Greg Norman predicts prize-money cut

Published on Wednesday 18 November 2009 22:11

TWO-TIME Open champion Greg Norman believes the current generation of touring pros will be playing for less prize money in the future.

The 54-year-old Australian was speaking before the start of the Dubai World Championship, which opens today on the Earth Course that Norman designed for the event marking the end of the European Tour season.

"Golf is not going to be like it used to be. It's tough out there – tough in business," Norman said. "I hate the players to look recession-proof, but the players have to be aware. I have gone through the cycle of things being really good and then going through another cycle. But I don't think the young generation see it because they have never seen it before. I have been through three recessions."

The Dubai tournament originally had a $10million prize fund, but that was reduced to $7.5million in September because of the global economic downturn. Norman said the situation could be mirrored elsewhere in the US and in Europe.

"We golfers have got to be alert to it," Norman said. "We have all had to tighten our belts and I think it would be very responsible of the players to be cognisant of that."

Englishman Lee Westwood, who has won about $3million this year, said the prize in Dubai – the winner will get $1.25million – is still a lot. "We should not complain about the cut in the prize fund here because we are still competing for an awful lot of money, and we are aware that some golf sponsors are struggling at the moment," he said.