"In other words, outsourcing is great thing. In fact, it’s worked so well in our downtrodden economy over the past 10 years that the hunch here is it will have a similar effect for the LPGA."
Love the passion in Bill Huffman's take on the LPGA leaving Phoenix. Seems Bill reads the USA Today and was not too taken with Commissioner Mike Whan dropping the "G" word in a story authored by Steve DiMeglio. No, not Tim Finchem's growth mantra, but the other "G" word due to become Finchem's new favorite after his Asian trip.
Huffman, after laying out the situation in Phoenix, writes:
Whan, who has about as much experience running a professional golf tour as Bivens – or zilch -- said it’s not all bad despite how it looks. Of course, he made no reference to the fact there will be no LPGA tournament in Arizona for the first time since 1980, nor did he point out that Florida, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii and Washington, D.C. also were erased in the blink of an eye. Instead the rookie commish emphasized what he deemed as positive news for what is basically a negative situation in women’s golf.
“There is definitely room for more domestic events,’’ Whan declared in stating the obvious to USA Today. “It is fair for people to be concerned about that.
“But I would say that I think people in general are struggling with the globalization of the LPGA tour. One of the big things I’m going to try and do is help people to not only get over that trouble but to embrace the globalization of the tour.’’
In other words, outsourcing is great thing. In fact, it’s worked so well in our downtrodden economy over the past 10 years that the hunch here is it will have a similar effect for the LPGA.
It gets better...go read it.
Thursday, November 19, 2009 at 07:05 PM
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Reader Comments (19)
1] Why rag so hard on Whan? He hasn't even officially started the job.
2] The LPGA is a business. It has to get spectators to get $$ and to attract sponsors, so it can get more $$$. It has to go where people watch and where sponsors will pay to reach those people. That may change as the economy goes, or as interest in the LPGA goes. They're bypassing places because it doesn't make business sense right now.
3] Might 2010 be a transitional year for the LPGA? A chance to build back burned bridges, get sponsors in a rising (hopefully) economy? Why whack them for schedule structure in a terrible economy?
4] People need to get over the globalization thing. If you want to see great golf, does it matter where a player is from? Do you really CARE if the winner is American, Swedish, or Korean? I don't. Would people not watch if Tiger was Korean? Most of the events -- no matter where they're at -- will be on tape delay on Golf Channel anyway.
Maybe we just need to start accepting that women's golf is a niche American sport and may be much more mainstream in other places. Like cycling, swimming and track and field. Lots of talented Americans who toil away in obscurity here go to Europe to compete in those sports and are well-paid heros [heroines].
Funny that just last week lots of golf writers were calling for a MORE international men's tour after the success at Kingston Heath.
What a whiner.
(thanks, sgarrett: http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2009/11/18/lpga-schedule-released.html#comments)
So I understand he has to try to put a happy face on things, but this 'globalization' isn't evolutionary or expansionary, it's an unmitigated, largely self inflicted disaster.
Excerpts like this from the Huffman piece:
“We would love to go back to Phoenix.’’
“Love to’’ but not quite yet, Evans added. In fact, with no real group in charge of pushing to bring the women’s tour back to the Valley any time soon, there was not even anyone to call locally for a reaction. I did try the Portland-based Tournament Golf Foundation, which had managed the event for the past six years, but its spokesperson failed to call back."
make me nervous for the tour.
The first few months of Whan's tenure will be really instructive. Enough with the high falutin' revitalize the brand malarkey. Get on the phone and start trying to make some headway repairing all the damage done to a sport with a long US heritage.
Hey, they've got huge gaps in the schedule. Maybe some players could go barnstorming across America a la A League of Their Own. :)
Well, that was good enough for Louise, Patty, Peggy, Babe, Betty, Marilynn, Betsy and a few others. Without benefit of a boatload of money from Nike, IMG, Callaway, Ping...so why not?
This quote makes it sound like the LPGA voluntarily dumped Phoenix in favor of Asia --- "Now, with Whan at its shaky helm, the only way out seems to be a desperate move to take the women’s game global. But, alas, that formula also is a clear-cut path to disaster, especially when tournaments like Phoenix are sacrificed and the schedule is slashed from 34 events to 23 in the span of just two years."
The truth is hidden in ihs 13th paragraph:
"Most people had expected Arizona to be left off the master plan chiefly because corporate sponsorship for golf in the Valley has been nil since the economy went belly up. Or did you forget that the Champions and Nationwide tours met a similar demise here, and that the FBR Open is desperately searching for a title sponsor? "
There it is, "...corporate sponsorship of golf has been nil..."
The lede on this should have been, "Economic woes in the Valley doom professional golf."
Whan, and even Bivens have almost nothing to do with it.
K
I like your idea!!! I actually sent a letter into the LPGA detailing an idea kind of like yours. Think the Shell Wonderful World of Golf in a year long tournament match play format occuring during the "off weeks" of the season.
Invitational Tournament, best and most marketable players, high profile courses, payouts at the end of the tournament.
Tournaments sponsor(s) get multiple weekends of coverage for one prize purse. Win-win? I think so.
Anyway, we will see what happens. I wish the LPGA the best of luck...I think they can do it, if they focus on the right things.
I know you can't resist making jokes about corporate-speak, but there's more to globalization than that. I'm willing to bet Huffman the LPGA turns things around in 3 years, not the 5 his Chicken Little scenario calls for. You in?
http://mlyhlss.blogspot.com/2009/11/paging-bill-huffmanand-geoff.html
But what is he mad at, really? My guess is he's pissed that the LPGA wouldn't extend corporate welfare to Phoenix for a 2nd-straight season. That's why my LPGA Tour Championship idea is so good: the LPGA's looking for a site and a sponsor, so if Phoenix can do what Rochester and Wegmans did with the LPGA Championship, they can actually get an upgrade--plus, shooting for the end of the season rather than the 1st domestic event of 2010 is still a realistic possibility for next year.
Memo to Huffman: don't mourn, organize.
http://mlyhlss.blogspot.com/2009/11/hitchhikers-guide-to-2010-lpga-schedule.html
LPGA Players - the vast majority and alot of the TOP PLAYERS - do not like going overseas and in fact skip some of the foreign tournaments. Media coverage in the USA will be nil - it already is for Asian foreing events. This will not end well for the LPGA.