I don't play for credits except a very occasional 50 cr ul rg, where i can usually get something back owing to the number of wds.
it was only when i hit legend that i looked at the monthly tourney and payouts, 20k, 17.5k and 15k. I then noticed 2 things, 1- the number of entrants at 200 cr came nowhere near what they were paying out, and 2- the same name/s seemed to be rinsing it for month after month.
Anyway, one month i had a look and it was on a course i can sometimes put up a decent score, with a few days to go the top 3 were 58, 59 and 62 and was tempted to enter in the hope i could maybe sneak in to 3rd.
With 2 days left it was still the same and i was ready to go for it, but then noticed that 2 players who were always in the money hadn't entered yet.
So, i waited till the final day and was glad i did, because as i suspected, the leaderboard was now 57, 57 and 58 with these 2 in 1st and 2nd, so i saved myself the 200 cr.
As others have already said, why not link tiers to earnings? This 500 ranked round thing is just playing into the hands of these players, who limit their games to high payout tourneys.
Even taking this on board, if they paid out on, say, top 20 e.g. i would maybe have a try as would perhaps many others. Just my thoughts on a very good thread with many excellent suggestions.