CASPER
New member
SHANGHAI – The PGA Tour continues to shortchange the one World Golf Championship held outside the United States by only offering a three-year exemption to the winner if he is a member of the American-based tour.
One person who didn't seem the least bit bothered was Francesco Molinari, who won the HSBC Champions.
"I'm a European Tour member," Molinari said with a shrug. "I'm proud to be a European Tour golfer, and it's a great moment for European golf, and I'm really happy to give my contribution to that. Honestly, going to the States, it's not really part of my plans at the moment. I'm happy to consider it a European Tour win."
At the trophy presentation in near darkness on the 18th green at Sheshan International, with Chinese drummers adding a unique touch to the ceremony, Molinari was announced as the winner of a $1.2 million check.
That translates to just over 850,000 euros, enough to move him to No. 4 in the Race to Dubai, giving him an outside chance depending on how he fares this week in Singapore.
It used to be that beating the best field in golf, whether it was a major or a World Golf Championship, was essentially a free pass to the PGA Tour. Now it's a matter of whether Europeans want to go, much less need to.
Lee Westwood, the new No. 1 in the world ranking, tried a full PGA Tour schedule about five years ago and it didn't work for him. He added tournaments just to meet the minimum requirement of 15 events, and found himself going through the motions at times. Westwood played Las Vegas in 2005 to meet his number.
"That's why I don't join anymore," Westwood said.
Rory McIlroy joined him Monday evening, telling British newspapers that the FedEx Cup has cramped his schedule and he would not join the PGA Tour for next year.
PGA champion Martin Kaymer, eligible for a five-year exemption by winning a major, is said to be leaning against PGA Tour membership, even though his girlfriend is from Arizona and the German spent much of his time there before he became a veritable star.