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Apparently these ladies had some very choice words for the current LPGA product and players in the field during the week. One of the LGPA fan favorites was called self serving, egotistical, and flat out bad the game. Another Hall of Famer said "that its about charisma and personality and most of the Asian players have none, and the American players are babies."
I am so sorry that I missed this event, but will not miss it next year.
LPGA legends ponder future of sport they helped build - Golf, PGA Tour - CBSSports.com PGA
While the LPGA Tour Championship was getting rained on in Texas and people were wondering if the LPGA Tour itself is all but washed up, a group of superstars gathered at Innisbrook Golf Club for the Legends Championship.
The names were familiar -- Pat Bradley, Sandra Haynie, Jan Stephenson, Betsy King and Patty Sheehan. Even "Big Mama," JoAnne Carner, was there to compete for the $50,000 top prize. And all of them had an opinion about the current state of women's golf.
"We were more connected with the fans," said Bradley, the Hall of Famer who won six majors. "We were more accessible. Now a lot of the players have borders around them, layers of agents and sponsors."
Betsy King, winner of seven majors, says 'it's hard to sell a tour where so many of the players don't speak English.' (Getty Images) It could be argued that the Legends Tour, open to professionals over 45, has more recognizable names than the LPGA does. After Lorena Ochoa and Michelle Wie, who do you know? Yes, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel -- have you heard of Cristie Kerr, the highest ranking American? After that, the list is filled with non-Americans, especially Koreans. The LPGA, fighting for its future, has decided to go global.
The overall number of LPGA tournaments is down to 24 next year -- from 34 only two years ago -- and only half of them will be played in the U.S. The LPGA, behind new commissioner Michael Whan, is looking to satisfy the sponsors of the 47 Korean players, as well as the 27 other non-Americans. Korean television is the LPGA's greatest source of support. Even Wie conducted part of her post-match interview last week in flawless Korean.
"Young American women have so many more choices now than we did," said Jane Blalock, the CEO of the Legends Tour. "But the United States isn't producing the top player anymore. Nancy Lopez was the last of her kind."
Wie happily won her first tournament two weeks ago, but that is a far cry from Lopez's debut. In 1978, she was both rookie and player of the year. American fans, with a year-round calendar of sports to choose from, tend to root for Americans. Gail Graham, who played in the Legends Tour Championship at Innisbrook, is the president of the LPGA Tournament Owners Association. And she is very concerned.
"Some U.S. corporations are even more interested in sponsoring LPGA events overseas than they are in sponsoring events here," said Graham. "They see great opportunity."
When Jan Stephenson first came on the scene, she was considered the "babe" of the tour. Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who founded the LPGA in 1950 -- making it the oldest professional sport for women in the United States -- would have been proud. Stephenson, now 57, was a terrific player. In nearly two decades on the Tour, she won 16 times. In 1983, she teamed with Fred Couples to win the JC Penny Classic in Largo, Fla.
"The LPGA is big business now, and it's hard to build up names you don't know," she said. "On the Legends Tour, we're the people you know."
Blalock played professionally for 36 years and won 27 tournaments. In 2000, she handpicked 25 players to put up $5,000 each to create a tour for the players, by the players. There is now a sponsor, Dr. Haruhisa Handa, a well known philanthropist and businessman from Japan.
"I think we had a golden era, not in terms of money but in terms of awareness," said Blalock. "We played in 30 tournaments, almost all in North America, and then we had a season where we travelled internationally. The LPGA was mostly a U.S. field. We thought of ourselves as role models."
The money they earned would make Michelle Wie laugh. Betsy King was the leading money leader in 1989 and made $650,000.
"But all of our tournaments were on network television," said King, a Hall of Famer who won seven majors. "It's difficult for the LPGA now. Everyone understands why they had to go global. It's hard to sell a tour where so many of the players don't speak English."
Bradley admires the young Koreans.
"They are driven, they want to be the best," she said. "Look at their culture, they stress excellence."
The women of the Legends Tour are memorable, having earned 65 major championships among them. Carner, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, is still smoking and snapping.
"I'm aggravated that I can't hit as long," said Carner, "but I can still putt. I'm 70 years old and I never got the yips."
While her putter doesn't stutter, she still has back issues, and her description of how she handles it brought out the kind of personality that fans are looking for in the game today.
