The Hindu : Sport / Golf : A big perk for 84 Lumber players

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Aug 19, 2004

Sport

Sport - Golf

A big perk for 84 Lumber players

ARKON (OHIO), AUG. 18. David Toms was going through his PGA Tour schedule for the remainder of the year when he mentioned the 84 Lumber Classic, which is squeezed between the Ryder Cup and a World Golf Championship in Ireland.

It didn't seem like an event Toms would play. Then again, 84 Lumber made an offer that was hard to turn down. ``The free flight,'' Toms said. And not just any flight.

In the most lucrative perk of the year, 84 Lumber has offered any player eligible for the American Express Championship a free, round-trip flight to Ireland on a customized 747 with only first-class seats. Not only that, players can bring their wife or girlfriend, caddie and three guests.

The offer is worth at least $40,000.

The only catch is players had to commit by Aug. 4. As long as they tee off in the first round on the upgraded Mystic Rock Course at Nemacolin in western Pennsylvania, they get the free flight.

The early commitment list includes Toms, Vijay Singh, Mike Weir, Kenny Perry, Charles Howell III and Brad Faxon, none of whom played the 84 Lumber Classic last year.

The free charter is the idea of former tournament director Eric Mehl, who has since taken over at Colonial but is still working both tournaments. He ran it by 84 Lumber chief Joe Hardy, who loved the idea.

``He wanted to make a statement about how serious he was,'' Mehl said.

``He also wanted to offset our tour date situation. We could have easily had a Nationwide or Hooters tour field, being between the Ryder Cup and the American Express. We took a negative and turned it into a positive.''

British Open champion Todd Hamilton also is on the list.

``It's awesome,'' Hamilton said. ``All the tournaments are in competition to get the best fields they can. We got cowboy boots at the Colonial, and an iPod at Doral. You're already playing for $5 million a week. They shouldn't have to do that.''

The PGA Tour approved the perk, and Mehl said it was not appearance money in disguise because it was available to a qualified list of players. Even Arjun Atwal, who got into Amex from the Japanese tour money list, is on the flight.

``They're doing everything they can to attract a good field,'' said Henry Hughes, chief of operations for the PGA Tour. ``And this is just a little more.'' — AP

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