MONEY IN GOLF

Evening Star, Issue 21508, 5 September 1933, Page 9

MONEY IN GOLF

VALUE OF A BIG SUCCESS When Densmorc Shute, of the United States, won the British open golf championship at St. Andrews ho won £IOO as the first prize, and was enabled to profit to the extent of about £5,000 a year.

Even though American golf is going through a loan period to-day, ho should have no difficulty in demanding big money fo.- exhibition matches, lectures, and instructional filmsj for oven in the United States the British “ open ” is still regarded as tho most important of all the championships (says the ‘ Daily Mail ’ golf critic). Waite Hagen probably never made less than £IO,OOO a year out of his three British championship victories, and on ono occasion he regarded the prize money as so insignificant that he gave it to his caddie. I know that when tho British Ryder Cup team toured in America two years ago tin.- wore paid nearly £.lO cadi for a single exhibition round on a Sunday afternoon. Craig Wood, who was beaten in the repla.., made more than £1,200 in two or three months during the last winter tournament season, and will naturally now expect to attract oven bigger monov.

When Gone Sarazon won the title last year it was estimated that he would make £IOO,OOO, a wild estimate. Ho probably made £IO,OOO. He had a Pullman caravan built and elaborately furnished with kitchen and sleeping accommodation, and with Joe Kirkwood toured all over America, giving demonstratio. s and playing exhibition games.

Even in the years when British players were winning tho championship—and that was more than ten years ago—tho title was “ worth ” about £I,OOO a year to them, and golf was not then so popular as it is to-day.