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What Does the LPGA Need?

Personally it needs a good rivalry that would include an American, Asian, Latin/North American and European player. At least that might attract viewership. But it all boils down to the Americans stepping up and start winning tournaments.
 
They may need more than just simply having Americans winning tournaments. The need marketable stars, obviously American, who can attract fans who would otherwise not watch women’s golf. I don’t know who that may be but it probably wouldn’t hurt if there was some sex appeal. Also, someone with a huge social media presence may attract fans to women’s golf in this day and age.

I’ll confess that I do not watch women’s golf at all. I consider myself a huge golf fan.
 
Leftyuk said:
So as a Korean wins their 8th tournament of the year, the summary of wins after 18 tournaments is as follows :

Korean 8
USA 2
Canada 2
Europe 2
Japan 2
Aus/NZ 2

If it was not for the Koreans there would be a nice mix. But the Americans are paying the bills , with sponsors mainly coming from USA, so it needs the Americans ladies to start winning more to keep the sponsors happy. Or Korean companies to raise more sponsorship cash. But if they do that, they will want more tournaments away from USA...…….

Until USA players start winning 8/18 instead of 2/18, the tour will suffer.
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Relative to the PGA Tour,........ the LPGA, Champions, and web.com (korn-ferry) Tours have never been done well in terms of attracting sponsors, drawing spectators, achieving good t.v. ratings etc...
Golf has never been a widely popular spectator sport, so any Tour or tournament other than PGA Tour will struggle to attract interest.
 
Honestly, Sponsorship by "Korean" companies is really out of the question. Why would they fork up money over here? Koreans have their own LPGA and their companies sponsoring their league.
If anything, more American companies need to sponsor this league. More advertisement and more exposure.
Some of you act like it's a bad thing that more Koreans are winning... without the Koreans and other International stars, LPGA would be nothing.
Oh and because they don't speak English well enough? What does that have to do with anything here? That's your racist problem.
 
Wonton said:
Honestly, Sponsorship by "Korean" companies is really out of the question. Why would they fork up money over here? Koreans have their own LPGA and their companies sponsoring their league.
If anything, more American companies need to sponsor this league. More advertisement and more exposure.
Some of you act like it's a bad thing that more Koreans are winning... without the Koreans and other International stars, LPGA would be nothing.
Oh and because they don't speak English well enough? What does that have to do with anything here? That's your racist problem.
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Well at least you got one thing right "Why would they fork up money over here? Koreans have their own LPGA and their companies sponsoring their league." Agreed.

"without the Koreans and other International stars, LPGA would be nothing." Really? So you actually think less people would watch without Koreans/International playing? I dont know for sure if they are hurting the numbers but I highly doubt they are carrying them to the point of the tour being nothing without them.

Is it really unreasonable for someone in their own country/network to prefer to be able easily understand someone who they do WANT to hear from? I give them a ton of credit for learning another language. Most do a decent job of it in a pretty short period of learning but some are a bit rough to listen to. I would have another language down pretty good before giving an interview on another countrys tv network without a interpreter.

Its not racist at all but just an annoyance for some no matter what the language or country. So please stop crying wolf at small things which are not racist and save it for the rare times. Im just tired of that BS.
 
What Does the LPGA Need?

mr3putt said:
Well at least you got one thing right "Why would they fork up money over here? Koreans have their own LPGA and their companies sponsoring their league." Agreed.

"without the Koreans and other International stars, LPGA would be nothing." Really? So you actually think less people would watch without Koreans/International playing? I dont know for sure if they are hurting the numbers but I highly doubt they are carrying them to the point of the tour being nothing without them.

Is it really unreasonable for someone in their own country/network to prefer to be able easily understand someone who they do WANT to hear from? I give them a ton of credit for learning another language. Most do a decent job of it in a pretty short period of learning but some are a bit rough to listen to. I would have another language down pretty good before giving an interview on another countrys tv network without a interpreter.

Its not racist at all but just an annoyance for some no matter what the language or country. So please stop crying wolf at small things which are not racist and save it for the rare times. Im just tired of that BS.
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There are a lot of global fans who watch the LPGA or at least follow closely.
Ok... may not be (nothing at all) but it makes the LPGA exciting is because it’s a stage for global talent to come together and showcase. It would be less popular without international players.
I just don’t agree with people pointing fingers at the easy thing to blame at. In this case, I see people point fingers at Koreans and their companies not doing what we want them to do.
It’s just the same mentality we’ve all heard for decades; “oh you live in America, speak English!” “It’s BS the ATM makes you select a language, it’s America!”
So what they speak with a translator? You don’t want to listen to the translator? That’s your own issue.
Don’t blame the LPGA for putting the talent on stage every week and paying them a smaller amount than men.
The real issue is, we as society still look down upon women and seeing them as secondary citizens. Look what the World Cup winners are still fighting for til this day?
And crying wolf and picking at small things? I’m a minority in this country. People treated my parents who can’t speak English all that well like dogs. I’ve been yelled racial slurs towards me. Unless you can relate to what minorities have gone through, you can’t tell us to stop crying because white suburbia can’t and don’t care to fully understand.




