Tiger heads east for Desert Classic

THE European Tour’s Dubai Desert Classic beginning over the Emirates Course on Thursday, offers $2.5m (€1.8m) in prize money while, across the Atlantic, The AT&T Pro-Am on the US PGA Tour carries a purse of $6.3m (€4.6m).

Given the monetary difference you would expect America’s finest to try their luck over the famous Pebble Beach links course on the edge of the Pacific Ocean.

And yet, Tiger Woods has opted to head to the Middle East. Is the $US3m (€2.2m) appearance fee he receives once he tees it up outside of the United States a factor in his decision? You might think money was no longer a concern for Woods (no matter how much his divorce from Elin has set him back) but clearly that is not the case.