An American named Eldrick Tont Woods, generally referred to as “Tiger” … is in Abu Dhabi this week to play in the local European Tour event.

We could tell you he’s here, for the first time, because he likes visiting this part of the world, or heard that the weather here this time of year is nice, or just likes hanging out with the multinational guys on the Euro Tour. Or even that he wants to shore up his “brand” here in the Middle East.

But those would be secondary or tertiary explanations. Tiger is here, first, for the money.

How much organizers of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship are paying Tiger just to show up in the UAE has not been made public, but informed opinion is coming up with “more than $1 million” and “less that $2 million”, and it seems natural to split the difference and settle on $1.5 million.

So, a very nice chunk of change for Tiger to take the long flight (albeit in a private jet) from Florida.

The appearance fee takes a lot of the pressure off him, too. He can miss the cut and go home having had a very profitable week. Plus, they don’t actually pay all that much to the winner — only about $400,000. Tiger is doing three or four times better by taking the appearance fee.

The No. 1 espn.com golf writer, Bob Harig, is here to see the Abu Dhabi event — skipping the PGA event at Torrey Pines, which apparently will go off without a single player in the top 10.

All the serious golf writers really ought to be here, considering that the top four in the world (all Euros, by the way: Luke Donald,  Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Martin Kaymer) are in Abu Dhabi, as well as 11 of the top 25 (Tiger is No. 25, by the way) — including three of the four current “major” champions — Charl Schwartzel, Darren Clarke and McIlroy. (Only Keegan Bradley is missing.)

Tiger often has started his year at Torrey Pines, but PGA events are not allowed to pay appearance fees, and that puts them at a disadvantage against events like this one in Abu Dhabi, where organizers reportedly have a budget of about $5 million to give guys just for showing up in the clubhouse.

Harig addresses the issue of whether the PGA needs to start paying appearance fees in this story, and when an event as fun as Torrey Pines is withering on the vine, the PGA clearly has to at least consider this.

He also quotes Tim Finchem, the PGA commissioner, explaining why the U.S. tour bans appearance fees.

Said Finchem: “From the standpoint of professional athletic competition, it raises the specter in the fans’ mind that the player is only there because he was paid to be there and not there to really compete. If the player doesn’t play well, in light of that perception, then there is a secondary perception that he didn’t even come to compete, he just showed up to get his appearance money. That is not a good thing for your image.

“This is something that’s been part of the PGA Tour since its inception in 1968. We think our image is the most important thing we have, and we’re not going to take the risk.”

Hmm. Wonder if the PGA’s image is keeping the Torrey Pines organizers warm this week.

I may actually go out to The National course at some point this weekend and see Tiger play. I haven’t watched him in person since he played Riviera in Los Angeles, and that was several years ago.

Even here, and even ranked No. 25 in the world, Tiger is expected to draw a crowd. Especially when he will play in a threesome with Donald and McIlroy.

And when he is finished with his round, like the other golfers in the field he will go to the Emirates Palace hotel, a self-proclaimed “seven-star” resort — and the one that has the machine in the lobby which dispenses gold bars.

Maybe Tiger will take some of the money he made when he got off the plane and buy a few ounces.