Golf gets richer
Last updated: 23rd November 2007
O'Grady: Raised his game
George O'Grady told Golf Night of his excitement about plans for the richest tournament in golf, which will launch in Dubai in 2009.
Earlier this week, the European Tour chief executive announced details of the Dubai World Championship - a new season-ending event, which boasts a prize fund of £4.88million as well as an Order of Merit bonus pool worth the same amount.
The richest prize in golf will be up for grabs at the Jumeirah Golf Estates in Dubai from November 19-22 in 2009 and O'Grady hopes the prize fund will attract stars like Tiger Woods to the European Tour.
He told Golf Night: "We welcome players from whatever nationality if they are good enough and they make the commitment.
"At the moment the commitment is only 11 tournaments a year, but that may change upwards depending on how our players committee sees it.
"We'd love to see Tiger here, but this isn't aimed specifically at him.
"I've always said I'm a huge admirer of the PGA Tour and what they have done. They have pushed me into raising our game and we've got to make ourselves as attractive as we can be."
The event will feature two courses designed by Greg Norman, a water course designed by Vijay Singh, and a wind course carrying name of Norman, Sergio Garcia and American designer Pete Dye.
And O'Grady is excited about the designs, adding: "Greg has a reputation for excellence when he builds golf courses - I don't think he has put his name to a bad one.
"I think having Greg Norman. Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia and the father of modern architecture in Pete Dye - with their commitment and their resources behind it I have no doubt these are going to be tremendous golf courses."
