Lost in the U.S. Open Comparisons

While golf journalists of every stripe were furiously writing stories comparing Rory to Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus and projecting what year he'll break Jack's majors record, everyone else was Googling the Jumeirah on Rory's shirt.

It's a Dubai-based hotel chain and having stayed in a Dubai hotel next to the Jumeirah hotel chain's flagship, the Burj Al Arab, I can tell you there isn't a "we'll keep the lights on for you" price tag in the building.  Without a sponsorship it would take top ten money to pay for a couple weeks there assuming dinner was comped.  The cheapest room I could find this week was $3999 AED, and with an exchange rate of .2723 US dollars to each $1 AED, it comes to about $1,500 a night at the low end - bring your own prayer rug.

I think we're missing the really meaningful comparison between Rory and Tiger. It's not about victories or when one will pass the other or each other's age, the relevant comparison between them is sponsors, so let's add up the sponsorships for both. (Getting on TigerWoods.com took about two seconds. I made lunch while I was waiting to get on Rory's site.)

Rory
Oakley Sunglasses
Titleist Golf
Jumeirah Hotels/Dubai
FootJoy
EASports
Audemars Piguet
Lough Erne
Skins
Sunseetter
Trion Z


Tiger
EASports
NetJets
Nike Golf
TAGHeuer
The Tiger Woods Golf Course Community of Dubai
UpperDeck
TLC Laser Surgery Centers

Rory has Tiger beat 10-7. It's a solid lead, too.  I'm betting that no one at Oakley or Jumeirah or Titliest or any of the other of Rory's sponsors are thinking of dumping him anytime soon.

The key for Tiger is not only to get back on the course and win a couple Majors by at least 23 strokes but also to find ways to catch up in the sponsor race.

Both Tiger and Rory have watch companies, X-Box games, golf communities, sweet deals in Dubai, golf equipment and stuff for your eyes.  What Rory has that Tiger doesn't is a hotel chain.

Mindful of Tiger's recent history I Googled "sex hotels" and lo and behold up came The Best Hotels to Get (Cozy) In.  And guess what's on the list? Yes, the Burj Al Arab, the flagship hotel of Rory Mcilroy's biggest sponsor, the hotel that Tiger Woods hit golf balls off the roof of; the same roof on which Andre Agassi played tennis.

Rory is hot. Motel 6 would definitely keep the lights on for him. Tiger is a much better fit for Jumeirah and the Burj Al Arab.  Off the top of a hotel is about the only place Tiger can hit a ball right now and just a floor down in the Penthouse he can build additional brand equity for the Burj's place on the Cozy list.

So give it up Rory. Have Chubby Chandler call Motel 6 then once that deal is done, call Mark Steinberg and give up Jumeirah or at least the Burj.

Once we have that deal done, we need to find Tiger a pub in Northern Ireland.  Ah yes, lads, the Saltwater Brig in Kircubbin.