]

I quite enjoy playing golf in Turkey!
They've got to start somewhere and hpoefully they will learn from their mistakes!

[Buffett]

As Turkey has probably imprisoned more journalists than any other country it is doubtful that you will come across a post event story.

[China Golfer]

Good for Turkey.

I say this every time the question of appearance fees comes up but the fact is that pretty much every event excluding the majors offer some kind of financial inducement (indirectly or directly) to the top players. Yes - even on the PGA Tour.

And also good for Turkey for trying something different - round robin/knockout stroke play matches and allowing the players to wear shorts. Beats 72 holes of stroke play featuring faceless tour pros in Shitsville, [insert two-letter state code here].

[Brian Keogh]

Do the words "Olympics" and "Turkey" in the same piece count for the reward Geoff?

http://www.independent.ie/sport/golf/turkey-shootout-opens-door-on-enticing-vista-3258514.html

Some good stuff on the appearance fees in there too.

[johnnnycz]

Tournament Organizer/Promoter talking and acting like he owns a person: check

Using a great old format in a totally nonsensical manner: check

Holding the pros hostage AFTER the tournament ends in order to play golf-babysitter to rich, global-economic titans: check


Sounds almost exactly like a pro tournament in a European developing golf nation Geoff...except here they don't pay us a red cent for us to stay an extra day and engage in mandated walkabout hit and giggle for 6hrs with 40+ hdcp oligarch wannabes. It sucks the soul out of the game for me...not fun at all.