Tiger on course to hit $1bn earnings

TIGER WOODS made $122.7 million (€83 million) in on-course earnings and endorsements last year and will break the $1 billion (€680m) mark by 2010, according to an annual study by Golf Digest magazine.

Woods’s earnings, which included a $10m (€6.8m) bonus annuity for winning the season-long FedEx Cup points competition and appearance fees for overseas tournaments, mark an increase of $23m (€15.6m) over his 2006 total. Woods also signed new endorsement contracts with the Gillette and PepsiCo’s Gatorade.

In 2007, 158 golfers surpassed the $1m mark in earnings, including 99 on the US PGA Tour, the sport’s premier circuit. In 1996, the year Woods turned pro, only nine players earned at least $1m (€681,000) on the course, with Tom Lehman leading the way with $1.7m (€1.1m).

Top golfers like Woods benefited last year from the more than $30m (€20.4m) the PGA Tour poured into the circuit through the inaugural FedEx Cup and the shifting of the season-ending Tour Championship to September from November. That schedule change enabled players, including No. 2 earner Phil Mickelson at $49.6m (€33.7m), to accept fees to play outside the US. The PGA Tour doesn’t allow appearance fees.

Since 1996, Woods has amassed $769.4m (€524) in total earnings.

Meanwhile Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg yesterday sought to end a controversy involving the Golf Channel’s Kelly Tilghman. It began on Friday after coverage of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, when Tilghman was bantering with Nick Faldo about who might challenge Woods. Tilghman joked that they “lynch him in a back alley.” Tilghman, a friend of Woods, apologised saying: “I used some poorly chosen words. I have known Tiger for 12 years and I have apologised directly to him.”

Steinberg later said: “Tiger and Kelly are friends and Tiger has a great deal of respect for Kelly. We know there was no ill intent in her comments.”