ESPN Golf Online: The Showdown is for everyone


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The Showdown is for everyone

By Curtis Strange
Special to ABC Sports Online
August 2 8:43pm ET

The Motorola Showdown at Sherwood will appeal to many people and that is what is so attractive about this event. Obviously, we are going to find out how far this appeal will reach. I think we will have more people tuned in that ordinarily would not watch golf. It is primetime Monday night. It is a big deal. It has been exposed a great deal the last month or so. The Motorola Showdown at Sherwood is good for golf.

Curtis Strange.

This event promotes the game. I truly believe that. The rivalry between David Duval and Tiger Woods is only going to materialize if they play against each other in not only major championships but tournaments themselves. It doesn't matter a whole lot to me if it is the majors or not, it's just that they have to go head to head and it is something that they really have not done yet. It is something that might not materialize simply because of all of the talent out there.
In the era of Nicholas and Palmer, there weren't as many good players, although they were wonderful players. Who is to say whether or not Duval/Woods will ever materialize? No one knows, but the important things is that ABC Sports is going to bring the game Monday night August 2nd in primetime to viewers who ordinarily would not watch golf and that is a good thing.
When I am asked what this event means to the two competitors, my answer tends to remain the same. The one thing it is going to mean for the winner is $1.1 million. I do not think that is means a whole lot other than that they beat the other guy in a 18 hole match. A victory may do something for the winner's confidence, but I don't know, you can only ask them that. I don't think it is going to do a lot.
Like I have been preaching, this isn't going to decide who the #1 player in the world is. This event is for the fan. Have fun and watch. Enjoy and watch each player swing and chip and putt and play for four hours and 18 holes. This event won't decide who the best player in the world is, but it will be fun for any golf fan.
The thing I don't like is that there has been a lot of negative press on this event and I don't quite understand why this is the case. The Showdown is bringing golf to more viewers and to more people that don't play golf. I think that it shows how strong the game really is right now that we can put this event in primetime and we can sell it. ABC, IMG, and the players agreed to do it.
It is incredible to me that golf has gotten so big that we can actually sell it in primetime and when you do that you end up getting a huge audience. You get a lot of women watching, they are a huge growing part of the game. As far as all of the critics out there, every one them will probably be watching.