Golf: Chasing funny money a serious business

Golf is such big business these days that income levels have gone through the roof.

The leading players are laughing all the way to the bank at a time a world recession is beginning to bite deeply into the pockets of ordinary citizens the world over.

But even the best have to pay their way and, for all of the inflated incomes, there are also growing expenses that have to be met.

New Zealand golfer Mark Brown, 34, understands that reality and he is willing to accommodate it, too, as he prepares to spend good coin to have his long-time coach, Mal Tongue, by his side in Europe for the best part of three months.

Already this year, Brown has swung his clubs in the Middle East, Asia, Australia and the United States, with his full European schedule starting next week for the Open de Andalucia in Spain.

From then to the middle of July, the world No130 and 2008 Johnnie Walker Classic champion is booked to contest 12 European tournaments, two of them Asian Tour co-sanctioned events in China and South Korea.

With him for much of that time will be Tongue, his coach of 18 years, who leaves for England in early May.

Tongue is paid a percentage by Brown based on the player's earnings.

So it is in both their interests that Brown finds his comfort zone in Europe, after graduating there last season courtesy of winning the Classic crown in India.

It costs Brown about $7500 a week - covering his accommodation, travel, food, caddie, incidentals and taxes - to follow the European gravytrain.

The rewards are major with weekly purses ranging from a low of 700,000 ($1.7 million) at this week's Madeira Islands Open to the US$10 million ($18 million) at stake for the Dubai World Championship in November.

Golf is, and has always been, about putting the numbers on the board. Score well and you will be paid well. Don't, and pressure mounts from all sides.

"He will not go forward simply by making the cut, he'd probably only be breaking even or losing money in that case," Tongue said.

"To be making a quid and be moving forward, you have to be top 30 week-in, week-out."

Tongue appreciates that Brown has such faith in his teaching methods that he is willing to dig into his pocket to have him at close quarters for such a long stretch.

"Hopefully, the investment is worth it. We are working on pretty simple stuff so my objectives there are to make sure he maintains what he is doing. I'll also be monitoring his short game and his course management."

Neither Brown nor Tongue has any major issues about the player's game at present, with Tongue relaxed about his charge's form despite four missed cuts in six outings this term.

He received an email from Brown last week after the golfer tied for 46th at the WGC-CA Championship in the US.

"It was probably the very first time that he wrote to me and said he had played really nicely for the entire week. Coming from him, it was probably more of an under-statement than an over-statement."

All this talk about money will not sit comfortably with Brown, who has often railed against the obsession news media organisations have concerning the money being won by golfers.

His argument is that player performance and genuine golfing news are being drowned out by the emphasis placed on the huge wads of cash changing hands.

He is right, but only to a point.

Brown's arrow of criticism is aimed at the wrong target, though, because unlike other truly global sports such as tennis, golf proudly parades its wealth by heavily promoting tournament purses.

It is made abundantly clear how much players are playing for and information is readily available detailing what they will earn in a tournament based on their final position in the field.

For those who enjoy irony, take a quick peek at Brown's own website, which reveals the purses available from each event he fronts up for.

- NZPA