Qatar Masters: The organisers of the Qatar Masters spent yesterday defending the payment of a six-figure "promotional-activities fee" to Ernie Els as money well spent. It's a case that might be harder to make today if the South African fails to make the cut for the first time in six years at a European Tour event.
On the day it emerged that the world number three had received a reported €300,000 for hosting a golf clinic before the Qatar event, allowing his name and image to be used in the pre-tournament publicity and handing out prizes at a pro-am, Els shot a one-over 73 which left him seven shots behind the leader, Sweden's Pierre Fulke, in joint 81st place in a field of 150.
"I just couldn't get anything going," Els said. "I can't put my finger on it, but I'll just have to get fired up for tomorrow."
The Qatar Golf Federation certainly hopes he will, not least because the South African's fee is more than half as much again as the €189,000 cheque it will hand over to the winner after Sunday's final round, a revelation that focused further attention on the practice of top players receiving payments unrelated to their performance on the course.
Els was one of those named in a memo sent by the sports management company IMG to tournament organisers in the US suggesting that for a fee of up to €150,000 many of the agency's top golfers would not only play a pre-tournament round with the sponsors' employees, they would "look favourably on staying for the tournament".
This last promise has landed IMG in trouble on the US PGA Tour, which does not allow appearance money.
The European Tour also outlaws the payment of appearance fees, although a spokesman said last night that the arrangement between the Qatar Golf Federation and Els does not breach its rules as the payment was related to the player's participation in promotional activities around the tournament.
Best of the Irish in yesterday's opening round was Paul McGinley, whose one-under-par 71 comprised 17 pars and the lone birdie at the first, his 10th hole.
Peter Lawrie shot a level par 72, but Damien McGrane (75) and Gary Murphy (77) will struggle to make the cut.
(British unless stated, Irish in bold, par 72)
(x) denotes amateur
66 - P Fulke (Swe).
67 - R Green (Aus), H Stenson (Swe), G Houston.
68 - N Fasth (Swe), D Park, S Scahill (Nzl), A Kang (US).
69 - D Fichardt (Rsa), T Wiratchant (Tha), R Karlsson (Swe), M Lafeber (Ned), F Andersson Hed (Swe), N Sato (Jpn), S Kjeldsen (Den), A Groom (Aus), R Gonzalez (Arg), A Pitts (US), M Fraser (Aus).
70 - C Rodiles (Spa), A Wall, P Hedblom (Swe), S Hansen (Den), PHanson (Swe), P McGinley, C Schwartzel (Rsa), C Devers (US), M Angel Martin (Spa), J Manuel Lara (Spa), S O'Hara, G Rusnak (US), J Kingston (Rsa), A Atwal (Ind), P Lawrie, B Dredge, R Jacquelin (Fra), M Foster, D Drysdale.
71 - A Hansen (Den), S Dyson, C Joon (S Kor), A Forsyth, S Yates, J M Singh (Ind), P Marksaeng (Tha), G Evans, Z Lian-wei (Chi), J Haeggman (Swe), R Muntz (Ned), G Storm, A Coltart, C Hanell (Swe), G Havret (Fra), S Dodd, M Olander (Swe), B Lane, T Jaidee (Tha), S Luna (Spa), J Lomas, A Fraser (Aus), R Coles, M Both (Aus).
72 - P Lawrie, C Plaphol (Tha), M Brier (Aut), R Sterne (Rsa), S Gallacher, I Woosnam, L Oosthuizen (Rsa), M Vibe-Hastrup (Den), J Sandelin (Swe), E Canonica (Ita), R Russell, T Pilkadaris (Aus), G Hanrahan (US), G Emerson, M Eliasson (Swe), C Yuan-chi (Tai), D Lynn, D Robertson. 73 - P Broadhurst, S Lyle, J Randhawa (Ind), E Loar (US), L Sung-man (S Kor), A Tadini (Ita), N Dougherty, M Tunnicliff, S Webster, C Cevaer (Fra), E Els (Rsa), J Knutzon (US), M Siem (Ger), J Donaldson, R Moir (Aus). 74 - T Price (Aus), A Oldcorn, J Axgren (Swe), I Garrido (Spa), M Ilonen (Fin), D Carter, C Williams, H Kahlon (Ind), P Fowler (Aus), R-J Derksen (Ned), S Drummond, J-F Remesy (Fra), (x) N Yacoob Saleh (Bah), J-F Lucquin (Fra), K Ferrie, M Campbell (Nzl), M Roe, M Mamat (Sing), L Westerberg (Swe), P Golding, M Kent (Rsa), E Michaels (US). 75 - R Gangjee (Ind), J-F Lima (Por), A Que (Phil), L Slattery, H Nystrom (Swe), P Archer, E Romero (Arg), T Srirot (Tha), D McGrane, A Marshall, M Cayeux (Zim), M Maritz (Rsa). 76 - M Cunning (US), S Strange (Aus), M King, A Johl (Ind), W Ormsby (Aus), J Bickerton, E Lee (Nzl). 77 - K Felton (Aus), P Sjoland (Swe), G Murphy, J Dawes (Aus), R Lee (Nzl) 78 - U Park (Aus). 79 - M Mackenzie, P del Olmo (Mex), C Tse-peng (Tai), B Saltus (US), R Gibson (Can), B Kennedy (Aus) 80 - M Bernardini (Ita) 81 - C Kamps (Rsa)
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