Good job, good effort!
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, the star attractions of The Jim Justice Show, will not be playing this weekend at the Old White. However, they are still walking away with heavy pockets. Greenbrier owner and tournament chairman paid Woods and Mickelson appearance fees to add the event to their schedule. In fact, Woods reportedly will earn a larger paycheck than the eventual winner (at least $1.5 million) and Phil will take home about the same ($1 million), according to CBSSports.com’s Steve Elling.
Probably not the best $2.5 million investment Jim Justice has ever made.
Play was suspended on Friday afternoon for about 2.5 hours due to inclement weather in the White Sulphur Springs area. There are 15 guys who have yet to complete the second round and will return at 8:30am on Saturday to play their remaining holes (since they only have a few holes left, players who will likely miss the cut were given a hall pass by Tour officials to WD if they wished). But the projected cut is one-under and it’s mathematically impossible for that number to change.
This is the first time Phil (+2) and Tiger (E) have both missed a cut in the same week as professionals. The only previous time both failed to see weekend play at a Tour event was the 1993 HP Byron Nelson Championship, with Woods competing as an amateur.
Woods made an eight-footer for birdie on No. 18, but it was too little, too late.
“I didn’t quite have it,” said Tiger after posting a one-under 69 on Friday. “I drove it really good today and I just did not have the feel for the distances. The ball was just going forever. I know we’re at altitude, but I just couldn’t get the ball hit pin high no matter what I did, and subsequently, I made some bogeys.”
(The ball really does fly far out here — I played with hickory clubs and couldn’t believe how long I was hitting it.)
Coming off his third win of the season at the AT&T National last week, this is the second cut Tiger has missed in 2012. Last time he had the weekend off twice in the same season was in 2005.
“It happens,” said Woods, who is ranked No. 4 in the world. “You miss cuts out here. I’ve been doing it for a long time (as a pro) and I’ve missed nine cuts. So one every couple of years, I guess.”
Mickelson, who was making his second start at The Greenbrier, struggled again and shot one-over 71 for the second day in a row. Last year he played poorly, as well, posting scores of 70-73 and stayed for the weekend, but not to play golf. Instead, he enjoyed some of the wonderful activities available at the resort — there’s everything from white-water river rafting, horseback riding, fishing, canoeing and more. This time around, he put more focus on his game. Unfortunately, the result was the same.
“This is certainly a fun place and a place that we all enjoy,” said Mickelson. “Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out the golf course yet, but I’m going to keep working on it.”
Mickelson just can’t seem to figure out how to play the Old White, but he also hasn’t been playing well in the past month. He withdrew due to “mental fatigue” after posting a 78 in the first round at The Memorial. Then he shot 76-71-71-78 at the U.S. Open at Olympic to place T65.
“I really have been (a little off in the past few tournaments),” admitted Phil. “I don’t know what to say about that. It hasn’t been great. The parts don’t feel that far off, but I haven’t been putting them together. It doesn’t feel bad off the tee, it doesn’t feel bad with the iron play, it doesn’t feel bad chipping or putting, but I’m making a lot of, you know, some loose drives here or there, some loose iron shots here or there, missing some short putts here or there, and just haven’t been putting it all together.”
Again, not all is lost. They’re still walking away with padded pockets (despite the Tour’s no-no policy for appearance fees, but there are obviously ways around it). Not their fault or problem. Who wouldn’t take seven figures to just show up?
Meanwhile, Webb Simpson birdied the 18th to get to nine-under for the outright lead. Jonathan Byrd, Jeff Maggert, Jerry Kelly and rookie Charlie Beljan trail by one. (Martin Flores is at eight-under, as well, but has to return in the morning to play two holes.) In other news, John Daly is playing surprisingly well. He shot scores of 68-67, putting him at T14 at the midway mark. We’ll also see 62-year-old Tom Watson, who shot 70-68, this weekend.
Well, The Great Jim Justice Show will still go on. Just without his two lead attractions. *coughkarmacough*
(Getty Images/Hunter Martin)
anybody Else thinks that this smells a Bit funny? lets miss the cut and gtfo of there. and for heavens sake lets Not win that thing otherwise we would have to come back without the nice appearence fees ….
I always believed that appearance money was prohibited on The Tour. Not true, eh?
Karma? Perhaps you should do a little more reading on what that word and concept means.
If appearance money not allowed by the tour how have they got away with this?
Getting around an appearance fee is easy. The owner asked them to show up to a party that he hosted for the players and sponsors. He is paying them to show up to the party. It happens all the time.
$1 million is “about the same” as $1.5 million? Steph must be livin’ well these days…
She was saying that the $1 million is about the same as the winner will walk away with… Whereas the $1.5 Tiger is getting is more than the winner will make.
SW- I guess you never hear about ticket sales eh? Did you check whether there was an increase of sales over prior years ? or did you check the same way that you are reporting speculation on the payment to Phil & Tiger. Did you ask Phil or Tiger this question. Also what is the big deal even if they were compensated above tour winnings. Some people are given bonuses at year end for various reasons, usally because they” earned it”
Tiger Fail!! Zero preparation and lack of interest. It’s what I call a smash and grab job. Got the Dollars.. confirm wire transfer..let’s get the heck outta dodge.
Phil..basically the same thing. Well done guys.. take the Big Guys money.. don’t try so hard.
I love this Country!!!
like Steve Miller sang…”go on take the money and run!”….if that man is stupid enough to dish out $2.5 mil…then he deserves it…..also in other news….Daly has been playing great all year…in Europe and the States….1 missed cut here…..there might be another win in him yet….GO JD!!!…WPS!!!
maybe if the torrey pines event couldve found some cash for Tiger he wouldve played there instead of traveling half way around the world to play in abu dhabi, where he was paid around a $5 million dollar appearance fee.
Jim Justice has always skirted the rules and uses his power and influence to get what ever he wants. He recruited an entire girls high school basketball team from an academy in Tenn to buy himself a state championship this year but because the players parents moved here for work (for Big Jim of course) the SSAC looks the other way.
[...] the cut badly at the Greenbrier – despite having allegedly taken upwards of $1.5 million for an appearance fee – and the questions have come back again. He went into The Masters after a victory at Bay Hill, [...]
Who knew PGA Tour players were interested in money? I thought they played for free. They’ve earned it and all of the young guns on tour are hoping that one day they’ll be in the position where they’ll earn ‘appearance fees’ as well.
Also, the Greenbrier has a CASINO…This is why Tiger and Phil don’t leave immediately after missing the cut. Although I’m sure Phil enjoys keeping the family in WV for extra days to enjoy some white water rafting as well…Not.