Tiger Woods: Where's the Respect at the AT&T National?

If you believe that many PGA Tour professionals have gained a sense of entitlement over the past decade or so, well, you’re right.

One needs to look no further than this week’s AT&T National for proof of that.

The obscene amount of money in professional golf today can be traced back to just one man: Tiger Woods.

Tournament purses have increased by more than 200 percent since Woods arrival in 1997, and the money players earn in endorsement deals today have increased by at least as much over the past decade. 

For the rest of the PGA Tour, and professional golfers around the globe for that matter, Woods has been a human ATM machine.

In 1996, only nine players on tour earned more than $1 million, and no one earned more than $2 million.

In 2010, 90 players earned more than $1 million and 37 players earned more than $2 million.

Ryan Moore missed a four foot putt for the win last week at the Travelers Championship and earned $528,000.

Matt Kuchar hasn’t even won an event this year and has already earned $2.87 million.

Kevin Na earned $2.02 million last year...anyone even remember seeing his name on a leaderboard?

In terms of the European players, do you think the likes of Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer would be earning even a third of what they currently earn in endorsements had Woods not brought the eyes of the world to professional golf?

Yet not a single player within the top-10  will be on hand for this week’s AT&T National  at Aronimink Golf Club, which is a tournament hosted by Woods and benefits The Tiger Woods Foundation.

Only four players within the top 20 in the world will be at Aronimink this week (excluding Woods who is ranked 17th in the world but is unable to play due to an injury).

Guys like Kuchar, Bubba Watson and Steve Stricker should not only be at Aronimink this week, they should be offering to shine woods’ Nikes and wash his courtesy car for him. 

If the old Yankee Stadium was considered the house that Ruth built, the mansions that most PGA Tour professionals are living in today could ALL be considered the homes that Woods built.

There’s an old saying that goes, don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

Well, in the case of the PGA Tour, evidently they can’t even identify the hand that feeds them, either that or the overwhelming sense of entitlement has grown to the point where they couldn’t care less about the hand that feeds them.

When it comes to the AT&T National, not only should each and every one of the top-20 players in the world be there, they should all find the time to walk up to Mr. Woods and say thank you.

Thank you for my 10,000 square foot home.

Thank you for my 15 fast cars.

Thank you for my private jet.

And thank you for making the lives of my great, great grandchildren comfortable.

Yet only four of the top-20 players in the world have the decency to even show up.

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