"I wish the (media) photographic contract had not been expiring"

Carolyn Bivens, talking to Larry Bohannan about what surely keeps Tim Finchem up at night too:

"What I didn't know and what I certainly would not have chosen was for there to be the volume of issues," Bivens said Wednesday at Bighorn Golf Club, site of this week's Samsung World Championship. "I wish there hadn't been 11 tournament contracts that were due to be renewed. I wish the (media) photographic contract had not been expiring and had to be addressed."

Yep, I'm sure all commissioner's lie awake at night wondering, "what are we going to do about this photographic contract?"

And this is interesting:

On some tournaments leaving the tour after this season: Bivens said tournaments left for various reasons, including changing business climates, changes in marketing and, in some cases, changes that would have been required for renewal by the tour. "That's part of the cycle. There were 11 of them up for renewal. One of the tournaments (in Las Vegas) we chose very quietly not to renew. It hadn't been a very popular tournament."

Uh, now as an outsider, I didn't know that the LPGA was in such demand that you could just "quietly" not renew an event because it wasn't "very popular."

Reforming the Advisory Council

It's kind of fun to see who Carolyn Bivens has surrounded herself with after reforming the "Commissioner's Advisory Council."

The new council is comprised of 22 individuals from the corporate, academic, political, philanthropic and cultural arenas and is co-chaired by Bivens and Charles S. Mechem, Jr., the commissioner emeritus of the LPGA.

The council convened for the first time in early September and will continue to meet periodically each year. Its role is to provide expertise and guidance in all aspects of the LPGA's business, while also serving as a sounding board as the LPGA continues to grow and evolve. Members will offer expert counsel and insight in their respective areas and will assist Commissioner Bivens and her staff in optimizing opportunities for the LPGA's future growth and long-term success.

Among the members of the council are Edwin L. Artzt, retired chairman and CEO of the Procter & Gamble Company; Alice Dye, golf course architect; Frank J. Fahrenkopf Jr., president and CEO of the American Gaming Association; Nancy Lopez, LPGA Tour and World Golf Halls of Fame member; Steve Mona, CEO of the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America; Susan Neely, president and CEO of the American Beverage Association; and Sheila Tate, vice chairman of Powell Tate/Weber Shandwick.

Powell-Tate surfaces again! These lobbyists pop up everywhere: as USGA media consultants, PGA Tour lobbyists...wow, they must be good.

Well, unless they're the ones who suggested that Walter Driver do that ESPN.com live chat.

Another Brand Moment

Jeff Shelley reports the latest Carolyn Bivens magical mystery move:

Her most recent questionable action came when she recently denied a request by 17-year-old Kiran Matharu to attend the LPGA’s Q School, which starts on the 19th.   

In her letter of denial, sent to Matharu via email on September 9th, Bivens wrote: “I do not believe your record in professional golf competitions demonstrates you can compete at the highest level of women’s professional golf at this time . . . I recommend you apply to qualify for the Duramed Futures Tour, ‘The Official Developmental Tour of the LPGA.’ “    

What the heck is Duramed anyway? Ah wait, that's branding because I asked what Duramed is! God she's good.

Well, this doesn't make her sound so good: 

Of all the Q School applicants this year, Matharu might actually be among the most qualified. She’s the reigning Ladies English Amateur champion, was a member of Great Britain and Ireland’s Curtis Cup team that competed last month at Bandon Dunes, and placed 15th in her first professional event. In addition, the young Englishwoman is a two-time Faldo Series Girls champion.    

Yorkshire-born Matharu started golf at the age of 11 and has been an outstanding player ever since. She’s the only British Asian female golfer, has an engaging personality and was named twice as Leeds Sports Performer of the Year – in 2003 and 2004. Earlier this year she was named “Female Junior Sports Personality of the Year” at the Sony Entertainment Television Sports Personality of the Year awards for British Asians.    

Of Matharu’s future, Nick Faldo said, “I’ve worked with Kiran for nearly three years now and in that time she has certainly proved that she has the potential to succeed on the big stage. Kiran combines a great game with a steady nerve and I’m confident that, with a little more experience, she will be in a position to challenge for the very highest honors that the ladies game has to offer.”    

After the Curtis Cup, Matharu turned professional with a plus-4 handicap, the lowest of any female golfer in the UK. She made the cut and finished 15th in The Wales Ladies Championship, her first professional tournament.    

And Now A Word From Our Sponsor...

Thanks to LPGA Fan for noticing the not-so-subtle message posted on the now defunct Takefuji Classic's website:

To all our Volunteers, Media, Sponsors and Spectators:

Thank you all for the support, time and effort you gave to help make the LPGA Takefuji Classic such a success during the last four years.

