Westy to move to Florida according to the Telegraph

Not a huge surprise.

Looking out of my office window at the pouring rain who can blame him...

A big turn around. A couple of years ago he was prepared to miss the Fed-Ex series for the family, now he's moving the family across the water. If he was going to move to the US then he should have done it a few years ago.

The plan is to improve his chances in majors, but he probably needs to find a putting stroke that holds-up for four rounds in a major before he gets over the line.

I suspect the reason for the different attitudes over two years is more to do with the ages of his children then and now - perhaps he felt it was a wrong time to move his children then, but less so now. Situations do change over time after all

This was hinted at a couple of weeks or so ago but now it's confirmed. I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't to get his children a decent education. I doubt there's much choice in Worksop!

I hope it works out, and helps Lee to reel in the elusive Major title. For some reason I've never imagined him moving across the pond - he just seems too typically English for all that sunshine.

Mary_S wrote:I hope it works out, and helps Lee to reel in the elusive Major title. For some reason I've never imagined him moving across the pond - he just seems too typically English for all that sunshine.

I wish him and his family well also but probably the main reason for relocating to Florida is the same as the others with sufficient funds before him have done (i.e. Tiger, Furyk, etc.): they don't want to pay the same income taxes as their neighbors they've now left behind will continue to have to do. This is one of a number of reasons why many in Southern California don't particularly care for TW even though he still maintains a home in SoCal as well as his fake PGA sanctioned golf tournament which is classified as a charity, thus receiving the maximum allotted tax breaks. I understand the tax rates in many European countries are substantial but all wealthy people living in any state in the U.S. can afford the much lower rates we pay than most of the developed world.

What's bizarre about the attraction of Florida other than for vacation purposes is the fact that most of the state has a poor reputation (even by current U.S. standards which are slowly sinking every year) for the quality of education, tolerance of others, health for the masses and massive social drug problems among others (1. the insects are intolerable) (2. much of wildlife is being reduced to alligators and large exotic snakes in the vast Everglades, one of the largest natural habitats in the U.S.) (3. English isn't spoken even by the non-hispanic population - translation: white trash) (4. the humidity is being recorded as growing worse than ever before) unless one lives in a protected environment or community. Basically it was discovered by Europeans in the 1500's as a swamp and it will always be a swamp but with less appeal than the days of Ponce de León.

Don't hold back Venice, tell us what you really think about Florida

I think it's safe to say Lee will avoid a few of those pitfalls by living in one of the enclaves designed to keep much of the 99% out. But I don't think he'll be able to keep the humidity and insects out.

I'm in agreement with both LP and Venice here. I heard a couple of weeks ago that he was considering it. I think part of the reason is to do with his kids, his family and having a nice holiday home, it's also more like home when you consider Poulter, Casey, Luke, Rory, GMac, Charl ......... But the biggest reason I belive is cash. Taxes, and the amount of cash he can potentially earn on the PGA as apposed to the ET. Lee has always supported the ET, but think he's now starting to accept that he needs to earn cash to look after his family, and also accepting that staying on the ET will make him another Monty, as he aint going to win a major. Always had a great deal of time for Lee, and still will, but maybe he's just being realistic now and accepts that he's not going to do a major, so just cashing in while he still can. I would however love him to win a major and nobody deserves one more than him, but as with Monty chance after chance but no cigar. Not meant to be

Strewth Doc, the Times rich list has Less as worth 28 million quid. How much dosh does he need for his kids ?
I really hope its not a decision based on money and is more to do with ambition, because if its cash driven he really is one greedy twat.

I agree diggers, I don't think it is about money. More about lifestyle and what is better for the family.

I have only been to Florida a couple of times but I loved it, thought it was a wonderful place. Christ knows what venice would say about Worksop if he had to spend any time there!

BlueCoverman wrote:I agree diggers, I don't think it is about money. More about lifestyle and what is better for the family.

I have only been to Florida a couple of times but I loved it, thought it was a wonderful place. Christ knows what venice would say about Worksop if he had to spend any time there!

I remember Lee's comment when he was presented with a ceremonial sword during the exhibition match in China shown on Sky earlier this year. "Aye, lovely," he said. "That'll come in 'andy in Worksop on a Saturday night!" Maybe he'll be taking it with him to Florida to keep out all Venice's nasties ....

I've actually enjoyed Florida while visiting there. I was just taking some cheap shots at the rich Americans who for no other reason want to avoid paying their fair share of taxes by seeking shelters in U.S. states that never seem to have the best interests of the country in mind when legislating policy and law.

The states in the South have always been known as "me first" states and that will never change. That's another reason why they currently call them 'red states' politically speaking is that they are always dragging this country into the red figures financially speaking. But there is something to be said about places that can't seem to build enough golf courses.

BlueCoverman wrote:I agree diggers, I don't think it is about money. More about lifestyle and what is better for the family.

I have only been to Florida a couple of times but I loved it, thought it was a wonderful place. Christ knows what venice would say about Worksop if he had to spend any time there!

Fair enough, that said you probably have a lot more chance of getting shot in Miami than you you have in Worksop ! Must admit I love the States and theer are loads of places over there Id like to see but Florida is a long way down the list. Just never really appealed to me, probably the whole Disneyland thing.

Suggest take your little girls to Disneyland when they are a little bit older...their excitement and the joy on their faces might just make you change your mind!

Yes, I think you are probably right. Might be Paris rather than Florida though. I have heard good things about Miami, meant to be a fun place. It's more the whole Orlando Brits abroad for winter sun scene I'm not that keen on.

diggers wrote:Yes, I think you are probably right. Might be Paris rather than Florida though. I have heard good things about Miami, meant to be a fun place. It's more the whole Orlando Brits abroad for winter sun scene I'm not that keen on.

Unfortunately Digs that's when the weather is typically good in Orlando. The school summer holidays occur right in the middle of hurricane season which can bring very unsettled weather. Hot temperatures, high humidity, plenty of rain and lots of thunderstorms which mean the parks close and of course the occasional hurricane making landfall.

The first time we flew to Orlando it was in August and it was at the back end of a hurricane. Picked up the hire car at the airport for the drive to Davenport but a lot of the power was still out and none of the traffic lights were working.

Interesting drive to say the least! Still very stormy, dark and raining hard, with no Sat Navs in the hire cars in those days we got completely lost. What should have been a 40 minute journey turned into a very stressful 3 hours and we were very relieved to finally arrive in one piece!