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| Not Mickey Wright's (left) or Kathy Whitworth's (right) LPGA Tour? |
I got the bad news. They are cutting back highlights of LPGA golf. Matter of fact, they aren't showing any highlights of regular tournaments. The grand-slams will be only the final round highlights. The sponsors are cutting back and the tour is only playing 31 tournaments per a year compared to the PGA Tour 45 tournaments this year. Despite a 15 year old, Lydia Ko winning the Canadian Open last weekend, pessimism pervades because fan interest is just not there so they say. But I think differently. To me, a lack of respect of for the LPGA is why fan interest is declining not apathy.
The LPGA its on the back-burner of all communication means whether its newspaper, radio, television, or internet. The articles about the LPGA are written very poorly. They just put the winner and that is it. The excuse is that its boring and nobody is watching. But how can anybody watch if you are not writing articles of potential players with keen and expert analysis? On the television side, the production is very poor. Half the time, the announcers get the wrong hole or the golfer's name. The camera angles are terrible and the shots are very distant instead of being close like the PGA. Its like being at the tournament behind fans trying to see a golfer hit her shot. Finally, there is nothing leading up to the tournaments with ads, promos, or other means from television, magazines, newspaper, radio, or internet like you do with the PGA. Unless, you look up the internet schedule for the LPGA.
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| Not many have had the career or fanfare of Grace Park |
Lot of critics as well as former and current players blame on Korean and other Asians who win tournaments but do no have sustaining power like an Annika Sorenstam or a Karrie Webb. They win that one major, go away and get married. But that is true with American and European players as well. Likewise, homosexuality in women's golf tends to be looked at by sponsors as a deficiency. For fans like me, I don't really care. I enjoy good golf but its poor coverage, makes me want to stay from the television set. Its always in tape delay mode here in America. Which indicates to me, that television coverage is either not well-budgeted or they don't have a budget. That is too bad because golf is a great game regardless of who plays it but if you don't give it the same respect as the men even when Tiger is not winning, who is going to watch?
