This doesn't help Zurich (New Orleans), Travelers (Hartford) or Wyndham (Greensboro) when they pony up Tiger/FedEx Cup money and get a Fall Series field. Nor does it help the Asian Tour when the European Tour big-foots them, or the European Tour when the PGA Tour takes "their" dates in May-June.
But that's just survival of the fittest. It's all about opportunity, and in golf, there are more access points than any major sport in the world. For 50 weeks of the year, there are tournaments where you can cash checks throughout the world. Twenty-five players got their cards off the Nationwide Tour on Sunday. Ames won in Orlando, Cabrera in Singapore and Justin Rose in Spain.
Rose didn't win in the United States this year, but he had the second-best record in the majors and the World Golf Championships in 2007. He also won the European Tour's final event with a playoff birdie, making him, by far, the best player in his 20s this season. Last May he hit one of the best shots of the year, into the 18th green at Wentworth during the BMW PGA Championship to set up a playoff, but lost in overtime to a 25-foot birdie putt by Anders Hansen.
Rose will not be playing this week, but back up the wheelbarrow: Ernie, Vijay, Philly Mick, both Open champions (Cabrera and Paddy Harrington), Sergio Garcia, Paul Casey, Retief Goosen, Henrik Stenson, Niclas Fasth, Trevor Immelman and the aforementioned Monty will be at Sheshan International Golf Club competing in what's being billed as "Asia's Major."
Yong-Eun Yang will be defending. He defeated Tiger last year.
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