2017 Open Championship winner Jordan Spieth is Down Under to defend his Australian Open, but will be a financial winner whether or not he wins this week.
The world No 2 is reportedly set to earn nearly $1-million in appearance fees as he tees it up in Sydney on Thursday.
The effect of having the American superstar on Australian soil competing for the national title, outweighs the cost of luring him to the event according to Golf Australia chief executive Stephen Pitt.
The combination of Spieth and former world No 1 and local hero Jason Day, who is likely to receive the same fee as Spieth, makes the Open extremely marketable.
‘From my perspective, Jordan is the biggest man in world golf,’ Pitt told Reuters.
‘He’s an all-round package on the course and beyond that he’s likeable.
‘We’ve basically sold out of corporate hospitality and Jordan’s announcement really helped that. And pre-sales of tickets are much more advanced to last year.’
While some have slammed the decision to pay Spieth for his entrance, the decision makes financial sense in modern golf.
‘We operate in a market where appearance fees are required to attract the best players in the world, particularly international players, and we are in the same boat as a large number of tournaments around the world,’ Pitt said.
The total pool for the Australian Open, where three-time Major champion Spieth has two victories and a runner-up spot in his previous three starts, is $945 625.
