Tiger Woods injured

Tiger brought more money to the game. That’s why they appreciate him.

 

The top young guys on the tour today actually seem to like him.

It's probably a number of things -- he's not the cut throat competitive threat he once was, many of them idolized him and he's probably a whole hell of a lot more fun to be around now that he's settled in as a father of two growing kids. He's been through the ringer a few times and probably appreciates everything a little more, including the camaraderie he has with the younger guys.

That being said they got a taste of what life was like for golfers 20 years ago during the 2019 Masters.

 

I just looked it up: In 1995, the top winner’s purse on the PGA tour was $540,000. The next year, when Woods debuted, it was $630,000. The next two years, it was $720,000.

In 2000, Hal Sutton won $1,080,000 at The Players Championship, and a few other tournaments paid $1 million.

I don’t think you can say Woods was solely — solely — responsible for the rise in winner’s share, but you could make a pretty convincing argument. What’s more notable to me is that the run of the mill tournaments that paid $230,000 in 1995 were paying more than double that just five years later. Probably hoping to lure early career Tiger to the field.

Guys went from playing to support their families to building generational wealth. That, I believe, is because of Woods. And every swinging dick on tour knows it.

 

THIS is what I'm saying!

 

Hold on while I get up on my soapbox,

Yes, as a father, I'd say my perspective changed when I became a father. Priorities changed; competitive thoughts shifted.

Am I speaking for all fathers or even Tiger? No. But I think Happy's on the right path.

 

A guy I went to high school with designed and engineered something similar that hides the front license plate on his Lamborghini. It’s not meant to avoid tolls, it just keeps the front of the car looking clean in a state where two plates are required by law.

He got pulled over once while it was retracted. Before the cop got out of his car, he flipped the switch to put the plate in place. When the cop approached and said he’s required to have two plates on the car, he said he has them. Cop walked to the front of the car, saw the plate, scratched his head and apologized for the mistake.

 

It's not like they were playing for the $15 minimum wage before Tiger. The single-season million-dollar mark was eclipsed in 1988. They all became uber-rich after Tiger, but they weren't exactly starving or driving used Pintos before he got there.

 

If someone in your field came along and drove your income up from a nice living to filthy rich, would you not be grateful for that?

 

To say nothing of the increase in earnings of the last guy on tour with his card.
Tiger raised the tide of every boat on the tour.

When did Junkie become such a bad hot take machine?

 

What the fuck? I was responding to this:

"Guys went from playing to support their families to building generational wealth. That, I believe, is because of Woods. And every swinging dick on tour knows it."

My dad worked to support his family. At the peak of his earnings, which was right around the years Swingline mentioned and DaMan responded to, he was not making $540,000 a year. Or anything close to it. And he did very well. Retired in 99 to a private island in S. Carolina. The PGA guys were certainly doing far better than "playing to support their families."

 

Sure, but that's not even close to what happened. He drove their incomes from being rich to filthy rich.

 

I think that when I covered my first golf late-70s/early-80s, they were saying that they had to win $25,000 per year to cover travel, lodging and entry fees.