The fourth edition of the Presidents Cup int'l match
play golf event begins today in Gainesville, VA, and while
some have questioned the viability of the biennial event and
the U.S. players' commitment to it, int'l golfer Greg Norman
said, "This event is so important to the development of golf
on a global basis." Norman: "The game has given them
[American players] a lot as well. For them to travel to
Australia ... South Africa, Canada, Japan or Fiji for the
next rotation [in 2002], it's their responsibility. It
would be sad to see any demise [of the event] come that way
because at the end of the day we're all in this together.
If a few of us decide not to promote the game, then we have
a big hole." In DC, Leonard Shapiro wrote that some U.S.
players "have complained about having to travel" to
Australia in '98 and "likely" to South Africa in 2002 and
Japan in 2006. Meanwhile, Shapiro wrote that the U.S. team
has "insisted that they really, really do care" about the
event (WASHINGTON POST, 10/18). Norman added, "It is
important to the game that the best players play in an event
like the Presidents Cup, even if there is some inconvenience
involved" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/18). But in DC, Sally
Jenkins wrote that there "are lots of reasons why" the event
"might not ... exist for long." Jenkins: "The problem is
that the idea is both obtuse and been-done, and American
players, who already have the Ryder Cup, don't really like
to play in it. They do so to humor PGA Commissioner Tim
Finchem. For the time being the top players have been
loyal, but it will be interesting to see just how long that
continues" (WASHINGTON POST, 10/15). ESPN.com's Bob Harig
called it "simply one event too many" (ESPN.com, 10/17).
TOUGH TICKET: The four-day event is a sellout, with
tickets capped at 22,000 per day. Also, more than 1,000
media credentials have been issued, and the event will be
broadcast in 140 countries (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 10/18).
TNT will have 15 hours of coverage over the next two days,
while NBC has 12 hours of coverage this weekend (THE DAILY).
IN MEMORY: The U.S. team will wear black ribbons during
the event to honor the 17 American sailors killed last week
in the bombing of the USS Cole (WASHINGTON POST, 10/19).
