Have PGA Purses gotten out of hand?

[Indio]

As the title says, in your humble opinion, have golf purses gotten completely out of control?

[Indio]

My take on it is that the sponsors are throwing so much money at these events that we don't get to see the big boys as often as we used to. What to hell, make a million this week and go work on my other interests for the next 3, 4 or 5 weeks. I think the PGA has to find a way or better format to make sure we get to see the best players in the world compete against each other more than 12 to 15 times a year.

[jeffc]

nope. The best year any one person has ever had was around $10M. Now consider what professional baseball, basketball, and football players make and when they sign a contract (except NFL) it is guaranteed $ regardless of how they play. PGA players only make $ when they make the cut.

[em69]

As the title says, in your humble opinion, have golf purses gotten completely out of control?

If the sponsors of the event want to throw crazy money around to draw the best talent to their tournaments then by all means go ahead. It doesn't bother me as a fan as the purses are not coming from my pocket.

[Indio]

If the sponsors of the event want to throw crazy money around to draw the best talent to their tournaments then by all means go ahead. It doesn't bother me as a fan as the purses are not coming from my pocket.

But doesn't it bother you as a fan that you don't get to see many of the say top 10 golfers in the world very often any more?

[Golfbum]

If the sponsors of the event want to throw crazy money around to draw the best talent to their tournaments then by all means go ahead. It doesn't bother me as a fan as the purses are not coming from my pocket.

Oh yes the purses are coming out of your pockets, one way or the other. You think about it and you will realize how that happens.

[Ginker]

nope. The best year any one person has ever had was around $10M. Now consider what professional baseball, basketball, and football players make and when they sign a contract (except NFL) it is guaranteed $ regardless of how they play. PGA players only make $ when they make the cut.

Good point..

[LobWedge]

Oh yes the purses are coming out of your pockets, one way or the other. You think about it and you will realize how that happens.

Bingo! That money's coming from somewhere, Mr. & Mrs. Consumer...

[jonf]

But doesn't it bother you as a fan that you don't get to see many of the say top 10 golfers in the world very often any more?

Not particularly - when they're playing, you don't hear about anything else. I like being able to watch golf and have them actually talk about the leaders, rather than the people who "should" be leading.

[Indio]

Oh yes the purses are coming out of your pockets, one way or the other. You think about it and you will realize how that happens.

BIG TIME, but thats another thread

[Indio]

Not particularly - when they're playing, you don't hear about anything else. I like being able to watch golf and have them actually talk about the leaders, rather than the people who "should" be leading.

Fair enough

[LobWedge]

But doesn't it bother you as a fan that you don't get to see many of the say top 10 golfers in the world very often any more?

The Fedex Cup will take care of that starting next year.

[g8r]

anyone got a link on how thats gonna work? i could google it, but if theres a good article someone else knows of, i'd rather not have to look myself

[Shivas Irons]

Oh yes the purses are coming out of your pockets, one way or the other.

But we do have a choice as to whether we buy the sponsors product or not.
If John Deere has a huge purse they will pass along the increased costs in their product price, but since I never buy their products I wouldn't consider that coming out of my pocket.
If you mean that the guy who does buy the John Deere tractor pays more, then passes that increase along to the grocer, who then passes the increase along to me when I buy an apple, then yes, we all pay for it.

["Richard"]

I think the purses should be bigger. Some sponsers will be able to keep up with the 10-15mil purses and some wont. THe ones that cant will find no one coming to their tourneys. The ones who can will find the top 100 showing up every year. You want the top 10 at your course? offer more money. Golfers don't make nearly enough money. HIghest paid golfer 10mil, highest paid baseball player 25mil, highest paid basketball player 21mil, highest paid hockey player 8m+

If you average out the field in golf, I would say golf has the lowest average pay in any sport. Yet they have a huge TV contract, good ratings.

the guy who won the world series of poker this year won 10mil for coming first!!! I believe the purse for that tourney was over 50mil. How can poker players make more than golfers?

[LobWedge]

But we do have a choice as to whether we buy the sponsors product or not.
If John Deere has a huge purse they will pass along the increased costs in their product price, but since I never buy their products I wouldn't consider that coming out of my pocket.
If you mean that the guy who does buy the John Deere tractor pays more, then passes that increase along to the grocer, who then passes the increase along to me when I buy an apple, then yes, we all pay for it.

John Deere is just the title sponsor for that particular event. They're not responsible for the entire purse.

["Richard"]

you would think that a title spon. would be resp. for the majority of the purse no?

["Richard"]

actually I have a question.. what does the PGA do with all their TV revenues???

[LobWedge]

the guy who won the world series of poker this year won 10mil for coming first!!! I believe the purse for that tourney was over 50mil. How can poker players make more than golfers?

Your gambling dollars at work. The last renovation at Caesars Palace in Vegas cost over $900M. Where do you think that money came from?

