Jason Gore likes the view from 45,000 feet. The feel of it too. He's a big man, so the padded armrests and generous legroom provide a level of luxury he could only dream about two years ago, when he was driving his wife and infant son to Nationwide tour stops in a car packed with practically everything the family owned.
One night, at a motel in Asheville, N.C., someone broke into the car and took everything. But, hey, this is America. A week later Gore's mug was as familiar as Suze Orman's—thanks to his play at the U.S. Open. Three months later Gore had three straight Nationwide wins, a promotion to the PGA Tour and a stunning victory at the 84 Lumber Classic. So now he's a winner, like Tiger, and can cross his legs as he soars above Ohio in the G5.
"We're all little kids at heart," says Gore. I think of Tiger at 16, excited about a puppy and anxious to join Pops and his mom for a chain-store pizza.
An hour later the plane touches down in Teterboro, N.J., and we pile into a shuttle for the ride to lower Manhattan and the World Financial Center. It's the last stop on the Sumo2 tour, and Gore's job is to answer reporters' questions and then smack balls in one of two cages set up in an atrium bright with Christmas lights and potted poinsettias.
He's a natural at this, and hundreds of brokers, executives and office workers stop to watch on their way out, some of them stepping into the cages to hit a few balls. I watch for a while and then stroll over to the glass wall to take in the big view of New York Harbor and the Statue of Liberty. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses....
I wonder where Tiger is and what he's doing.
So here's my final accounting: Tiger Woods, in fiscal 2006, earned $11,941,827 in prize money and roughly $90 million from appearance fees, endorsements, corporate outings, speaking engagements, books, licensing fees, instructional videos and Tiger Woods-branded products ranging from wine to grass seed. His income from stocks and other investments is harder to gauge; based on the results of my own closely managed portfolio, I estimate that he made another $600, minimum.
Working, then, from an estimated income of $101,942,427—and basing my calculations on a 52-week year and a federally mandated five-day work week of eight hours a day—I value my 10 minutes of Tiger's undivided attention at $8,168.46. Past performance, of course, does not guarantee future results.
