<i>Editorial:</i> Let's hope we get value from Woods

8 Jan, 2002 05:42 AM4 mins to read

Here's hoping that the New Zealand Golf Open does not turn into a Tiger Woods exhibition. Those paying big money to attend the tournament, which starts at Paraparaumu Beach tomorrow, deserve better than that - as do those who have paid, and risked, far more money to bring Woods here. Both stand to lose if the Open becomes a benefit for the world's greatest golfer.

New Zealanders have never shown much liking for exhibition games, as attendances at All Black matches against lesser rugby nations attest. They relish stern competition between evenly matched opponents. That could yet count against the tournament's financial backers, who require big walk-up crowds over the Open's four days to avoid significant losses.

Those organisers originally envisaged that Woods' presence would attract a high-class international field, thereby ensuring strong competition. That has not happened; unfortunately, the Open clashes with a United States PGA Tour event in Hawaii.

Woods' strongest challenge is, therefore, expected to come from a mixture of New Zealand and Australian talent. Even from that pool there have been defections. Frank Nobilo, Grant Waite and Michael Long have decided not to compete, leaving Michael Campbell and defending champion David Smail as the leading New Zealanders. The Australian contingent includes seasoned campaigners, but not that country's biggest names.

If that fails to impress the New Zealand public, there is also the question, of course, of attendance prices. Charging $450 for a season ticket for the tournament is eye-opening by our standards, no matter the comparison with ticket prices for the likes of the Masters.

Certainly, it is a huge hike from the $50 charged for a season ticket for last year's Open at The Grange in Auckland. Those prices prompted a mini-rebellion from Campbell and Greg Turner, who extracted attendance concessions from the organisers before agreeing to play.

Both, however, must recognise that bringing Woods here necessitates an entry fee much higher than that previously charged. How can it be otherwise when Woods generally expects an appearance fee of almost $5 million to play outside the US? Applying that $450 charge might, however, have been a much more comfortable proposition if the Open had been played in Auckland. Purely on population numbers, and golf-playing numbers, it would have been easier to sell.

As it is, the tournament's financial backers will rely, at least partly, on a strong showing by our golfers, probably Campbell in particular, to attract a big walk-up crowd. It speaks volumes for the health of the sport in this country that such a challenge can be contemplated. And it says much for the work of the late Grant Clements, who, in his role as executive director of the New Zealand Golf Association, laid the basis for a flowering of the game.

An unprecedented number of New Zealanders now play, and win, on the world stage. Woods' appearance at the Open will raise the profile of the sport even higher, and elevate the status of the Open. But this is not a case of badly needed resuscitation. Golf bears no similarity to tennis, which so desperately needed an Anna Kournikova boost.

Yet it would have been folly not to grasp the chance to have Woods play in New Zealand. Not every day will a New Zealander be the right-hand man of the world's most recognisable sporting personality. Steve Williams, the great golfer's caddie, provided a route to Woods that could not be ignored. He has also guaranteed an array of extras, including the clinics that Woods will run for promising juniors.

Golfers, young and old, will be inspired by Woods' presence, and others will be tempted to take up the game. The only losers may be those who have risked their money to bring Woods here. They may have misjudged the average New Zealander's willingness to pay a big sum to watch him.

They may have failed to appreciate the need to ensure that the Open is truly competitive. But it would be unfortunate if their part in making this the Summer of Big Names was to cost them dearly. The par-five 18th hole at Paraparaumu Beach is ideal for a nail-biting final-day finish. Here's hoping we get it.

Leaderboard

Full coverage: NZ Golf Open 2002

Quick guide to the Open

Off the course: news related to the NZ Open