I'll admit it. I'm worried.
As I watched the Dubai Desert Classic and Northern Trust Open this weekend, I couldn't help but notice how small the galleries were.
Let's start with Dubai. The event arguably had a much stronger field than the Northern Trust. With a leaderboard that had names like Westwood, McIlroy, Kaymer, Jimenez and even Tom Watson, you would expect strong crowds.
But watching the event on television, it was clear that turnout was poor. The reports that I have read indicate that the real estate slump likely effected turnout, but also the lack of a Tiger Woods appearance.
Either way, the European Tour has put a lot of faith in that area and the Race to Dubai. They might have to reconsider.
And that leads us to the Northern Trust, which drew the short straw in having to compete with Super Bowl weekend.
That, combined with hiked ticket prices and Phil Mickelson's name disappearing from the front page of the leaderboard, led to Mayakoba Classic-like crowds.
Why would a tournament sponsor like Northern Trust, or Omega in Dubai, want to renew their sponsorship when the ratings are poor and no one shows up?
As much as I love the Steve Stricker story and his strong character, we need better storylines moving forward.
