He said: ýTiger is more like an every day person than people will ever know. I wish people knew more about that. He is as genuine and as real as they come. Heýs fun, easy-going and affable - really a pleasure to be around.ý

Steinberg, rated last year by Golf Digest as the 13th most powerful man in golf, went on to detail the challenges of managing the careers of champion athletes.

He said: ýMy principle is simple - tell them the truth, shoot straight and donýt be a ýyesý man. Some people are intimidated by an athlete they represent, too often they do whatever the athlete says. And thatýs not good for the athlete.ý

Steinberg admitted that friendships inevitably develop alongside a deep working relationship. ýBut the boundary between being an agent and a friend goes back to the basic understanding of representing the athlete,ý he said.

ýYouýre there for their best interests. You donýt say yes to everything ý you do have some anger and disappointment, but at the end of the day you are looking after their interests. As you develop that relationship, a friendship will develop but you do have to keep your distance at times, and keep their business interests at heart at all times.ý

Woods arrived in Dubai this morning (Tuesday) for the third time, to take part in the 17th Desert Classic at the Emirates Club. And television pictures of him in action are set to bounce around the world, as befits a man who has transcended the usual boundaries of sporting fame.

Steinberg admitted he would like to see more American-based golfers travelling the world and playing on different tours but said it was not critical to growing the game of golf. ýItýs making sure there are well-funded grass-roots programmes for the rest of the world,ý he said. ýScandinavia and Korea have developed as strong markets because of strong grass-roots programmes. Thatýs where the focus needs to be.ý

FORMER OPEN CHAMPION THOMSON LAMENTS DECLINE OF AUSTRALIAN GOLF

Dubai (United Arab Emirates): Five-time Open champion Peter Thomson marvelled at the burgeoning world-wide popularity of golf on the second day of the inaugural GolfEx Dubai, but also lamented the decline of the Australian tour.

The 75-year-old is considered the greatest Australian golfer of all time thanks to his feats in the 1950s and 1960s, but Thomson fears for the future of major tournaments in his homeland.

He told the innovative conference: ýGolf is sparking up in new places such as China, which is a boom town, and the (Arabian) Gulf is also in a mushrooming pattern. They want world-class tournaments, and the money being offered cannot be matched by Australia and New Zealand.

ýWe are facing the loss of the Australian circuit as we are being overwhelmed by the money being offered by tournaments in new places. We have to face up to that.ý

Thomson, who was once known as the Melbourne Tiger and was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1988, said the future may have to be very different for golf in Australia. ýWe have to be satisfied with a role as a nursery for our own players. We will struggle to survive. To find sponsors for tournaments, we have to ensure that they are televised. Thatýs where we are running into serious problems.ý

Another issue, Thomson added, is to inspire golf to compete with sports such as cricket for television audiences, although he added: ýI donýt know how to make golf more exciting ý itýs not a pretty picture for professional golf in Australia.ý

He also believes it is important for the various professional tours to link forces and maximise what they have to offer players and sponsors. ýIt is vital that tours cooperate and that they respect each otherýs territories and times,ý said Thomson, reacting to a question about the European Tourýs decision to stage two events in Asia without consulting the host circuit.

ýThis way they will not leave a free-for-all for who can dominate. That could do a lot of damage - I hope the problems can be resolved.ý

South African PGA Tour commissioner Johan Immelman, meanwhile, said the future was bright for golf in the southern hemisphere. ýWe will always be one of the graduation tours, where players serve their apprenticeship,ý said the father of leading professional Trevor Immelman. ýIt is vital for Australia and the Sunshine Tour to grow. We do produce world beaters.ý

Immelman also believes that GolfEx Dubai, which brought together the business of the world of golf at one venue as well as providing a platform for industry heavyweights to network, share knowledge and broker deals, will go from strength to strength after making an auspicious start.

ýThis is an idea whose time has come,ý he declared. ýI believe that this could become the place where people come together at the start of the year to chart the course of golf business for the next 12 months.ý

GolfEx Dubai, which concluded yesterday (Monday), brought together the business of the world of golf at one venue as well as providing a platform for industry heavyweights to network, share knowledge and broker deals. Five-times British Open champion Peter Thomson, Sunshine Tour commissioner Johan Immelman, former European PGA Tour chief Ken Schofield and ISM managing director Chubby Chandler - whose star-studded client list includes Ernie Els and Darren Clarke - all addressed attendees, helping bring the event to a successful conclusion.

Caption: Tiger Woods manager Mark Steinberg addresses the conference at GolfEx Dubai