The Wachovia

In the six years that the Wachovia has been held at Quail Hollow Club, the players have had the chance to vie for an 11% cost-of-living increase in the top prize vs. year one in 2003.

Last year Tiger Woods took home $1,134,000.00 for his efforts, while the 2003 winner (first year the Wachovia tournament was held here) received a mere $ 1,008,000.00.

While we all would welcome that kind of pay increase, in six years (especially when the base is over one million dollars), you have to wonder what Dick Lotz, and Tom Weiskopf think about the 37.8 times the $30,000 they won respectively at this course 37 years ago when the Kemper Open was held there.

Winning at the same course in 1970 & 1971 when the event at this club was the Kemper Open was perhaps more important to Lotz, representing one of three of his PGA victories.

While, it is interesting to see how the increase in prize money compares to the prize money from the past, it is more interesting to ponder what if the following items had increased similarly (37.8 times) since 1970.

The average cost of a new home in 1970 was just under $27,000
Times 37.8 = $ 1,020,060.00

Cost of a new Cadillac de Ville Convertible in 1970 was $6,068
Times 37.8 = $ 229,370.40

Cost of first class stamp in 1970 was 6¢
Times 37.8 = $2.26

National average cost of a gallon of regular gas in 1970 was 36¢
Times 37.8 = $13.61

Cost of a gallon of milk in 1970 was $1.15
Times 37.8 = $43.47

For my money, PGA golfers have always been and will be worth every penny they earn…because they earn it. However, while a penny bought a lot more back in 1970, there’s a lot more pennies to go around now.

Speaking of my money, I predict Phil Mickleson will win even though Vijay Singh is the favorite as of today.

From your friends at gotta-grip

Augusta 2008...Place Your Picks Here!

The field of golfers who may play in the 2008 Big event on April 7-13, 2008 is growing, and it includes eighteen first-timer's, and three amateurs.

This should be one of the best years ever in Augusta Georgia, if you can get in, and if you can find a place to stay.

Here is the field, but our question "of the day", will actually be left open until April 6th, 2008, so it's sort of our question of the month.

Our question will offer five potential choices for you to pick who you think will wear the Green Jacket of Golf this year, and it also contains a space for "other" if you don't like our picks.

Let's see who can get closest to the truth.

Our choices are bolded below.

Here's the field so far:
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J. B. Holmes, Stuart Appleby, Adam Scott, Charles Howell III, Woody Austin, John Senden, Trevor Immelman, Aaron Baddeley, Jeev Milkha Singh, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Brian Bateman, Vijay Singh, Zach Johnson, Jonathan Byrd, Heath Slocum, Robert Karlsson, Angel Cabrera, Brandt Snedeker, Shingo Katayama, Mark Calcavecchia, Craig Stadler, Jerry Kelly, Michael Campbell, Henrik Stenson, Trip Kuehne, Paul Casey, Richard Sterne, Bernhard Langer, K. J. Choi, Steve Stricker, Liang Wen-Chong, Daniel Chopra, Toru Taniguchi, Steve Lowery, Stewart Cink, Vaughn Taylor, Sandy Lyle, Tim Clark, Michael Thompson, Hunter Mahan, Fred Couples, David Toms, Prayad Marksaeng, Ben Crenshaw, D.J. Trahan, Shaun Micheel, Ben Curtis, Scott Verplank, Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald, Camilo Villegas, Larry Mize, Nick Dougherty, Nick Watney, Arron Oberholser, Ernie Els, Bubba Watson, Geoff Ogilvy, Niclas Fasth, Tom Watson, Sean O'Hair, Steve Flesch, Drew Weaver, Nick O'Hern, Raymond Floyd, Boo Weekley, Jose Maria Olazabal, Jim Furyk, Mike Weir, Mark O'Meara, Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Gary Player, Retief Goosen, Brett Wetterich, Ian Poulter, Richard Green, Tiger Woods, John Rollins, Todd Hamilton, Ian Woosnam, Andres Romero, Anders Hansen, Fuzzy Zoeller