What Does the LPGA Need?

I think we need a dominant, charismatic, relatively attractive American. Someone who does interviews all over mass media, and brings in casual fans.
 
I know this is not a PC opinion (and at least I'm not the only one saying it), but I think the LPGA would benefit from sex appeal. I don't think that is something that you can "fix", but I think it would move the needle if it happened. Besides that, I think they have just about everything else they need. Double good if they had a dominate American or two that were also toothsome.
True. But man it has taken quite a leap in the right direction the past few years already. It would be interesting to quantify how much of a factor sex appeal has been since the Laura Davies days, to present days.

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I know this is not a PC opinion (and at least I'm not the only one saying it), but I think the LPGA would benefit from sex appeal. I don't think that is something that you can "fix", but I think it would move the needle if it happened. Besides that, I think they have just about everything else they need. Double good if they had a dominate American or two that were also toothsome.

Let me pose this question as I posed it to my friend.
Let's say there was a female golfer that hit it a LONG way. I mean Bubba Watson/DJ kind of action off the tee. Maybe they win a couple of times, but not dominant.
Do you think that changes things and makes more tune in? I kind of think it does. People like the long ball.

I think there is a lot of truth to the International Golf being an easy target, but when Creamer and others were doing well, people were not jumping in in a huge way. I think some could make the case that the golf is a bit boring. Shorter courses than they normally play (sad but true), slow as can be on the greens and near robotic. Fairway, green, two putt par.
 
Lets ask this question.......why are the Foreign / Asian girls so good at this sport?
 
I think a more American filled leaderboard would help here, but I think they need more exposure, too. They're on Golf Channel, often opposite or after the PGA coverage on broadcast, and it gets bumped if the PGA event goes long. The ANWA Championship should be a good start to showing what the ladies can bring to the table on a weekend to try to drive advertising dollars. Without the income, its not going to get the airtime over something that does generate.

It certainly doesn't help US viewership with how large a portion of their events are outside the US and only televised in the evening or very early morning.
 
It's a tough question. I do agree I think a more dominant American presence could help but how about a little personality to go with it? Very few of these girls show any emotion from what I've seen and its quite boring to watch. When Tiger was rolling 20 years ago he was exciting to watch. Could you imagine a PGA tournament full of Molinari's?? That's basically what the LPGA is in my opinion.
 
I dunno why but the only women's sport I care to watch is beach volleyball. There is just something about it that I like.
 
I don’t think women’s golf will ever reach the notoriety or popularity of the men’s game. I know Women’s pro golf has been around for a long time, but I don’t have that sense of history behind them like I do with the men. Outside of the Dinah Shore (ANA now) & the US Open, I can’t think of another major they play for. I know the women have their majors, but they haven’t done a great job promoting them and their history.

They play a more global schedule than the men (PGA) so it comes on at odd times to begin the season. I think this kills any wary season interest that it could generate.

I also this we need more American dominance for people stateside to care. I’ll glance at the leaderboard on Friday and Saturday to see who’s leading or in contention. If it’s not a recognizable American name, I won’t bother on Sunday.

I love the Asian presence on tour bc I think it is pushing everyone to step their games up, but until one or several American women step up, the interest won’t be what it should.
 
a dominant, attractive american woman who has some star presence.
 
More airtime. More marketing. More Americans.

I really think showing more college golf would help a ton.

Look at Women's soccer and see if you can emulate their success. USWNT is much more popular than the USMNT.
 
a dominant, attractive american woman who has some star presence.

She has the last name, and if Cheyenne Woods was dominant, it would give the LPGA the audience its looking for.
 
I was asked this earlier and I gave it a lot of thought. I was asked what they need to take another step in the ratings and capture more fans. I hesitate because I am not sure it's possible, but let's assume it is and that it will not be a fringe sport. What does it need to do or need in general to do that?

We have seen dominance, although it appears to change to new dominance every few years.
We have seen great golf courses being played.
It is on the Golf Channel.
Their social media and digital marketing is pretty strong.

Do they need more American presence?
Do they need a dominant American?
Do they need more sex appeal?

What do you think they need or can do?

I agree, I don't actually think that it is possible here in the states. I mean, the WNBA was "really big" when they first started and now they seem to be a blimp on the sporting scene (in terms of coverage on tv, other than playoffs I can't recall seeing WNBA covered other than highlights on ESPN). I think for it to become truly interesting here in the states would require Tigeresque dominance, but even then it would pail in comparison to how Tiger made the PGA and golf cool.

You say that their marketing is pretty strong, but other than a quick ad for the tournament that weekend from the Golf Channel I can't recall seeing much advertising for the LPGA.

I think it would be interesting to see just how big the LPGA is in Asia. How much more attention does it get over in Asia? How does their coverage of it compare to ours here?

Personally, women's sports shouldn't need sex appeal in order to show that they can play a sport at a much higher caliber level than the average schmo.



There is a member at my club who played in the LPGA back in the 80's/90's and I will ask her this, as I am intrigued to hear what she would have to say having been apart of the tour we are asking about.
 
