What Would The PGA Tour Gain...

...by taking over the LPGA Tour, as was mentioned in Sirak's story on the leadership changes?

I can think of a few positives and negatives, but I'd love to hear what you all think of this idea.

Comments

[mark]

I can't imagine the PGA Tour would want to take on this challenge. Finchem has got to be working his ass off already trying to keep the PGA Tour from losing events, sponsors, etc.

You can make the argument that the sponsors for PGA Tour events are not the same pool of candidates as the LPGA Tour because of size and cost but if the PGA Tour was trying to find sponsoirs for LPGA tour events, would that have negative effect on keeping/getting sponsors for the Nationwide Tour?

[The Constructivist]

How about a great Silly Season event--co-ed alternate-shot match-play?

Just imagine...

Tiger Woods-Lorena Ochoa vs. Phil Mickelson-Ya Ni Tseng

Ian Poulter-Morgan Pressel vs. Stewart Cink-Christina Kim (all twitter-showdown)

Adam Scott-Natalie Gulbis vs. Camilo Villegas-Michelle Wie

David Duval-Cristie Kerr vs. Sergio Garcia-Suzann Pettersen

Geoff Ogilvy-Karrie Webb vs. Steve Stricker-Juli Inkster

Kenny Perry-Angela Stanford vs. Davis Love III-Brittany Lincicome

Hunter Mahan-Paula Creamer vs. David Toms-Kristy McPherson

Jim Furyk-Se Ri Pak vs. Zach Johnson-Ji-Yai Shin

Anthony Kim-In-Kyung Kim vs. K.J. Choi-Na Yeon Choi

Ryuji Imada-Ai Miyazato vs. Shingo Katayama-Momoko Ueda

Retief Goosen-Ashleigh Simon vs. Jason Day-Katherine Hull

Kevin Na-Jee Young Lee vs. Charlie Wi-Seon Hwa Lee

Mike Weir-Alena Sharp vs. Rory Sabbatini-Helen Alfredsson

and so on...

[Chuck]

I don't know, but I'd think that the PGA would have far more to gain than lose in any merger with the LPGA.

I should think that the LPGA would be fearful of permanent-minor-league-status if it were to come under the PGA Tour umbrella. Nationwide Tour status.

There is a model, of course, and that is the NBA/WNBA, which does not seem to have served womens' professional basketball particularly well. (Personally, I think that women's golf is a far better product than women's basketball will ever be, but that's just me.)

[RM]

Wow, that sounds like a good idea to me, and there's plenty of TPC courses around the country that need a reason to exist.

[Roberto]

It would make more sense for the PGA, not the PGA Tour to take it on.
This would help promote lady professionals in the club setting. Many are outstanding teachers with no less qualification than a Harmon, a Haney or a Leadbetter.

[Taylor Anderson]

RM and Roberto both make good points. To help the PGA Tour, the LPGA could be confined to TPC courses in order to help sell real estate. If they can sell enough real estate to subsidize the purse, then finding a sponsor on the cheap should be pretty easy. Too bad the real estate market has tanked, although this may be enough of a carrot to get the few buyers that are out there to buy in TPC developments.

Roberto's idea also makes sense too, in a similar vein. Although I don't think there would be enough money to justify it.

[LPGAFAN]

The PGA gains nothing and the LPGA gains nothing in my opinion.

Finchem has his hands full trying to keep a struggling Senior Tour with enough tournaments and promote the Nationwide Tour. Adding the LPGA adds nothing. Doesn't help TV ratings, doesn't help get more sponsors for the PGA Tour,

The LPGA would become #3 or #4 in the lineup and that will not work with the LPGA players, nor should it in my opinion.

There use to be a co-ed tournament - called the JC Penney Classic where a PGA Tour player and LPGA player made a team. A fun event held in the Tampa area but the PGA TOUR killed the event because they wanted another full field tournament on the PGA TOUR and all of the prize money instead of splitting with the LPGA.

[DBCooper]

I've always had a bit of a thing for Juli Inkster.

She needs to know I'm her good luck charm.

The only two times I've actually watched women play golf was when Juli won the Open in Mississippi and Kansas.

Otherwise, I don't give a flip about the LPGA.

[DK]

Why not merge the LPGA and the Champions Tour and let them compete using handicaps?

[Wisconsin Reader]

It would seem that a "working arrangement" between the PGA and LPGA Tours - plus the Golf Channel - could be in the best interest of all those parties plus golf fans. . . However, if I were the LPGA Tour Commish I would NOT want to give control to the PGA Tour. . . Finchem has his hands full with the 3 Tours he is already running. It is unlikely he would give the much needed effort to the LPGA. . .

[lpga fan too]

The PGA would have nothing to gain as far as I can tell...other than a headache. And if the LPGA Tour is keen on having a woman in charge, which they seem to be, Finchem would seem to be the anti-Christ, wouldn't he??

[Ky Laffoon's Ghost]

Ever since the advent of the "Grumpy Old Man Tour" the LPGA Tour has been a tough sell. Bivens helped matters not with her "tough-minded businessman" approach, but until a compelling player in the mold of Nancy Lopez comes along they will continue to struggle.

[Terry]

The LPGA was Wie close to being a big success.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

At this point I wish the Champions Tour would go away. As bad as it is with all of the Asian players (I don't care that they're Asian - I care that I don't know any of their stories, that many can't share their stories because they require translation, etc.), it sure beats "old guys who don't even have unique swings like in the 1990s playing for more money than they made on the regular PGA Tour."

[The Constructivist]

Yo, Erik, you can read English, right? Check out the Seoul Sisters blog and Seoul Sisters.com site, Brian Heard's writing at Women Sport Report, Hound Dog's LPGA Blog, and even my own stuff at Mostly Harmless. There's plenty out there if you know how to google, too. In English.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

Constructivist, the point remains that I have to go out of my way to check out the Seoul Sisters site or the others you've listed.

The people who write about the LPGA or cover the LPGA in mainstream media (i.e. golf.com, the magazines, or televised LPGA events, Golf Channel, etc.) don't ever have any stories to share about any of the Koreans.

I - and I dare say a heck of a lot of other golf fans - simply aren't going to expend the energy to go try to find a reason to relate and/or root for the Asian players.

[Hollis Stacy]

Sorry...a merger would be illegal....Sherman Antitrust..Ron, you should know better.