Rory is all in at your tournament for 2 million

Report: Rory McIlroy’s appearance fee now a staggering $2 million

By Jonathan Wall

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By Jonathan Wall | Devil Ball Golf – Thu, Dec 6, 2012 4:27 PM EST

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Rory McIlroy / Getty Images

Remember when we thought Tiger Woods was the only golfer on the planet who could bring in an appearance fee north of $2 million? Well apparently the 14-time major winner has company in the eye-popping appearance fee department, after Australia's Herald Sun reported that Rory McIlroy's now asking for just over $2 million to show up for an event.
According to the Sun's story, McIlroy's management team had come to an agreement on an appearance fee with Australian Open officials at the end of last year to play the event, but following the 23-year-old's torrid finish to the 2012 season -- including an eight-shot win at the PGA Championship -- the fee went from $1 million to $2 million, thereby putting him out of reach financially for Aussie tournament officials.
[Also: Teenage Tiger Woods discusses race and golf]
Is McIlroy's appearance at a tournament worth $2 million? He's without question the hottest player in golf at the moment, owns the No. 1 ranking and has a couple major wins under his belt, so the resume would lead you to believe he's worth a hefty appearance fee.
But $2 million? That's debatable. In a golf landscape where appearance fees dictate the quality of the field at major international events, the price to entice the best players in the world to an event has skyrocketed in recent years.
Some may disagree with the practice of paying for a player to show up at an event, but as we've seen in years past with Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, who have received hefty appearance fees to play, if you want the best in the world, you better be prepared to back up the Brinks truck

Davis Love III wins the 2013 Bob Jones Award

 

 

 

Some awards are easy to see how they are won. Whether it be from winning a money title, the most tournaments or a statistical category, it is measurable. When it comes to the prestigious USGA Bob Jones award, Davis Love III took a  lifetime to earn the credentials that allowed him to earn one of the most coveted awards in golf. This award is won through the observations of otheres a this includes what a person has on the inside and that includes attitude, respect and character. It is true that his playing career is very impressive, but this award is something that only one player can earn in any given year. The USGA press release is below.

Love to receive USGA's Bob Jones Award

Davis Love III on Wednesday was named the recipient of the 2013 Bob Jones Award, presented annually by the U.S. Golf Association to an individual who demonstrates spirit, personal character and respect during his career.

Love, 48, will receive the USGA’s highest honor during the association’s annual meeting, to be held on Feb. 2, 2013, in San Diego.

“Throughout his impressive career, Davis has distinguished himself with his sense of fair play, integrity and reverence for the game’s traditions,” said USGA president Glen D. Nager in a statement. “His passion for the game, as well as the values and principles that guide his everyday life, are emblematic of the characteristics that the Bob Jones Award seeks to identify. Golf and all those who play it are inspired by Davis' example.”

A 20-time PGA Tour winner, Love twice captured The Players Championship (1992 and 2003) and won his lone major at the 1997 PGA Championship at Winged Foot.

A member of 12 Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams, Love also captained the U.S. at the 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah.

“Davis epitomizes everything that Bob Jones stood for with his character, integrity, displays of sportsmanship and his spirit of giving back,” said Tour commissioner Tim Finchem in a statement. “He truly understands what it means to be a role model and has been a great ambassador for the PGA Tour and the sport of golf, both on and off the field of competition. He is a worthy addition to the list of distinguished winners of the USGA’s Bob Jones Award.”

KEEGAN BRADLEY defends the belly putter to juniors at a clinic

Keegan Bradley couldn’t escape questions about the belly putter, even at a junior clinic.

Speaking to about 100 juniors at a clinic for the Franklin Templeton Shootout, which begins Friday in Naples, Fla., Bradley was asked by youngsters what his thoughts were on the proposed rule that will ban the anchored stroke in 2016.

“Oh boy. This is a tough topic for me because I have to be careful of what I say,” Bradley joked, according to a report Tuesday by the Naples Daily News.

“I personally, obviously, don’t agree with the ban,” he said, according to the report. “I’m not going to sit here and say I agree with the USGA. But I do respect what the USGA is doing and what they’re trying to do. It doesn’t mean that I agree with it, but they’re trying to protect the game in the best way that they think. I don’t think what they’re doing is exactly right because it does affect some of us professionals and the way we make a living, so it’s a little difficult.”

Bradley had a runner-up finish at last week’s World Challenge, but during the third round, he was heckled and called a “cheater” by a spectator on the 18th hole.

That prompted the U.S. Golf Association to issue a statement a day later in which it condemned the actions of an “obviously uneducated spectator” and apologized to Bradley.

Asked about the divisive nature of the anchoring debate, Bradley said, according to the report: “I love that it causes controversy because whenever there’s controversy, it means you’re doing something – on one side, you’re doing something right. The more putts I make with this putter, the crazier it’s going to make people. I hope that this is going to be a huge issue because I hope I’m going to be making as many putts as possible.”

AJGA Let's Golfer Use Rangefinders

     It's about time. There was nothing more gut wrenching last summer than watching golfers that paid hundreds if not a couple of grand to enter, travel and participate in a tournament and then get disqualified for using a range finder. Using one will allow you to dial in the yardage for a hole and then you have to hit the correct shot in order to make a par or better on a hole. The hole thing is you have to hit the shot.  Last year, one local tour ( The Top 50 Jr. Tour allowed the practice and there were no hiccups. The AJGA has finally relented and now the golfers can dial in their yardage like many other junior golf tours. The press release is below. v v

AJGA permits use of rangefinders in competitionsBeginning in 2013 rangefinders will be approved for use in all AJGA events

BRASELTON, Ga. — The American Junior Golf Association has adopted the note to Rule 14-3 in the USGA Rules of Golf regarding the use of distance measuring devices in competition, the AJGA announced Wednesday. The note reads: “The Committee may make a Local Rule allowing players to use devices that measure or gauge distance only.”

“We are excited to introduce the use of rangefinders in all of our events in 2013,” said Mark Oskarson, AJGA Chief Operating Officer. “With all the information we gathered over the course of the year, we feel this is the right direction for our organization.”
The AJGA conducted four case studies at events in 2012 to gather information from juniors, parents and staff as to the types of rangefinders being used, how many juniors already have rangefinders and how pace of play is affected by their implementation.
Pace of play was not affected in either a positive or negative way at the events where rangefinders were used. By permitting the use of rangefinders the AJGA’s policy becomes more consistent with college golf, where rangefinders are already permitted.
Some rangefinders will not be permitted in AJGA events. If the device is designed to gauge or measure other conditions that might affect the player’s decision (such as slope, wind speed, temperature) the player would be in breach of Rule 14-3.
For more information about the use of distance measuring devices in AJGA competition and prohibited devices, please contact AJGA Director of Rules and Competitions Andrew Greenfield at (678) 425-1714 or agreenfield@ajga.org.
The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf. The AJGA provides valuable exposure for college golf scholarships, and has an annual junior membership (boys and girls ages 12-18) of approximately 5,500 junior golfers from 49 states and more than 40 countries. To ensure scholarship opportunities for all junior golfers who have the skill, the AJGA created the Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program to provide financial assistance to young players in need.
Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex, which is in its third decade of AJGA support, became the inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004. In 2007, after 12 years of support, Ralph Lauren became the AJGA's second Premier Partner.
AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and professional golf. Former AJGA juniors have compiled more than 500 victories on the PGA and LPGA Tours. AJGA alumni include Stewart Cink, Matt Kuchar, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park and Morgan Pressel.

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