While the world of golf remains fixated on Tiger Woods, significant developments have reshaped the European Tour's landscape. The announcement of the 2010 tournament schedule comes amid revelations of Dubai's massive debts, raising questions about the Tour's financial stability. Dubai is central to the Tour's strategy, and the successful staging of last month's Dubai World Championship was a relief, but doubts linger over future funding.
Tour chief executive George O'Grady has expressed confidence that the $15 million prize fund for the Dubai World Championship and Race to Dubai bonus will be available. However, the economic climate has led to a bleak outlook for English golf fans, with only one tournament scheduled in England for 2010: the PGA Championship at Wentworth. The European Open, previously supported by Dubai money, has been dropped, and the British Masters remains absent from the calendar.
Adding to the Tour's worries, the US PGA Tour has secured a date for an event in Malaysia, signalling increased competition in Asia. Meanwhile, the Andalucia Masters returns to Valderrama, and the World Matchplay event on the Costa del Sol may require a five-day schedule to accommodate potential weather delays.
In other news, world ranking points were awarded at Woods' tournament in California last week, a move that some consider excessive for an 18-man event. Graeme McDowell benefited, jumping from 55th to 38th in the rankings, securing his place in the Masters and WGC events. Additionally, Catriona Matthew's omission from the BBC Sports Personality of the Year nominees has been criticised, given her Women's British Open victory shortly after childbirth.
