I tend to agree with the both of you. "Back in the day," you had to win the big ones to show yourself as a top performer in any sport. The money has gotten so huge that it is no longer a stigma to overcome.
Even a mediocre quarterback is "elite" if he signs a big enough contract (Michael Vick). Being the "best" (insert noun here) to have never won anything doesn't seem to have the same stigma it used to carry. Maybe the hot blond tennis star/model had something to do with it as well, but at least she's pretty. Shame I can't remember her name...
There's only one way to make it a stigma now, and that's for us (the fans) to make it one again. Money talks people, and nothing talks louder than fans that aren't willing to spend the money to watch mediocrity at it's best.
To the PGA Tour: Yes, these guys are good, but we want to see winners, not guys that look like they're perfectly content to cash their 10th place checks.