What's Up With The State Of America's Women Golfers?

As the LPGA wraps up its season, Bill Fields tackles the sensitive topic of American women's golf. Sensitive because it's usually just chalked up to South Korean golfers working harder. But as Fields notes, the issue may be something both straightforward and difficult to address given the already robust college golf system.

Writing for ESPNW, Fields says...

Talented female golfers in other parts of the world frequently are immersed in golf at younger ages through organized channels of a national scope -- federations or associations charged with developing and supporting young talent. No existing American entity has that responsibility.

"It really is a missing link here," says Hall of Famer and 31-time LPGA winner Juli Inkster. "Places are trying to grow the game but not really grow individuals. We don't have a federation to push our young athletic girls into golf, and we've come to a point where we need a federation to really grow top-level golfers. I'm not saying our girls aren't good, because they are. But they've grown up in a different type of golf atmosphere."