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Tom Pernice Jr. remarked over the weekend about Tiger and Phil's absence from the Tour Championship. He said they showed "a lack of respect for the tour" by not being there.

His exact words about Tiger, as reported by ESPN Golf, are as follows:

"I think it's a disgrace," he replied. "It's a slap in the face to [presenting sponsor] Coca-Cola and the tour. He would not make the money he makes if it wasn't for the PGA Tour. At some point, there is a credibility factor as to what's inside you as a person. There is a responsibility and an obligation to the people who helped make you who you are."

He made other inflamatory remarks Tim Finchem should remember that he works for the players.

Anyway, I saw this interview with him on the Golf Channel. One will recall that Pernice was the guy watching on TV (because he did not make the cut!) the tournament at Doral two years ago where Tiger drove the green with some monster drives. Tom called the tournament officials and asked that TIger's driver be tested to see if it conformed to tour standards. it did conform.

Anyway, I think Tiger and Phil are entitled to skip the Tour championship as it is not required attendance by the PGA. Tiger and Phil have shown great respect for the tour by way of their conduct on and off the course. They do not publicly critcize other players.

what do you all think?

PS - Pernice should be happy that Tiger and Phil did not show up, otherwise he would have finished probably tenth as opposed to fifth.

Should Tiger and Phil have played... yes, I do think so. But they have no obligation to do so. Clearly it would have been a much more intruiging tournament had all of the top 30 been there. I guess Tiger and Phil can take it as a form of flattery... pretty sure nobody would be putting up a stink if a "Pernice" decided not to play. I'd like to see him matched up against Tiger in the match play next year... can you say 10&8 ?

I'm sure his opinion will be treated with the respect it deserves. He is a pro with a limited C.V. ,no Major wins and less wins than Tiger managed in the last three months.

Some of the players forget that Tiger has generated a ten fold increase in the prize money in the years since he turned pro. I'd be grateful to him,especially when he does not turn up. If the sponsors said ,we will pay 1st prize of $1mil if Tiger plays and $250,000 if he does not, who could complain?

I kinda agree that if you qualify for the Tour Championship you should play.

Does it show disrespect to golf? I don't think so.

Do Tiger or Phil really need the $1M+ winner's check? I don't think so.

Would the golfing public have wanted them in the tournament? I definitely think so.

I wonder how difficult it would have been for them to expend the exhausting effort of playing golf for the four days of the Tour Championship.

First off, i think they should have played. when we see fellas like Ernie Els, battling to get in there and players like Woods and Mickelson just skip it, it kinda gives me a bad feeling about the two players mentioned.

in regards to the thread.
should Pernice be able to have his own opinion - Ofcourse he should.
should he be able to voice his concern - its a free world isnt it.
did he go about (voice) his concern in the wrong way - i think so.
should he have done it for the whole world to see - probably not.

plenty of players had the same feelings as Pernice, but went about it in a totally different way.
i just feel he should have kept his concerns in the Golfing world (had a Quiet word maybe) and not to a Broadcasting Service.
at the end of the day, he has his own way of doing things and obviously was quite upset with mainly Woods decision to skip the event.

Sure, it would have been nice for Tiger and Phil to show up at East Lake last week (we, who live in Atlanta, missed them) but it seems to me that they are under no obligation to do so. I suspect that Coca-Cola and the Tour knew what the risks were when this year’ TPC was first organized. Tiger has done way too much for the game for me to criticize him for not playing a non-Major event. Based upon his performance, he is IMHO, easily the Player of the Year. If he wants to take time off to recharge his batteries, its fine by me ….and I was looking forward to actually being in the galleries for this one.

Because of Tiger, interest in the PGA, and golf in general has increased ten fold over what it was “B. T.” ---i.e. Before Tiger. Tiger has no doubt changed the way that even we weekend duffers play and tournament purses have increased ten-fold since -----including any money that Tom Pernice has won. I would not presume to tell Tom what to think on any subject, but if I were a tour professional in 2006, I’d kind be glad that Tiger didn’t show up. His absence would give me a much better chance to win, place, or show.

If it was required that all players attended without fail, bar being ill, then it should have been compalsory with penalties with those failing to attend. All players could then plan their schedule accordingly.
Regarding the comment about the tour making the two players in question, I think the player who said it forgot to evaluate the impact that the two players had in having as a succesful tour as the one we have today.

Regarding other comments made such as ="DimGray"][i]At some point, there is a credibility factor as to what's inside you as a person"[/I][/color] I don't think they are worth commenting. It just shows the calibre of the person making them.

I spoke to TW last night. He told me to let him know when Pernice's father passes away. At that time, TW will call TP (Toilet Paper) and discuss TP's upcoming Tour schedule.

I think that they were both wrong to skip the event...top level athletes are performers to an extent and "owe" their public the appearance in marquee events...I feel the same way about players in other sports who skip all star games not due to injury, but just because they don't "feel" like it...sure they can do what they want, they can afford not to play, and they have no legal obligation...to me it just stinks of self prioritizing when a player free from injury skips an event like this...I can't believe that their sponsors don't have a clause in their contracts covering this...I love Tiger and his exploits are unbelievable, but this disappointed me...

couldnt agree more.

Tom who? He should just worry about himself.

Tiger and Phil can do whatever they want. Personally, I think this says more about the tournament than it does about Tiger and Phil.

Who is this Tom Pernice Jr.? Oh yeah...that's right...he's the guy who moved his ball at address with his putter and claimed that he didn't see his ball move. Maybe if he worries about his own game, he could win a tournament or two.

My solution to the problem...Make the TPC at Sawgrass the final tournament available only to the Top Money winners and call it a Major. People have been calling it the "Fifth Major" for years. Might as well make it one and give it the significance it deserves. Everyone would want a piece of that tournament.

Well put, he should worry less about them and more about himself.

When the history of golf is written, Tom Pernice will not qualify for a footnote.

Sure Tiger has done a lot for golf, raised purses for everyone, established charities, etc... But I think the game has been pretty good to him also - to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. Imagine at 21 being able to sign a $50M AMEX contract before your first swing as a professional?

Many of the elite professional athletes (I'm not saying Tiger is one of them because I haven't talked to him lately ) have lost touch with the general public and the fans of their sport.

Think of the various All Star games. Some athletes think it an honor to be nominated by the fans to participate, others see it as a hassle and look for excuses not to attend.

In the end, life goes on no matter if they choose to participate at an even or not - after all, what's the big deal? It is only a game.