Melbourne, Australia – How badly do you want the Tiger Woods to play on Aussie green? $3M bad, that’s how. But state premier John Brumby of Victoria said in a news conference that Tiger’s whopping appearance fee will eventually earn the state $12.54 million, an economic benefit too big for Australia to pass off.
It will be Tiger Woods’ first tournament in Australia after eleven years, and Kingston Heath, where the Masters will be held on November 12 to 15, is expected to pack a large crowd especially since the event is golf history in the making. The Tiger’s return is hotly and eagerly awaited, after eight months’ hibernation due to a knee surgery. His most recent win was in the U.S. Open last year, where he earned his 14th career major.
Woods’ appearance and the $3M it costs Victoria’s tax payers are garnering mixed reactions. Andrew Langford-Jones, the director for the Australasian Tour tournament, deems the event a great investment; while state opposition lawmakers disagree.
“Many, many people in Australia depend on their incomes and their jobs from the golf industry, and the fact that someone like Tiger Woods … I guess the impetus that will give will be fantastic,” Langford-Jones said.