Schofield: don’t desert Europe

FORMER European Tour chief executive Ken Schofield has called for players not to forget their roots in the search for more money in America.

Bigger cash prizes, and the availability of more world ranking points, have lured many stars to the PGA Tour but Schofield said the future of European golf and the Ryder Cup depended on them committing to play on this side of the Atlantic.

"Golf is an international game. It always has been and always must be," Schofield told delegates at GolfEx Dubai.

"For the Ryder Cup to continue to flourish, European audiences need to see on a regular basis the players who will make up the team.

"If they play only in the US and live there, the passion and fervour that have been such positives for the Ryder Cup over the past 20 years would be in danger."

Schofield also called for younger players who have been enticed away to the US college system to return to Europe, citing Ryder Cup star Luke Donald as a great example.

"American colleges are trawling the world for talent. It is vital that we take the game forward internationally and encourage them to come back and play," he added.

Schofield also called for international stars to follow the example set by world number one Tiger Woods and the likes of Vijay Singh, Ernie Els and Retief Goosen by playing more events around the world.

"Additionally, we need international players to do one thing please add one international event to your schedule. Please do not subtract one," he said.

Meanwhile record prize money of over €3.5 million has been confirmed for the Smurfit European Open at the K Club, which starts on July 6.

Despite appeals from a number of top players, the tournament has been switched back to the Smurfit course rather than the Palmer lay-out which will stage the Ryder Cup in September.

The purse is over €146,000 up on last year when England's Kenneth Ferrie took advantage of an amazing collapse by Dane Thomas Bjorn, who ran up an 11 on the 17th when sharing the lead and finished with a round of 86.

George O'Grady, executive director of the European Tour, said: "This announcement keeps the Smurfit European Open at the forefront of the European Tour in what is a very special year for the K Club and Ireland as we look forward to the 36th Ryder Cup."