Appearance money is the name of the game for world stars..

If you were wondering what Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy and Charl Schwartzel, (the latter pair are horribly jet lagged) have flown 30 hours from Augusta Georgia, through customs, out of New York through customs, out of London and  through customs into Kuala Lumpur where it is about 110 degrees of heat and humidity in the shade, it is in part to support the European tour, it may because they are going to play in China for the next two weeks... but in reality it is because the sponsor Maybank has offered each of them a huge appearance fee just to show up.

Appearance money is forbidden on the PGA tour, but is has been the name of the game in Europe and Australasia from the get go.

Remember Sam Snead complaining that it cost him more to sail to the UK and stay, than the 50 guineas that were on offer for the first prize he won in 1946, and although Walter Hagen went over and won it 4 times in the '20's, it wasn't really until Arnie went over and came 2nd in '60 and won in '61 that Americans started to play the Open in numbers. Of course trans Atlantic flights were in vogue and television coverage had brought the game to the masses..

So sponsors have always offered the games biggest stars money to come and grace their event. The amount is never published, although Tiger reportedly got $2m from JB Were in '09 at the Aussie Masters, and the rank and file don't complain because the stars drive their  tours..

Leading the event is Sweden's Alexander Noren at -8 64 and he isn't getting a krona to appear !!

Rory sleep walked his way through -3 69, as did Oosthuizen, and Kaymer is at -2. Schwartzel is at +1 73 and still smiling... not just because of the green jacket he is showing off.. but because of the new appearance fees he is getting because he is wearing it !!

LEADERBOARD  (play suspended darkness with a few players finishing up)

1 NOREN, Alexander* -8 18 -8 64 - - - 64


2 MANASSERO, Matteo* -6 18 -6 66 - - - 66

T3 SINGH, Jeev Milkha* -5 18 -5 67 - - - 67
T3 BECK, Darren -5 18 -5 67 - - - 67
T3 GALLACHER, Stephen -5 18 -5 67 - - - 67

T6 DONALDSON, Jamie* -4 18 -4 68 - - - 68
T6 SIDDIKUR RAHMAN, MD* -4 18 -4 68 - - - 68
T6 AGUILAR, Felipe* -4 17 -4 - - - - -
T9 RODGERS, Chris -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 OOSTHUIZEN, Louis* -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 FRASER, Marcus -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 PLAPHOL, Chawalit* -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 BARR, Scott* -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 TANNIN, Kwanchai* -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 GAUNT, Daniel -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 MCILROY, Rory -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 MORRISON, James -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 DRYSDALE, David* -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 CAÑIZARES, Alejandro* -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69
T9 RUMFORD, Brett* -3 18 -3 69 - - - 69

Bryan Angus also on twitter @mummmbles