Billion pound Race to Dubai

Woods tees off in familiar Emirates surroundings earlier this year (pictures Mark Newcombe/www.visionsingolf.com)

Just as St Andrews is the traditional Home of Golf, Dubai the desert haven of the rich and famous, is to become the centre of European Tour's burgeoning universe.

The deal was sealed this week by the Tour's chief executive George O'Grady (pictured top right) with a near one billion pound sponsorship agreement with the Jumeirah Golf Estates, which over the next five years will see the Tour administration have a foothold in the Arabian Gulf and introduce a year-ending Dubai World Championship worth £4.88million with an Order of Merit bonus pool worth the same amount for the top 15 players.

The big question is will it be enough to get the attention of World No.1 Tiger Woods? The incentive is that he'd have to compete in at least 11 counting events - the European Tour membership's minimum - to get a chance to share in the cash bonanza.

The world's richest golf event will be played in Dubai in November 2009 and is restricted to the European Tour's top 60 earners that season, so Woods - and at least six of the world's current top 10 will need to commit to at least three 'European' events ( four majors and four World Championship tournaments already count) if they want a piece of the action.

Woods: Can he be tempted back for showdown?

“There is absolutely no way it will be dropped from 11 [counting events],” commented O'Grady. “Quite a lot of our players think we should raise the number and that is being discussed by the committee in January. This isn't all about Tiger Woods.”

However, Justin Rose proved that if you're fit and keen enough and can handle the travelling, it's possible to split your time across either side of the Atlantic. He won the European Tour order of merit competing in just 12 events.

Following Dubai World Championship tournament, the season's 15 top-ranked players by earnings will share a bonus pool of US$10million and the No.1 player will receive US$2m, the runner-up US$1.5m and the third-placed player US$1m, with prizes down to US$0.25m.

The inaugural event - the climax of The Race to Dubai - will take place from November 19-22, 2009, on either the Fire or Earth course (Wind and Water courses are in the planning stage) at Jumeirah Golf Estates with the winner earning US$1.66m.

The first five years of the partnership with Leisurecorp will see the construction of an international headquarters for the European Tour and the creation of a global property company to develop new tournament venues around the world.

And you thought Formula 1 and Premiership football was big sporting business! How will the European Tour's move affect the average golfer's approach to the sport. Will it attract more golfers, create more courses, lift the standard of play, give the Ryder Cup a further boost? Can you see Woods, Mickelson and Furyk chasing the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth? Give us your views on the forum.