Let’s forget about golf for a moment and the grandiose idea of promoting golf in Mexico by trotting out the world’s best players in Mexico City.
Let’s forget about a game for the rich only in that poverty-stricken country.
Let’s talk today about a country of more than 117 million citizens where 55 million of them live in poverty.
Let’s talk about how 41 million people in Mexico try and get by on $188 a month. Phil Mickelson tips his restaurant waiters more than that. The rich hombres who are members at the Club de Golf Chapultepec spend more than that on their dues.
Let’s talk about a city of two million where disease and poverty run rampant, where air quality is awful thanks to pollution, where tuberculosis is five times what it is in the United States and where Hepatitis A is considered an epidemic in the city.
Let’s talk about that and wonder out loud how Senior Ricardo Salinas is spending $100 million to bring professional golf to a city where the rich live in gated enclaves.
Let’s talk about the 20 million children in this country of Mexico, including adolescents, who live in poverty.
Golf is the last thing this place needs and NBC sure managed to paint a rosy pictures last week, showing the large crowds, the well-to-do folks with their well-dressed children who came out to see Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth and Phil Mickelson.
Meanwhile, on the streets of Mexico City, there is no television, no free passes for the paupers. No, don’t show that stuff.
The proof of disease was the number of golfers and caddies who got sick in a hurry. NBC lead analyst Johnny Miller knew better, he stayed at home.
Henrik Stenson was out the first day. After 11 holes, he was too sick to continue.
Rory McIlroy was clinging to the porcelain Wednesday night.
Bones Mackay struggled, then wobbled and finally had to be carted off the course on Friday but made it back on Saturday.
NBC casually referred to it as a “virus.” No doubt it was some form of food poisoning but that not good for the wonderful pictures they were trying to paint.
If everything was the way they showed it in your living rooms, then no one would be struggling to sneak across the border into the United States. It’s a problem because people want to get away from the disease and the hopelessness.
The PGA Tour is guilty of putting the poverty on the back burner in favor of growing a game. Seriously?
The powers to be at Tour headquarters were puffing their chests how Senior Salinas was committing $100 million to this event.
That can’t sit well with anyone who is of sound mind and has any inkling of the poverty that infests the entire country.
That $100 million could sure help those 15,000 children who live on the streets. You didn’t see them in the well-dressed galleries. For them, they will never hear of golf. All they pray for is a decent meal.
Seriously, how can we get excited about parading 60 of the world’s wealthiest golfers around a city where most don’t know where their next meal is coming from?
Winner and world’s No. 1 Dustin Johnson walked away with a fat check for $1.6 million and put on a nice show for the rich folks. Nearby, plenty are hungry.
The wealthy American golfers left, boarded their private jets and flew back to the land of plenty.
Behind them, they left the mega-wealthy Salinas family soaking up the accolades for the big show they brought to the privileged in Mexico City.
It’s hard for us, Americans in the greatest country on earth to imagine the level of poverty in that country.
Yes, the rich folks got their golf tournament but for the other half, there’s nothing.
And that makes it hard to swallow when the PGA Tour tells us how great it is to put on a show in Mexico City.
23 Comments
Blueb
Written by a Democrat?
I’ve lived here for 6 months of the year for the last 5 years and have vacationed here for 25 years… first time was in 1994.
NEVER been sick once, but I have in the USA.
To think there’s no poverty in the states, you’d have to be a lunatic.
Should the PGA stay home?
Tom Edrington
Johnny Miller stayed at home and you cannot argue with the statistics that have been sourced in the story. Fifty percent of the citizens in poverty? Like I said, there’s a reason they are flowing across our borders in record numbers. No hope there. By the way, it’s not the “PGA” that is the PGA of America, the association of more than 3,800 hard-working club professionals, you are referring to the PGA Tour, a greedy organization that disguises itself as a 501c-3. And I’m sure you are staying in resort areas, far from the millions of poor that inhabit that country. And no, not a Democrat either!
Tom Edrington
The poverty stats cited in the story do not lie. There’s a reason so many are desperate to pour across our border to escape the hopelessness in Mexico. As for getting sick, you perhaps noticed that Johnny Miller stayed at home. Glad you enjoy your vacations, I’m sure they are at plush resorts set away from the streets inhabited by the poor and hungry. And it’s the “PGA Tour” not the PGA. The PGA is the PGA of America, the association of hard working club professionals. Democrat? Hardly, Not at all, in fact.
beege
Hi Tom,
Great going on this article–probably your best work that I have read and honestly you know for me to say that it really is extraordinary. The PGA Tour is, well, as self serving standing behind the shield of charity org. Not really so but most people buy it because they do some charity but fall miles short of what they really could do.
Next, when americans go to Mexico it is as you suggest to fabulous resorts with bottled water and purified water not in Mexico City. Dan Hicks on Saturday said Johnny was not there for family reasons but you are saying it is possible the food, water and perhaps safety were the true cause–can we find out somehow?
Last thought, I did not know food poisoning or stating facts about poverty were reserved to certain political party affiliates.
Tom Edrington
Bob, I’m not a band-wagon liberal but there is a reason all those people are desperately trying to come to America. There is no hope there and basically no large middle class. There’s a reason there are not a lot of professional golfers from Mexico. Rich kids aren’t motivated and the poor are simply wondering where their next meal will come from.
phuketkenny
I could not agree with you more on this one. I think you nailed it. The WGC should have stayed “home” at Doral. The fear the Tour chiefs have about mixing politics and golf over Trump was further exacerbated by picking a “criminal” backer ( Salinas violated SEC regulations, got booted out of USA trading made 100 million plus on an illegal act and paid a small fine in comparison). The man and the media did nothing to help Mexico. Who else long for the days when golf was just golf and the world seemed to be a peaceful place for at least 18 holes.
