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A16 sports
Wednesday 20 april 2022
Jordan Spieth crossing $50M a reminder of Tiger’s standard

By DOUG FERGUSON Still, this can be added to
AP Golf Writer his long list of feats that
Not even inflation can di- might never be matched,
minish the dominance of right up there with 142 con-
Tiger Woods. secutive cuts and needing
The latest reminder came only seven starts to qualify
at Hilton Head when Jor- for the Tour Championship.
dan Spieth overcame an Woods has been atop the
18-inch miss on Saturday PGA Tour career money list
and a three-shot deficit for 22 years. Love stayed
on Sunday to beat Patrick on top all of two weeks un-
Cantlay in a playoff for his til Woods was runner-up at
13th career PGA Tour vic- Torrey Pines and took over.
tory. It took 73 tournaments from
Along with a tartan jacket his “Hello, world” introduc-
(he looks better in green) tion to Woods leading the
and a spot in the winners- career money list, and the
only field at Kapalua next gap has only widened.
January (a big perk to him), Spieth is not ready to de-
Spieth earned $1,440,000. clare himself all the way
That made him the 11th back — “close but far” is
player in PGA Tour history to what he said after he won
cross the $50 million mark in the RBC Heritage. He has
career earnings. Jordan Spieth holds the championship trophy after winning a one-hole playoff at the RBC Heritage two wins in just over a year,
Officially, he is the young- golf tournament, Sunday, April 17, 2022, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. but also seven finishes out
est player at 28 years and Associated Press of the top 25 since win-
9 months to reach $50 mil- the railing from the second years, Woods did it in 41 up. Such is the evolution of ning the Texas Open last
lion. floor of PGA Tour head- fewer tournaments (177 sport. The best measure will year and three missed cuts
That’s where inflation quarters last month to compared with 218 for always be victories. this year. He will always be
comes in. watch as Woods was in- Spieth). The average total Woods has 82 on the PGA compared with how he
Woods is the only other ducted into the World Golf prize money for Woods dur- Tour alone — 11 more on started his career.
player to reach $50 million Hall of Fame. He would be ing that stretch was $173.8 tours in Asia, Australia, Ja- It was at the Valspar Cham-
in career tour earnings be- quick to acknowledge that million. For Spieth, it was pan and Europe — and pionship in 2015 when Spi-
fore turning 30. He was 29 a number like $50 million $322.56 million. 15 majors. Those are the eth, then 21 and in his third
and 6 months when he was wouldn’t even exist without Rory McIlroy is a better numbers that define him. year, played a practice
runner-up at the Western Woods. comparison. He turned pro When he passed $50 mil- round with three others
Open in 2005, pushing him Yes, there was a significant nearly six years before Spi- lion, Woods already had 43 born the same year — Justin
over a milestone that he difference in purses. eth and has kept a global tour victories. Thomas, Daniel Berger and
quickly left in the rearview Total prize money when schedule with member- Money still matters, though Ollie Schniederjans. They
mirror. Woods turned pro in the ship on two tours. McIlroy not entirely to Woods. He lined up for a group photo
Woods needed only seven summer of 1996 was $65.95 needed only 173 events on was asked at Riviera a few from oldest to youngest,
more years to cross $100 million. Spieth turned pro in the PGA Tour to reach $50 months ago if he knew how sharing birthdates to make
million, and now he is at 2013 — like Woods, without million at Bay Hill in 2020, much was in his deferred sure they got it right. Spieth
$120,895,206. a tour card — and the total about six weeks before he compensation package. was the youngest.
Spieth was among a half- prize fund was $260 million. turned 31. “Nope. Uh-uh,” he said. This was one week after he
dozen players who incon- While both reached $50 Scores are coming down Does he want to know? passed $9 million in career
spicuously leaned over million in roughly nine and prize money is going “Uh-uh,” he said. money. q

Barty swings back into action, trades

tennis for golf

The 25-year-old Australian continuing a versatile ap- Barty, who is engaged to
has been included in Ernie proach to sports, which in- Garry Kissick, a trainee golf
Els’ Rest of the World team cluded her briefly pursuing professional in Australia,
for the Icons Series event a professional cricket ca- recently won the ladies’
at Liberty National Golf reer in 2015 during a nearly competition at her home
Club in Jersey City, New two-year sabbatical from club Brookwater, near Bris-
Jersey, on June 30 and tennis. bane. Karrie Webb, who
July 1. Barty decided to Icon Series organizers said has 41 wins on the LPGA
quit tennis last month. She Barty will be joined by the Tour, played a round with
Ash Barty of Australia poses with the Daphne Akhurst Memorial won the Australian Open likes of Pep Guardiola Barty in 2019 and said the
Cup at a park, the morning after defeating Danielle Collins of in January for her third and Harry Kane in the 10- tennis star had the talent
the U.S. in the women’s singles final at the Australian Open
tennis championships in Melbourne on Jan. 30, 2022. Grand Slam singles cham- hole team match play to play golf at a high level.
Associated Press pionship after titles at Wim- competition against Fred “I could tell if she puts
bledon last year and the Couples’ U.S. team, which some time into it she will
BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — exhibition just weeks after French Open in 2019. She includes Michael Phelps, be a great player,” Webb
Ash Barty has signed on to retiring from tennis while has reportedly lowered her Oscar De La Hoya and told the Australian Associ-
play in an international golf ranked No. 1 in the world. golf handicap to 4 and is Ben Roethlisberger. ated Press.q