WORLD GOLF TOUR -- GOOD IDEA, BAD EXECUTION?

     In the January 16 issue of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, Jamie Diaz
writes that the proposed World Golf tour "may be dead, but the
idea is alive and well."  Diaz chronicles the promises made by
World Tour organizers, concluding: "The World Golf Tour was a
classic case of big hat, no cattle.  While the commitment from
Fox was real, there were no specific sites, and no signed
contracts with players were produced."  Diaz is critical of Greg
Norman for being "oblivious to the prevalent view among players
that, while the concept of an elite series of events sounded
good, they would not participate unless the new tour was
conducted with the cooperation of the PGA Tour."  Diaz notes Seve
Ballesteros and Nick Faldo criticized it as "slipshod."  Diaz
says there is hope for the future:  "It's important to realize
that while the World Golf Tour might be dead, the idea of a world
golf tour has emerged from the rubble more viable than ever"
(SPORTS ILLUSTRATED, 1/16 issue),