Nothing Silly About Money

Two weeks ago, Tiger Woods played a tournament in Japan and made $49,673, in addition to his appearance fee, which normally runs $1 million. Then he played the PGA Grand Slam in Hawaii, where he made $400,000. From there, it was on to the Skins Game in Indio, where he won $125,000.

This week, he plays host to the $3.8-million Target World Challenge, which he won a year ago to earn $1 million at Sherwood Country Club, where there are only 16 players and last place is worth $130,000.

Do the math. Even if he finishes last, and this is not the way to bet, Woods will have made $1.7 million in a little more than three weeks.

What does all this mean?

‘Tis the season to make money.

It used to be called the “silly season,” but that’s no longer an accurate name because there are some serious piles of cash stacked high.

Pro golf’s off-season is now a global fiesta of multimillion-dollar events with virtually nothing at stake except some very nice, low-pressure paydays.

“It’s not like you are grinding it out in a major championship,” Woods said. “The season’s over. We all know that. This whole thing started with the Skins Game 20 years ago and a lot of events have blossomed, a lot of events have come and gone. But it’s great to have tournaments like that.”

As well as Woods has done in the off-season, he isn’t even the leading moneymaker. That would be Ernie Els, who isn’t here, but is probably figuring out how to spend the $2 million he made last week when he won the $4.06-million Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa.

Then there is Mark O’Meara, who needs electronic deposits. After making $85,000 in the $2.25-million Franklin Templeton Shootout in Florida, O’Meara hit the jackpot over the weekend at the Skins Game when he won $405,000. O’Meara, one of four players invited by Woods to play at Sherwood, is guaranteed a minimum of $130,000 for a nice early Christmas present.

Colin Montgomerie, Bernhard Langer and Rich Beem also received invitations to join the rest of the field, which got in through the Official World Rankings.

Montgomerie made $300,000 at Sun City and Beem’s off-season so far has included visits to the Hyundai Team Matches at Dana Point ($50,000) and the PGA Grand Slam at Kauai ($150,000).

If you’re keeping score along with the accountants, the top off-season moneymakers in the field this week are Woods ($525,000), O’Meara ($490,000), Montgomerie and Phil Mickelson ($300,000) and Chris DiMarco ($250,000). Fred Couples has made $255,000 from the Shootout, the Hyundai and the Skins Game, but he is playing only in the pro-am this week.

The business plan is straightforward and lucrative. There are as many as a dozen off-season events scheduled worldwide between the Tour Championship and the week before Christmas.

As official host of the Target Challenge, the second-richest off-season event, Woods deftly plays the part. This year, he has made $7.9 million worldwide, $6.9 million of that on the PGA Tour. In his career, Woods’ worldwide earnings are $40.7 million -- and he is completing only his sixth full year as a professional.

By the way, Woods donated his $1-million winner’s share to his foundation last year and says he’ll hand over his winnings this year as well.