"I get brutal back spasms," said Carner, "but I can still smoke and stretch."
I am so sorry that I missed this event, but will not miss it next year.
LPGA legends ponder future of sport they helped build - Golf, PGA Tour - CBSSports.com PGA
While the LPGA Tour Championship was getting rained on in Texas and people were wondering if the LPGA Tour itself is all but washed up, a group of superstars gathered at Innisbrook Golf Club for the Legends Championship.
The names were familiar -- Pat Bradley, Sandra Haynie, Jan Stephenson, Betsy King and Patty Sheehan. Even "Big Mama," JoAnne Carner, was there to compete for the $50,000 top prize. And all of them had an opinion about the current state of women's golf.
"We were more connected with the fans," said Bradley, the Hall of Famer who won six majors. "We were more accessible. Now a lot of the players have borders around them, layers of agents and sponsors."
Betsy King, winner of seven majors, says 'it's hard to sell a tour where so many of the players don't speak English.' (Getty Images) It could be argued that the Legends Tour, open to professionals over 45, has more recognizable names than the LPGA does. After Lorena Ochoa and Michelle Wie, who do you know? Yes, Paula Creamer and Morgan Pressel -- have you heard of Cristie Kerr, the highest ranking American? After that, the list is filled with non-Americans, especially Koreans. The LPGA, fighting for its future, has decided to go global.
The overall number of LPGA tournaments is down to 24 next year -- from 34 only two years ago -- and only half of them will be played in the U.S. The LPGA, behind new commissioner Michael Whan, is looking to satisfy the sponsors of the 47 Korean players, as well as the 27 other non-Americans. Korean television is the LPGA's greatest source of support. Even Wie conducted part of her post-match interview last week in flawless Korean.
"Young American women have so many more choices now than we did," said Jane Blalock, the CEO of the Legends Tour. "But the United States isn't producing the top player anymore. Nancy Lopez was the last of her kind."
Wie happily won her first tournament two weeks ago, but that is a far cry from Lopez's debut. In 1978, she was both rookie and player of the year. American fans, with a year-round calendar of sports to choose from, tend to root for Americans. Gail Graham, who played in the Legends Tour Championship at Innisbrook, is the president of the LPGA Tournament Owners Association. And she is very concerned.
"Some U.S. corporations are even more interested in sponsoring LPGA events overseas than they are in sponsoring events here," said Graham. "They see great opportunity."
When Jan Stephenson first came on the scene, she was considered the "babe" of the tour. Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who founded the LPGA in 1950 -- making it the oldest professional sport for women in the United States -- would have been proud. Stephenson, now 57, was a terrific player. In nearly two decades on the Tour, she won 16 times. In 1983, she teamed with Fred Couples to win the JC Penny Classic in Largo, Fla.
"The LPGA is big business now, and it's hard to build up names you don't know," she said. "On the Legends Tour, we're the people you know."
Blalock played professionally for 36 years and won 27 tournaments. In 2000, she handpicked 25 players to put up $5,000 each to create a tour for the players, by the players. There is now a sponsor, Dr. Haruhisa Handa, a well known philanthropist and businessman from Japan.
"I think we had a golden era, not in terms of money but in terms of awareness," said Blalock. "We played in 30 tournaments, almost all in North America, and then we had a season where we travelled internationally. The LPGA was mostly a U.S. field. We thought of ourselves as role models."
The money they earned would make Michelle Wie laugh. Betsy King was the leading money leader in 1989 and made $650,000.
"But all of our tournaments were on network television," said King, a Hall of Famer who won seven majors. "It's difficult for the LPGA now. Everyone understands why they had to go global. It's hard to sell a tour where so many of the players don't speak English."
Bradley admires the young Koreans.
"They are driven, they want to be the best," she said. "Look at their culture, they stress excellence."
The women of the Legends Tour are memorable, having earned 65 major championships among them. Carner, a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, is still smoking and snapping.
"I'm aggravated that I can't hit as long," said Carner, "but I can still putt. I'm 70 years old and I never got the yips."
While her putter doesn't stutter, she still has back issues, and her description of how she handles it brought out the kind of personality that fans are looking for in the game today.
"I get brutal back spasms," said Carner, "but I can still smoke and stretch."
