Monday, May 01, 2006

Mickelson's New Orleans gesture

The PGA Tour returned to New Orleans this past weekend with the Zurich Classic. Big deal, you say? Well, it's the first multi-day professional event since Katrina. Fore Left isn't a golf blog, but that doesn't mean golf stories must be ignored.

As the players arrived to register on day one they were treated to posters of the destruction along with conveniently placed sign-up sheets where they could donate part of their winnings to rebuilding the city. We weren't told who opted out, none of our business anyway, but we were told who opted in.

David Toms, Hal Sutton, and journeyman Kelly Gibson, all Louisiana natives, have done yeoman's work to aid the recovery long before this tournament. But what about the top 5 or 10 golfers in the world on the money list, including Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh? One might think their presence in New Orleans and a healthy donation might lift morale a little bit.

Of those top players, only Mickelson showed up.
When he registered for the Zurich Classic, his first tournament since winning the Masters, he decided to donate his entire earnings this week to hurricane relief. Mickelson said he also would designate one tournament for at least the next five years in which he will give the money he makes to Katrina relief funds.
Grandstanding? Hard to say, but it's hard to fault. Sure, some of the more obscure golfers showed up and gave away portions of their winnings, and they're just as important. But let's face it, big name players like Mickelson garner more headlines and can therefore do more for the cause. People are free to donate and support whatever they wish, but it's too bad the other big names couldn't have attended and followed Mickelson's lead.

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