Europe gets award for most improved

The European Tour announced an ambitious schedule this week that stretches across more than two dozen countries on five continents, has more tournaments than there are weeks in the year, and culminates with a $20 million destination in Dubai.

Phil Mickelson is among those who might take up membership.

Vijay Singh already has said he wants to rake in the cash at Dubai, just as he did this year at East Lake, and it would not be surprising if he saw familiar faces such as Camilo Villegas and Anthony Kim trying to stop him.

None of this seemed plausible when George O'Grady assembled his players at La Costa two years ago in what might have been the most important meeting during his four-year tenure as chief executive of the European Tour.

The tour wasn't in turmoil, but it was losing relevance.

The World Golf Championships were about to embark on a six-year plan to be played only in the United States, which already was home to three of the four majors. The Players Championship was a year away from moving to May, forcing some Europeans to choose between the richest purse in golf or key tournaments on their home circuit.

If that wasn't enough, PGA Tour officials were polishing off plans for the FedEx Cup, which offered $35 million in bonus money and was sure to entice more Europeans to play more in America, and stay there during playoff events in August and September.

Two dozen European Tour members met with O'Grady on the eve of the 2006 Accenture Match Play Championship, a session in which players shared ideas instead of complaints.

Asked for a central theme to the meeting, O'Grady replied, "That the European Tour is worth fighting for."