These Guys Are Better

Hello. Congrats to Aaron Baddeley for winning the FBR Open in Phoenix. It's his 2nd win in two years, so Aaron may be on the way to showing the potential he once had in spades, twice winning the Australian Open as a teenager.
The REAL golf tournament this week was in Dubai, however. Ernie Els and Tiger Woods were right there trying to take a title both men won in the past. The winner, however, was Henrik Stenson. Congrats to you Henrik on beating a fine field.
When the US lost yet again to Europe in the Ryder Cup last year, many in the media started to clue in that European Ryder Cup wins were no longer flukes. If there was a Ryder Cup fluke in recent years, it was the historic comeback the Americans made in 1999 to win their only cup in the last 6 Ryder Cup events. The US media started giving the Europeans their due in that event, and I'm sure many will consider the Euros favourites in 2008.
Well, now it's time to start giving the European Tour some credit. It is a better Tour right now than the PGA Tour. Yes, that's right I'm sober.
How do I say this with a straight face, when others (including Brian Hewitt today on thegolfchannel.com) say the PGA is better because "there aren't any fantasy European Tour leagues here"? Two words - Tiger Woods. As we know, Tiger hasn't lost a PGA Tour event since the British Open. Well, he hasn't won a European Tour event since the British Open. Paul Casey, Padraig Harrington and Stenson have all beaten Woods on foreign soil.
Why is the European Tour better? Two words - appearance fees. The PGA Tour had better allow the practice as welll, or the top players will migrate to Europe. It's already happened, and will continue to do so. You heard it here first.

Regards,
Steve