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Justin Armsden's blog: Europe's tour tees off

Story Highlights
Justin Armsden is in Shanghai for the start of the 2009 European Tour
With the addition of the Race to Dubai, more big names are signing up
A prize pool of $20 million means the European Tour is very appealing to players
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By Justin Armsden
CNN Sports Correspondent

SHANGHAI, China (CNN) -- Four days after the European Tour finished one season, its next is underway and it's in China.

Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington at the HSBC Champions golf tournament in Shanghai

As the monetary incentives go up, the European Tour is sure to attract more big names.

I'm in Shanghai for the HSBC Champions Trophy where the world's best golfers are primed for the year-long race to pile into an almost obscene amount of money.

In total there is $20 million up for grabs and, for example, if Robert Karlsson can win the most amount of prize money over the 2009 season, like he did this year with $3.4 million, then come next November he would add another $2 million bonus.

And if he won the season finale, The Dubai World Championship, then he would add another $3.6 million. So, based on those sums, Karlsson would be about $10 million richer if he can pull off another top season.

Admittedly, it's unlikely, but not impossible, and with that amount of money on the table, the revamped European Tour is now a very tasty option to the PGA Tour of America.

Rising stars Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas have signed up, and world number two Phil Mickelson is in discussions to join -- maybe not this year, but I'd put good money on it for the 2010 season.

This is exactly the kind of response the European Tour wanted, and desperately needed, when it decided to sign up with Dubai-based Leisurecorp, the company backing the Tour with a shed-load of cash.

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The U.S. PGA Tour was streets ahead in terms of its appeal with the average first prize of $1 million and the Fedex Cup worth $10 million to the winner.

That's why top pros like Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood, Paul Casey and so on were heading west for most of the season.

It's all changed now, and for as long as someone can manage to find the money to stump up the top prizes, big names will be common on the European Tour -- which should rename itself when this is all settled. The Race to Dubai includes 53 events in 24 countries -- it's as global as a tour can get, so in the future when this is all settled the name might change.

What do you think? Is the European Tour now higher profile than the U.S. PGA Tour? Tell us in the Sound Off box below.

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