Wednesday, May 23, 2001
Tiger close to European tour eligibility
— if he wants to join
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
All Tiger Woods needs is one more tournament, his signature on
a membership application and a $300 entry fee to join the European
tour and have a good chance to become the first player to win
the money title on both sides of the Atlantic.
Will he do it? Doubtful. Presented that scenario after winning
in Germany, Woods offered only a lukewarm, “You never know.”
Woods is exempt on the European tour for 10 years because of his
Open championship at St. Andrews.
If he were a member, Woods already would be about $1 million ahead
of Michael Campbell on the Order of Merit, having played just
four tournaments — the Johnnie Walker Classic, Dubai, the
Masters and the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open.
Eleven tournaments are required of European tour members. Still
on the schedule for Woods are the other three majors, two World
Golf Championships and the Lancome Trophy in France the week before
the Ryder Cup.
That makes 10 tournaments, leaving him one short. One possibility
is the Dutch Open, which would love to have Woods and is played
the week after the British Open.
Still, Woods seems cool to the idea, particularly because of the
mandatory 11 tournaments. He added Dubai this year, and the Lancome
Trophy made sense only because it fell a week before the Ryder
Cup.
“Let's say one year I don't want to play as many tournaments,”
he said.
According to European tour regulations, a member who doesn't play
at least 11 tournaments is not eligible for reinstatement without
written permission for two years.
Would he consider joining the tour if there was no risk of suspension?
“I don't know,” he said. “It's a lot to ask to
try and play.”
A year ago, Lee Westwood ended Colin Montgomerie's record seven-year
reign atop the Order of Merit by winning nearly $3 million in
23 tournaments, a European tour record. Woods is listed on the
supplemental list since he only played nine tournaments.
His earnings were more than $4.5 million.
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