Bivens needs to give up the reigns. In the current state of the LPGA with arguably the best talent (both athletic and appearance) it has ever experienced, having less tournaments year-to-year is unacceptable. These girls should be easy to market. Yet, every other day it seems we're receiving news that tournaments are leaving the tour. How embarrassing it must be for Bivens. How can she qualify the last couple years as a success? Or is that something she doesn't really strive for? Is she really cutting it?

Or was Annika's presence what kept tournaments around? Something is just not right about what's going on with the LPGA right now.

Boy, I really feel for the players. They've got a limited amount of time to shine and make good money and they're saddled with this numbskull of a Commish.

Although Bivens has made some terrible decisions she has also been hit with a terrible economy and a general decline in golf, TV viewing and corporate sponsorships. She is not to blame for these factors but she doesn't seem to halve any answers or plan B.

It would be a tragedy if Toledo loses the Jamie Farr Classic. I agree with Baldry that she (Bivens) needs to make it work at any cost.

Joel, I'd argue it's hubris pure and simple.
'Vision 2010' and Plan B don't jive.

Is it named after the guy from M.A.S.H?

Redanman,

Indeed, it is. Jamie (Corporal Klinger) Farr is a native of Toledo and has lent his name and support to this tournament since 1984. Had The Brand Lady been in charge of the PGA TOUR back in the day, can you imagine what her "vision" would have done to Bing, Andy, Frank, Sammy, Glen, Jackie...? Sheesh. I suppose she would have left Byron alone, but you can't be too sure. What a maroon!

Joe: Bivens deserves all the credit - her being heavy handed with the sponsors is the reason for so many leaving. Corning would still be around if Bivens had not kept pushing for bigger purse, more rights fees, more service fees, MORE MORE MORE in the middle of an economic downturn - she is an idiot . She also fired anyone who had a clue of how the Tour ran or needed to be run. She is an idiot!

Oh sorry, I already said that once.

Don't be surprised to hear about the players trying to remove her in the next few weeks....

My sons are enrolled in junior golf programs in NYC and in the Southeast, and the girls outnumber the boys 3:1. No surprise, at this young age the girls are much more focused, mature, and receptive to instruction compared to the boys. With so many talented girls and young women coming up through the ranks, the LPGA really needs to step up before they ruin a really good thing.

D - They really should have gotten rid of her two years ago - and definitely last year - but now, after losing 12 tournaments - they might consider it. The players are as much to blame as BIVENS - the players Executive Committee - could remove her at any time with a majority of them voting her out. Of course - paying her contract off might be a problem for the LPGA because I think she just signed a new one last year. Of course keeping her - and they may not have any tournaments in two years.

I think the only card left in their hand now is, "Wait till Wie wins." Check the longer AP story on the loss of Kapalua--Higdon says so, in just about as many words. Yikes.

I from the Corning area...covered 12 Classics...don't get me started on Bivens.....unless it is to shove her out the door....

Sorry about the typo...better do that before the grammar Nazis (like me) get started...so mad I can't type straight....

Well, Geoff isn't posting much today, so I'll beat this one to death.
Re The LPGA and its MO, why all the acrimony?
The link the Constructionist mentioned contained this:
'The SBS and the LPGA Tour ended a long relationship in a bitter breakup to start the season.
The Korean media giant felt disrespected when the tour agreed to a lucrative, long-term deal with SBS's much-smaller competitor, J Golf, for an exclusive TV deal in the golf-crazed Asian nation.

The Baldry article had this (hard to follow, but seemingly scrappy):
'Wegmans LPGA is one of seven domestic events with expiring contracts this year. Longtime tournament director Linda Hampton said the LPGA waited until last week to begin serious contract negotiations with Wegmans. Bad timing.
  “We’ve had all year to talk about this,” Hampton said. “We wanted to run the event and not be distracted. We just said we’re not going to do it (now). And we didn’t.”
 The LPGA rebuts the notion that a dialogue about longterm renewal didn’t start until tournament week, saying the tour has been very “active and flexible.”
  “We’ve been actively engaged with all our tournaments on renewal discussions,” said David Higdon, the LPGA’s chief communications officer. “Clearly that’s our priority for this year.”'

And then there was the earlier feud where either Corning or Shop-Rite basically called the Tour a liar for their public statements re. the negotiations or lack thereof.

Anyone know of a business model where it's advisable to get into public squabbles with your nominal partners/benefactors?

Joel,

Bivens ran off the Shoprite event in NJ and replaced it with a swindling real estate man by the name of Ginn. The Shoprite was one of the longest standing ladies events and was the leading aggregate giver to charity of any LPGA event. In the event you didn't know, Shoprite is a grocery business, they tend to hold up in almost any economic scenario. Finally, just google -- Ginn Hilton Head -- and you'll have enough information to decide doing business with Ginn is a non-starter (Bivens didn't take time to make the google).

So how do you rationalize that cluster f*ck in the context of lousy economy thesis?

There is an article on golf.com about a top players meeting over dinner in Toledo discussing the removal of Bivens.

Tighthead: all I can say is GET'er DONE! and get the process started to begin rebuilding the Tour.