La Jolla, Calif. – According to David Duval, there are two ways The International could resolve its problem of not being able to attract Tiger Woods.
The first is to make golfers employees of the PGA Tour and order them to play in designated events, which would foster a revolution somewhere along the lines of the Boston Tea Party.
The second is a little more, well, intriguing.
“You know what? If I were Jack Vickers, I’d have a big cocktail party on Tuesday night (of tournament week) and have him come by and meet a few people and say, ‘Hello,”‘ Duval said. “And when he was there, I’d walk by him and flip him a check for $500,000 and just say thanks for being here.”
OK, there’s probably a regulation against that in the Rules of Golf, if not the PGA Tour’s handbook. But short of what’s known in college football recruiting as a $500,000 handshake, there appears to be no easy answer for Vickers, the tournament’s founder, and his staff to get the world’s No. 1 player.
And without Woods, the future of the tournament remains a subject of conjecture. A news conference called last week by The International was abruptly postponed. Since, no one from The International or the PGA Tour will address the subject.
Speaking on Wednesday at a news conference for this week’s Buick Invitational, Woods was noncommittal about his 2007 schedule. The elusiveness is par for the course for Woods, who has played more than 20 events just once in the past six seasons. However, the uncertainty over where Woods will play this year is heightened by the upcoming birth of his first child.
The expected date? “Sometime in July,” which could conflict with The International – July 5-8. Woods has traditionally played the Western Open outside Chicago on that date. That event has a new sponsor and has been moved to early September as part of the FedExCup playoffs. International officials took that slot hoping it would help lure Woods to Colorado.
Asked if that thought was correct and would indeed prove successful, Woods flatly said, “I don’t know, we’ll see.”
Duval, a Cherry Hills Village resident and a member of Castle Pines Golf Club, which hosts The International, said tournament officials didn’t get a schedule advantage given the changes brought on by the FedExCup, as well as conflicts in Europe. For example, the Buick Open in Michigan, previously played in early August as a lead-in to the PGA Championship, has been moved to the last week in June, just before The International.
The automobile company is a major sponsor of Woods. Given his commitments to Buick, it would seem Woods would choose that event over The International.
The International is without a title sponsor. It could also be hurt in its attempt to attract its usual stable of European and international players, such as Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia, because of travel conflicts in early July.
“I told Jack last year that the date would make it more of a problem,” said Jose Maria Olazabal, the winner of the 1991 International, following a practice round at Torrey Pines Golf Course. “It’s something that I’m looking at; I haven’t made my mind up.
“Jack is a man with a lot of character. He wants to have a great tournament, but somehow, he and the PGA Tour haven’t been able to work this thing out together and come up with a solution.”
Said Duval: “I’m sorry that this is happening. There’s a lot of big names and pretty spectacular golfers who have been very loyal to the event. I think this is some vocal dissatisfaction, but again, (attracting Woods) isn’t going to change unless (Vickers) has that cocktail party.”
Staff writer Anthony Cotton can be reached at 303-954-1292 or acotton@denverpost.com.