1 less major. A few more actual challenging settings. Multiple Lexis battling it out each week. I think I have watched 1 minute of the LPGA this season and watched The Am thing at Augusta over the ladies major. I would need a ton of free time to bother watching the LPGA golf that is on my DVR. Mostly it gets deleted every few weeks before watching. Honestly curling after the men won gold is more exciting to me.
 
Someone else already mentioned it but scheduling. If the tournaments are on at the same time as the PGA, I'm going to watch the guys play 95% of the time over the LPGA. I believe Sox Fan said it in another thread, but I do enjoy watching the women play as they play a game much more similar to mine, but something about seeing DJ and Rory smack a ball 320+ yards makes it that much more entertaining.

Now what I could get behind--- Let's have a mixed PGA/LPGA tournament where big prize money is up for grabs. Have the women play from their normal distances, have the men play from their normal distances and let's see how things fall out from there.
 
It’s sad to say but “sex sells”

I think if they add a little bit more sass with a ton more mfg and individual player marketing, They can probably attract a larger audience. Even if you tune into CBS or even the golf channel to watch a round of golf all you see is a bunch a male players being advertised. Obvious reasons you’re watching the PGA tour not LPGA. But if you start marketing the LPGA tour more aggressively with the above mentioned tactic it could possibly gain more audience


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I don’t think the LPGA needs anything it doesn’t already have. I’m sorry to beat a dead horse but I think the golf community needs to be more accommodating to women golfers, more tee boxes at shorter distances, course layout with more layup areas, less forced carries designed for men. The LPGA is fine but the global golf community needs more women, golf courses need more women and this forum could use more women.
 
Lets ask this question.......why are the Foreign / Asian girls so good at this sport?

Considering I am Korean. I’ve seen how Korean parents invest their whole life grooming their kids to certain talents. Such as music, sports etc. Their talents are analyzed from kindergarten or some before that. In Korea kids attend certain type of after school programs where children get proper instruction to enhance and develop their talents. They go through rigorous training and very few makes it.
This is not my opinion but it makes sense. My brother in law who lives in Korea and he is one of the cello instructor in Seoul University. I asked similar question on why Korean females are having such success in golf. He just said they just work harder. Same goes to music. They just work harder.
If they are not sleeping, they practice. Than why men programs are not matching their female counterparts? He said physically they still are not gifted as Americans. There are some but not enough numbers to actually have talents. He said it’s number game. For Korean female golfer, they are physically compatible and they just work harder. Makes sense to me.


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I don’t think the LPGA needs anything it doesn’t already have. I’m sorry to beat a dead horse but I think the golf community needs to be more accommodating to women golfers, more tee boxes at shorter distances, course layout with more layup areas, less forced carries designed for men. The LPGA is fine but golf needs more women.

Right. I get all of this completely.
This was about taking the LPGA to another level though.
 
More airtime. More marketing. More Americans.

I really think showing more college golf would help a ton.

Look at Women's soccer and see if you can emulate their success. USWNT is much more popular than the USMNT.

More college golf is the worst idea ever unless you need to fall asleep. They make the pros look like speed golfers
 
Considering I am Korean. I’ve seen how Korean parents invest their whole life grooming their kids to certain talents. Such as music, sports etc. Their talents are analyzed from kindergarten or some before that. In Korea kids attend certain type of after school programs where children get proper instruction to enhance and develop their talents. They go through rigorous training and very few makes it.
This is not my opinion but it makes sense. My brother in law who lives in Korea and he is one of the cello instructor in Seoul University. I asked similar question on why Korean females are having such success in golf. He just said they just work harder. Same goes to music. They just work harder.
If they are not sleeping, they practice. Than why men programs are not matching their female counterparts? He said physically they still are not gifted as Americans. There are some but not enough numbers to actually have talents. He said it’s number game. For Korean female golfer, they are physically compatible and they just work harder. Makes sense to me.


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Interesting....thanks for that
 
Considering I am Korean. I’ve seen how Korean parents invest their whole life grooming their kids to certain talents. Such as music, sports etc. Their talents are analyzed from kindergarten or some before that. In Korea kids attend certain type of after school programs where children get proper instruction to enhance and develop their talents. They go through rigorous training and very few makes it.
This is not my opinion but it makes sense. My brother in law who lives in Korea and he is one of the cello instructor in Seoul University. I asked similar question on why Korean females are having such success in golf. He just said they just work harder. Same goes to music. They just work harder.
If they are not sleeping, they practice. Than why men programs are not matching their female counterparts? He said physically they still are not gifted as Americans. There are some but not enough numbers to actually have talents. He said it’s number game. For Korean female golfer, they are physically compatible and they just work harder. Makes sense to me.


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I can see all of this.
 
Get them off just the Golf Channel and get them on regular channels more.
 
Get them off just the Golf Channel and get them on regular channels more.


You need sponsors willing to pay for advertising on network TV.
 
Perhaps if they became the anit-PGA, by which I mean they start punishing slow play.
Let them wear what they want as long as it's appropriate.
A dominant American would be nice, but I think just a consistently dominant player would work - like Tiger in his prime. Someone that all the other girls aspired to be and to beat. Like you said there is dominance but it doesn't seem to be sustained for longer periods of time.
 
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