Tiger Thanks Everyone But Sponsor For A Great World Challenge

Compouding his point-misseritis from earlier this month, Tiger's year end blog post thanks everyone but the sponsor that rescued his 2013 World Challenge to the tune of millions of dollars (uh, it's called Northwestern Mutual and they wrote some big checks!).

From his year-in-review:

First, I want to thank everyone who has been involved with our World Challenge event as we celebrated our 15th and last year at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif. The board and members at Sherwood have been great to us over the years. I also want to thank all of the volunteers and amazing fans that came out through the years, whether it was perfect sunshine, rain, cold or wind. I'm grateful to all of you for supporting us because the World Challenge helped build our Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, Calif. It got us the equity we needed to build a tremendous facility that has served more than 100,000 students since 2006.

Let's just call it money okay?

Tiger goes on to explain why players love the easy world ranking points at the event, and explains to us the plight of today's professional golfer having to make a cross country flight to the remote Sherwood, even as the tournament just enjoyed its best field ever and record final round crowds.

Can't wait to see what Orlando has in store for its one-year of hosting before moving on to the Bahamas!

As you may recall, I suggested Tiger will regret having not appreciated the benefits of playing in his native southern California, at the expense of a few pros having to spend a few more hours on a chartered jet.

Comments

[Wow]

Is it because you weren't good enough to play?
Did some random tour pro pee in your wheaties?

It is amazing how many jabs, insults, and shots
you make at tour pros as a group. I understand the need to
bring Tiger in to
as many conversations as possible, he draws eyeballs.
But it is interesting how much you label the entire
"tour pros" group negatively.

Not saying there aren't some beauties, there are in every walk.
But there are a bunch of solid guys as well.

[3PuttAficionado]

I'll bet one of Tiger's handlers advised him on this omission or Tiger's handlers wrote this for him.
Tiger doesn't do thank-you letter grunt work.

[DTF]

Money quote: "First, I want to thank everyone who has been involved with our World Challenge..."

Key phrase: "...thank everyone..."

Key word: "...EVERYONE..."

[No Longer Used to be Former Stack & Tilt Convert]

Most of the players are based in Florida and the one guy who lives in California - Phil- won't play. The new sponsor is based in Florida, Tiger lives in Florida. It all makes sense to me, even before you start talking about the odd frost delay and state tax on winnings.

[3PuttAficionado]

But DTF, sponsors don't get any extra juice and publicity from being grouped in with "everyone". It would be like Tiger keeping his Rolex on the dresser.
Anyway, I doubt this was his decision to stiff the sponsor, and likely a play by his management

[joe]

The way you bang on tiger and his no-cut, limited-field exhibition that shockingly offers more ranking points than the Aussie open, I would have guessed that you would say good riddance.

You hate everything about this event, but when it moves out of tax-hell, you get all betrayed. Also, did this year's event get more patrons than the LA Open gets?

Of course, golf is a TV show. The paid attendance doesn't really matter.

[Elf]

@geoff I agreed w/you at the event, not sure I so here. Seems like the post was taking about the entire run, not just this year. If course could've thanked all the sponsors, but I mean their have been so many who can even remember all of them :p.

It is slightly word that this event can't seem to keep a sponsor (& before you say it's tw, they have long relationships with AT&T and dbc)

[Pat(another one)]

I'm still trying to figure out how this thing(and the one in SA) gets world ranking points. It's a silly season exhibition. 18 players? All I hear about is how there are so many great players and fields are so deep today, yet a beyond-limited field event that really has no competitive value gets more points than a full field event?

[BrianS]

Considering that Northwestern stepped in saved the event should make them deserving of at least a thank you. But once they decided to pull the plug, they were no use for Tiger, so game over.

I watched the Open Championship DVD Recap last night on GC, and it was really nicely done with interviews from all the top guys. You had Westwood and Scott there, reliving what had to be hard memories for the sake of the R&A. The one glaring omission of course was Tiger. No shock there since he couldn't even find it in himself to congratulate or even give a modicum of recognition to Phil's amazing round. No class, no surprise.

[Press Agent]

@WOW, I'm not sure what's going on with your post, are you trying to write a poem?

@no Longer, what makes you think Phil "won't play?" I was always under the impression he never got invited. The event is an invitation only one, and considering the whole Woods family have been calling Phil names since Tiger came on tour, I doubt he would be on their invitation list. But maybe you know something I don't?

[The Pro from Dover]

@ Press Agent

The field of 18 elite PGA Tour players is determined as follows: the current four major winners, the top 11 available from the Official World Golf Rankings, the defending champion and two special-exemption players. They go right off the list.

[elf]

@another Pat any event sanctioned by a pro tour, and with a non-biased selection process (i.e. can't be invite only like the Shark shout-out), gives world ranking points. The world challenge is sanctioned by the pga tour, and the nedbank sanctioned by the Euro tour. The owgr has not gotten into the business of deciding what's competitive enough (which seems reasonable, that's exceedingly subjective)

[Press Agent]

thanks pro. didn't know that.

[OWGR Fan]

@Press Agent.... Phil did play in Tigers $illy $eason event once in 2002 or 2003. He has likely been eligible to play in it each year but likely declines.

[Stanley Thompson]

Actually, if you check Tiger's blog he did, in fact, thank all the sponsors. See below paste.
Inaccurate reporting??


From the blog:

First, I want to thank everyone who has been involved with our World Challenge event as we celebrated our 15th and last year at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif. The board and members at Sherwood have been great to us over the years. I also want to thank all of the sponsors, volunteers and amazing fans that came out through the years, whether it was perfect sunshine, rain, cold or wind. I'm grateful to all of you for supporting us because the World Challenge helped build our Tiger Woods Learning Center in Anaheim, Calif. It got us the equity we needed to build a tremendous facility that has served more than 100,000 students since 2006.

[The Pro from Dover]

@ Pat (another one) I too, am one that finds the allotment of OWGR points offered at a 'silly season' invitational is questionable.

Has anyone ever asked, "Why doesn't the Grand Slam offer OWGR points?".

If they are considering depth of field, potentially every play in the Grand Slam is a major winner. I personally don't think they should as this is an exhibition just like TW's invitational is. Just saying.

Seems all is NOT fair in love and war, er, golf.

[Jonathan]

I still think one of the more interesting stories regarding future TWF venues is the Congressional one. Where will the AT&T land after this final year at Congo? Many guesses but I'm pretty sure even Woods/Greg Mc/TWF don't have any idea.