Tom Edrington
Sad but true. Senior Salinas did make some money in an illegal way and the Tour just shrugged it off. Rumors are strong Cadillac wanted to stay as the Doral sponsor at a decreased rate, tour would have none of that and pounced on one billionaire’s desire to pump his ego and “help” all the citizens of Mexico by brings them a big golf tournament. Those daily tickets are not cheap and more than half the population could not afford them, for sure.
doug@bkassociates.net
Perhaps we should all stop living and take a vow of poverty and give everything away? Poverty exists. That’s unfortunately the way it is. Railing against a tournament will make no difference. So let’s take it somewhere else and whatever economic benefit is realized can be realized somewhere more pure.
Tom Edrington
This is extreme poverty and half a country’s population. I defer to jimtex, he’s on the money!
GolfingMex13
As a Mexican-American who has traveled extensively through the US and Mexico, I agree with your assessment of poverty in Mexico and in particular Mexico city. With that said I think it is naive to lay blame solely at the feet of Mexican corruption, Mexico does not live in a vacuum. Unfortunately, the Mexican people have been exploited by the wealthy elites on both sides of the border. For more info look into what NAFTA has done not only to the USA but to Mexico it has practically killed agriculture in Mexico (especially the traditional corn crops).
As a recent addict to the game of golf, I thought it was great for the PGA tour to make a stop in the biggest city in North America. Yes, Mexico is poor, no you can not drink the tap water in Mexico City but with a little common sense, you can enjoy your time there.
As far as Bill Miller staying home, maybe he should do that every week.
Tom Edrington
Totally appreciate your insight! Thanks for reading and taking the time to reflect with a great point of reference!
beege
The Tour is totally misunderstood by its most fervent proponents(we both know that first hand).
Seriously, Tom how can we find out as reporters why Johnny did not work the event? I am very curious.
Tom Edrington
I will make some subtle inquiries!
BigTex
The argument that the PGA Tour and its associated tours were irresponsible for bringing the event to Mexico City could be made about a variety of sporting events in developing countries. Certainly there were many in Brazil who believed the money spent on the Olympics was outrageous. Perhaps it was. But what about all the golf events in China? The European Tour co-sponsors an event in India, as I recall, and the Golf Channel provides some coverage. Perhaps the intense poverty of those countries does not bother you as much. I wonder whether you turn on a golf telecast from South African hoping that the GC will hire a Vice crew to do 30 minutes from the townships.
Should the PGA Tour and the European Tour limit their events to fully developed countries? I don’t know. Maybe so. But if so, do you really believe the gaudily refurbished Doral resort truly represents Greater Miami? There has been much criticism of the WGC events for being staged in the U.S. too often. While your point has merit, one must ask what the guiding principle should be for those who provide TV coverage? Following your argument, if indeed these events are staged in countries that are not wealthy, then there must be reporting about the relative state of misery of those folks who live there. Perhaps that is fitting. But I’m not sure why you pick on Mexico. Like much of the developing world, class issues are pervasive. And they are getting more so even in our own patch of global real estate.
Tom Edrington
This was a cop=out, Cadillac wanted to remain the Miami sponsor at a reduced rate. The Tour fed it’s greed with a billionaire sticking his foot in the partially open door.
10Hockey
And what about the Trump factor ?
Tom Edrington
Trump factor? The tour left Miami because Mr. Salinas ponied up more money than Cadillac was willing to throw at the tour. We try and avoid presidential politics. If Mexico would spend resources to alleviate the hopelessness that exists among its poor, they wouldn’t be flowing across U.S. borders. Our worst jobs still pay what looks like a small fortune compared to what they have to live off down there.
gbartell
How is our own country spending trillions on space travel different? when our own U.S. Citizens have massive poverty, homeless, uncurable diseases & crime problems that need the money much more?
Tom Edrington
Last I saw, NASA was virtually shut down and there are a lot of empty buildings over at Cape Canaveral……Mr. Tesla has taken over the space program on his own dime.
RM
Thanks, Tom, for the perspective. As I watched on TV I noticed the shots of canals where the tour boats plied their trade, with shanties (to be generous) within about 25 feet of them.
I kind of looked at it in the light of whatever exposes golf to the wider world being a net positive, but I also was wondering how much of the local population would even see the match on TV (hopefully many), let alone the minuscule proportion who actually were there in person.
Does it do any harm for people who cannot even begin to comprehend the wealth of the golf establishment and players to see the match? I’m not seeing it as a bad thing, but you make valid points.
Tom Edrington
I’m simply wondering out loud if Mr. Salinas is willing to drop $100 million to bring our tour’s millionaires to play golf for a week if he would spend an equal amount of money to get the thousands of homeless children off the streets and fed.
10Hockey
Tom,
Mexico is one of the richest countries in the world . The fact that the Mexican government does not treat their people well is a sorry situation but it is not the problem of the PGA tour or the United States . Mexico has the resources to improve poverty, crime , and hunger . Do you think that throwing money or resources at an already wealthy but corrupt government will help their issues? If we were talking about a poor African nation with no economy ; it’s a different story. The money and resources are abundant in Mexico ; they need a new government .
Tom Edrington
Unfortunately we’re not in position to start a governmental coup. I just wish that Mr. Salinas, who is spending $100 million on this WGC venture would spend the same to get the homeless children off the streets.