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I'm going to be that guy. More sex appeal. And less full length sleeves & turtlenecks when it's 90 outside.
 
jolter1 said:
Personally it needs a good rivalry that would include an American, Asian, Latin/North American and European player. At least that might attract viewership. But it all boils down to the Americans stepping up and start winning tournaments.
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I'll agree that a rivalry could be the answer. Back in the 90s-early 2000s, Annika Sorenstam vs Karrie Webb was must see.
 
Fassi & Kupcho competing & winning some Majors over the next decade would likely create a nice bump for the tour.

The LPGA also doesn't get a similar type benefit from the Solheim Cup that men's golf gets from RC because so many of the best players in the world are left out. Time to expand participation and go North America against the world? It would add Henderson & Fassi to the US squad. Not sure the LET would go for it unless they were guaranteed a minimum number of spots for European players.

In the end though I still think the LPGA has a decent niche. They are more relatable & more accessible and play an important role in growing the game with young girls & young women. Almost have to play it like an investment portfolio. Incremental gains compound and add up over time.....
 
Don’t blame the LPGA for putting the talent on stage every week and paying them a smaller amount than men.
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They pay them less because they have less money to pay with. The reason they have less is because sponsors and TV companies do not want to pay more. If 80% of golfers are male, then the target audience for the TV advertisers is male, and if they prefer male golf, guess where the money goes. If 80% of golfers were female, the economics would be different. English lady footballers get less than men because the average crowd size is 2,000 not the 50,000 at a men's game.

The not speaking English is a poor decision. In English football, the foreign players and managers are encouraged not to use translators. When Ranieri arrived at Chelsea in 2001, he used a translator for a couple of months and then ditched him. His English was still not good 15 years later, but people liked him because he tried . The Korean players do not get it. There is nothing racist about expecting people to learn the language of the country that is paying their high wages. When English footballers go to a European club they are expected to learn the local language, and when Linneker went to Japan he handled press questions in Japanese.

As a white, heterosexual, middle aged male, I am used to everything being my fault, but on this one, I think the players need to learn how to help their own cause.
 
Sei Young Kim played really well holding off Lexi by 2 strokes.
 
JB said:
Sei Young Kim played really well holding off Lexi by 2 strokes.
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Agreed. A few more shots drop and Lexi could have added quite a few more W's this year

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MichiganGripRip said:
Agreed. A few more shots drop and Lexi could have added quite a few more W's this year

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Agreed. An interesting thing, and I asked this on Facebook is the course and layout that they are playing. These girls SLAYED this course, yet didn't play a par 4 over 410 yards and most were under 400 yards. Maybe add some distance and some challenge?
 
Much of what has been said here I disagree with. No one is drafted into war in America, the military is voluntary. "You can't learn from players on the LPGA, cause they don't hit 584 yard drives"...
I find the men's game incredibly boring, like watching my guitars age. The women hit it farther than most men, and actually use their clubs, like middle irons. At least the majors have the sense to grow out the rough. The PGA spends 70% of its time showing putting, self-interviews, and meaningless player interviews. 370 yard drives with flip wedge to most par 4's and many par 5's is pretty lame after awhile. And, I really don't understand the demand to have all American ladies represent the LPGA. Nonsense nationalism, I've rooted just as much for European golfers, Mexican golfers as American golfers. If someone is exceptional, what difference does their country of origin make? The LPGA is just another example of corporate America discriminating against another minority, women. Whenever I attend a LPGA event, I appreciate the small crowds. The sponsors don't seem to promote the women's game. I admire the women's camaraderie, and sense of fair play, even the galleries have better manners than some of the losers attending the men's events.
Women are never discriminated against in divorce, at least in California.
 
