Hi,

This might be a stupid question, however.....do players get appearence money for playing in competitions and is there a difference betweens the Majors and other events?

Thanks.

I am quite sure that the top players do receive appearance money, Campbell. After all the sponsors of the tournament want to have the best players participating and  sometimes sweeteners are what is required.

The Majors have  diffferent rules on qualification and any pro with ambition would probably pay to play in them.

John,

Thanks for the reply, I remember Peter Allis talking about appearance money quite a few years back but I wasn't sure if things had changed.

On a slightly different veign Sandy Lyle was on the local news talking about the upcoming Seniors Open and was saying how much he loved the game and how much of a privelege it was to play in these tournaments etc. a weeks a long time in golf

earlier this year at a relativley minor tournament I read that Padraig Harrington was getting £400k appearance money which caused some upset because it was considerably more than the winner would get. 

No doubt being a major winner added to his price so maybe after last weekend they got a bargain; I expect a double major winner costs even more.

It's a sad world we live in when players demand appearance money to play the game they so called love, on the world's best courses. If the above is true MArtin, then Padraig just went down in my estimation.

Perhaps is has something to do with bringing in the crowds, Jon...People like a winner, especially a Major winner to be playing, that is what they come to see.

As to why do players want appearance money?  Ermmm..It's their job...In most cases top class players donate a huge chunk of their appearance money to charities.  

It seems it was the Welsh open and it was a 2 year promotional deal (though what is the difference between that and appearance money I'm not sure!!).  This quote from the Daily Express website:

"Unlike the Tour’s journeymen who do not make a penny if they fail to play at the weekend, Harrington at least has the consolation of banking around £400,000 in promotional fees for agreeing to a two-year deal to play at Celtic Manor." 

Maybe the Welsh open is not a minor, minor tournament but it's still a lot of money and he didn't even make the cut this year.

Tiger gets $2.5 million apparently. I remember it being reported that he got $4 million to turn up at the Dubai Desert Classic.

But he generates enough interest for them to earn that back