[jonf]

Think about the poker comment for a second there. The purse comes from the 6000 players who paid 10000 dollars each to play. there's your 60 million right there.

Comparing to baseball is ridiculous. Those contracts are the most ridiculous things ever - it's a laughing stock. 25 million to hit 2 balls a game (tops) and stop a couple of grounders.

Basketball - they can afford to pay higher salaries like that because they only have to pay 12 people.

Hockey - highest paid players make less than golfers, so i don't know what your argument is there.

MOST sponsors won't be able to keep up with 15 million dollar purses. If you want to see 7 tourneys a year, then sure, require massive purses, otherwise, let the invisible hand to its thing.

["Richard"]

I understand the economics of it but its just mind blowing that golf... a multi billion dollar industry (clubs, balls, apperal, green fees, golf trips, tv contracts) does equally compensate their athletes in line with other sports.

[spackler]

I understand the economics of it but its just mind blowing that golf... a multi billion dollar industry (clubs, balls, apperal, green fees, golf trips, tv contracts) does equally compensate their athletes in line with other sports.

I think you have to include endorsement money as part of a pro golfer's 'salary'. So Tiger's $10M was supplemented by another $90M in endorsements, Phil's earnings were supplemented by another $40M. Not too shabby.

I think where the tournament purse hurts is making the 10-50 ranked players a little bit too comfortable. I think I read Rory Sabbatini has not played any tournaments this summer besides the US Open, British Open and this weekend's PGA. No injuries, he just wanted to hang out at some lake in Texas. Tiger or Phil don't play any less than Jack did, but I think the Sabbatini's of the golf world probably play less than the Dave Barr's of earlier times.

[LobWedge]

I understand the economics of it but its just mind blowing that golf... a multi billion dollar industry (clubs, balls, apperal, green fees, golf trips, tv contracts) does equally compensate their athletes in line with other sports.

Probably because all the other sports are "out of line" with what they pay their players.

[jonf]

I understand the economics of it but its just mind blowing that golf... a multi billion dollar industry (clubs, balls, apperal, green fees, golf trips, tv contracts) does equally compensate their athletes in line with other sports.

What do green fees, balls, clubs, apparel, and golf trips have to do with it. The only thing you listed there that actually has any bearing on the size of purses is the contracts.

Just like other sports, golfers can make a tonne of money through endorsements for clubs, balls, apparel etc., but that is for the individual golfer. (the two highest paid athletes in the world right now are Tiger and Mickelson, btw).

["Richard"]

Hockey - highest paid players make less than golfers, so i don't know what your argument is there.

Yes tiger makes more than jagr but does the average salary in the NHL work out to more than that on the tour... probably. NHL players get 60-65 percent of revenues.. doesnt seem like golfers get that. Why do you think baseball contracts are so crazy? twice as many home games, twice as many fans at games... better TV deal... thats 4 times as much revenue without the TV deal... A

[Shivas Irons]

John Deere is just the title sponsor for that particular event. They're not responsible for the entire purse.

didn't know that. who pays the balance of the purse?

[jonf]

I was reading something in SI at the doctor's yesterday. I wish I could remember the exact numbers. It was an article about the "average joe's salary". It was saying that the 90th ranked golfer in the world is projected to make about 2.8 million this year (something around there...correct me if I am wrong). The average Joe from the NHL, Steve Reinprecht (pretty good for an average Joe, if you ask me) will be making less than 2 million.

["Richard"]

What do green fees, balls, clubs, apparel, and golf trips have to do with it. The only thing you listed there that actually has any bearing on the size of purses is the contracts.

Just like other sports, golfers can make a tonne of money through endorsements for clubs, balls, apparel etc., but that is for the individual golfer. (the two highest paid athletes in the world right now are Tiger and Mickelson, btw).

Yes, I was aware that they are two of the highest paid athletes in the world (ali still makes more than phil). I just find it interesting that golf is such a big intustry now, has become much bigger since tiger showed up by the way, and these purses are still so small. Its only with their endoresements that these guys even get over 10mil (except once). What do clubs, balls, apparel... have to do with anything? Just showing how much of an impact these guys have had on every aspect of the industry... I wonder how many red nike shirts nike sold after tiger won the british


STEVE JOBBS... he got a 1billion dollars as compensation for taking apple from a 2bil company to a 16bil company.

[LobWedge]

didn't know that. who pays the balance of the purse?

Tournaments will have a bunch of other secondary sponsors that will buy space in the tournament guide or pro-am spots, stuff like that. Usually local and regional businesses, with some national flavour kicked in. Sort of like the Ottawa Citizen at our local arena, even though the title sponsor is Scotiabank.

[Shivas Irons]

Tournaments will have a bunch of other secondary sponsors that will buy space in the tournament guide or pro-am spots, stuff like that.

Gotcha - like the corporate hospitality tents, otherwise known as drunken whorespitality tents.