aknow said:
Much of what has been said here I disagree with. No one is drafted into war in America, the military is voluntary. "You can't learn from players on the LPGA, cause they don't hit 584 yard drives"...
I find the men's game incredibly boring, like watching my guitars age. The women hit it farther than most men, and actually use their clubs, like middle irons. At least the majors have the sense to grow out the rough. The PGA spends 70% of its time showing putting, self-interviews, and meaningless player interviews. 370 yard drives with flip wedge to most par 4's and many par 5's is pretty lame after awhile. And, I really don't understand the demand to have all American ladies represent the LPGA. Nonsense nationalism, I've rooted just as much for European golfers, Mexican golfers as American golfers. If someone is exceptional, what difference does their country of origin make? The LPGA is just another example of corporate America discriminating against another minority, women. Whenever I attend a LPGA event, I appreciate the small crowds. The sponsors don't seem to promote the women's game. I admire the women's camaraderie, and sense of fair play, even the galleries have better manners than some of the losers attending the men's events.
Women are never discriminated against in divorce, at least in California.
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I've attended a couple of women's events now (Solheim Cup and this weeks event) and cannot agree more heartily with this post. Especially the bolded. I watched Lexi T, and SY Kim walking down the fairway chatting like they were playing a round at the local muni. It was a breath of fresh air in today's hyper competitive sports world.
 
With the family out of town for the weekend, the dog and I had a lot of time to watch golf. I had three tournaments vying for my eyeballs (not counting the senior tour and the celebrities). Ended up spending the great majority of my time with the LPGA. Nothing against the John Deere, but I hardly recognized anyone in the top 20, and the coverage had all the usual annoyances of a run-of-the-mill PGA event. I tried the European tour, and found the course very interesting and the coverage quite refreshing. But I am pretty much a novice with the Europeans. Maybe if I watch it more, I will get to know them. I did really like the feature where they showed a section of the course from the blimp (drone?) and pointed out which hole was which and which group (game) was on which hole.

But I just found myself more interested in the LPGA competition. I am getting to know more and more of the competitors and personalities, and it looked like it might be a shootout on Sunday. Didn't turn out that way, unfortunately, but it was still fun to watch them hit shots with approximately the same clubs I would (if I hit every shot perfect, like they do). Hats off to SY Kim, that was quite a show in the middle of the round when she was throwing darts at every single pin.
 
SY Kim definitely defies the no-personality stereotype of Korean LPGA stars. Great performance yesterday. She does it with enthusiasm & charisma and truly appears to be a cheerful human being. Always happy to see her do well and hope she can win that elusive major over the next few weeks.

SH Park basically does come across as an android on TV but other players like Ryu & Choi really seem like good people as well.....
 
The LPGA needs something. There's a 'major' this week and no one seems to care, me included. Watched for a little bit and never saw an American, so I quit watching.
 
LPGA needs more air time on TV. I love watching them. Technically sound and skilled players; we get to watch a variety of player types and strategies. Its a nice contrast to watching the PGA bomb a drive and flip a wedge in. I'm generalizing of course.
 
USAF Ret in Wis said:
The LPGA needs something. There's a 'major' this week and no one seems to care, me included. Watched for a little bit and never saw an American, so I quit watching.
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If you ignore the 'Evian Championship' thread i guess you're right. And if you ignore Kupcho who finished 2nd and Khang who finished top 10, then yeah they didn't show any Americans.
 
People don’t watch women’s golf. I’m not sure why so many don’t, but that’s just the way it is. Looking at ratings, there seemed to be more viewership in the late 90’s and early 2000’s than there have been for the past decade. What changed then?

And from a 2016 article to show the lack of viewership, and lack of pay in response:

In 2013, the last year in which both organizations' tax documents are available, the PGA Tour Inc. brought in $1.075 billion in total revenue with $364.8 million coming from TV rights and an additional $290 million from sponsors. That same year, the LPGA earned $102.8 million in total revenue, with $14.6 million coming from TV and $5.8 million from sponsors.
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http://www.espn.com/espnw/sports/article/15160220/big-gap-earnings-men-women-professional-golfers

I personally don’t enjoy watching it. So when it comes on I change the channel. Maybe they should focus on other media formats so that those that want to watch it can. Perhaps their viewership and revenue from media will increase?
 
I think the question is “who is the LPGAs target audience?”

I think the obvious answer is golf fans, most of whom are going to be watching the PGA tour Thursday-Sunday. Why compete with that?
 
I actually find lpga more competitive and in many cases more enjoyable to watch. It would be nice if they could play the same courses as the pga majors, either the month or a few weeks before. I don’t really understand still why the lpga can’t play Augusta (though the amateurs I think got to play one round there)? A bit silly, and I think it really detracts from the possible synergies between the tours ramping each other up...
 
Why is it that Korean, Spanish, French, Japanese, and Chinese golf pros can learn English? How many American pros can speak Korean or Japanese? Spoiled, lazy, entitled?
Same goes for American citizens.
 
Women pros will never have a tournament at Augusta. Augusta owes nothing to the LPGA tour. They have the best golf tournament in the world. They don’t need or want anything else. Also, the Amateur tournament round this year clearly upstaged a long standing, tradition rich LPGA major. T
 
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