We regret to inform you that the new Commissioner of the LPGA does not feel Las Vegas is a good market for the tour and we will not be continuing the tournament.

We enjoyed working with you and wish you all the best.

Leaving The Atlanta Market...

From Stan Awtrey's AJC story on the demise of the LPGA event in Atlanta:

LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens was traveling and could not be reached. In a prepared statement she said, "While we regret the cancellation of the event, one of the stops on the LPGA Tour hosted by the revered Hall of Fame athlete, Nancy Lopez, on behalf of the entire LPGA organization, let me thank the tournament staff, volunteers and the Atlanta community for their hard work and support throughout the years. The LPGA will look forward to returning to the Atlanta market in the future."

I know this is getting pretty picky, but why can't she just say we're looking forward to returning to Atlanta soon? Why does it have to be the "Atlanta market?" That impresses no one and only reminds the people of Atlanta that they're viewed as a market instead of golf fans.

Bivens: "If I’m overshooting, then the marketplace won’t replace tournaments...there will be a new commissioner"

Thanks to LPGA Fan for the latest warm-fuzzies from Carolyn Bivens, who surely must be finding herself courted by several Fortune 500 companies by now.

Rob Oller writes in The Columbus Dispatch:

Bivens, in just more than one year, has encouraged players and frustrated the Tournament Owners Association with her fresh ideas on what the LPGA business model should be. Her view is that the tour needs to start acting like it belongs with the "big boys" of sports — football, baseball basketball, PGA Tour — and part of the plan includes providing health benefits to the players and increasing their retirement fund.

It also means asking tournaments, such as the Wendy’s Championship for Children, to dig deeper into their pockets to invest in the tour’s growth and also help defray costs that the tour has paid for years. For example, the tour is planning to require tournaments to pay for the electronic scoreboards that dot courses. Currently, the Tour splits those costs (about $30,000 each) with the sites.

"The status quo gets the LPGA less than an acceptable marketing budget," Bivens said yesterday at Tartan Fields Golf Club.

Just think of a world without "These Girls Rock" posters. See why charity must suffer?

Tournament directors who wonder how they will raise the additional money need to look around, Bivens said.

"It’s no different than any other corporation or private citizen," she said. "You figure out your salary is X, your expenses are Y. If you’ve got a mortgage that the interest rate is going up next year, you’ve got to figure out … do you take an extra job? It’s life."

Or maybe death, if you happen to be a tournament organizer.

"I think (Bivens) wants to raise the standard of operating practices, which is great. We should all challenge ourselves to be better," Wendy’s tournament director Kip Eriksen said. "I look at that (issue) a little different from the ($100,000) funding request."

Eriksen, who is a member of the Tournament Owners Association, said the owners want a clearer picture of what Bivens’ proposals will look like and how they will affect their tournaments.

"What is the return for us on the incremental investment," he said. "The tour will get better. What does that mean? How does that translate to the Wendy’s Championship? "

Eriksen also thinks he knows how sponsors will react when tournaments approach them for more money.

"They’re going to say, ‘What do we get in return?’ " he said.

And if Bivens is wrong and is aiming too high?

"If I’m overshooting, then the marketplace won’t replace tournaments. There won’t be more sponsors and there will be a new commissioner," she said.

You? Overshoot? That's hard to fathom.

Meanwhile, Gordon White in The Pilot lumps Bivens in with Maurice Clarett, Duke lacrosse and everything else he sees that is wrong with sports. Now that's positive branding.

First Call For Bivens Departure

Travelgolf's Tim McDonald says Carolyn Bivens is the worst thing that has ever happened to the LPGA Tour.

Bivens: Some departed before she even took over!

The Golf Channel's tough questioning of Carolyn Bivens did not quite live up to say, the Ely-Fay debate on the ERC driver (back in the last century when David Fay was concerned about the distance issue!), but did yield this curious question and answer from the LPGA Tour Commissioner: 

BRANDEL CHAMBLEE: Your brief tenure has been plagued by some resignations and at least one dispatch of Barb Trammell. I'm just wondering if you can elaborate a bit about what happened in some of those cases.

CAROLYN BIVENS: Well, first of all, as we all know who work in business, you can't talk about private personnel and human relations issues. So, not going to get into any individual situations. But I will say that any time an administration changes, any time there is change from the top, there will be some who will leave for a variety of reasons. And in some cases it may not be that they have something against the person who is coming in. It may simply be that they've been through a number of changes as different commissioners have come to the organization and they don't want to go through it again. In some cases it may be a disagreement with the direction its headed, and in some cases it's better opportunities. Some of the--I would consider unfair criticism--several of those people left before I even had a chance to make any impact or actually took over the organization.

Uh huh.  

MEDIA ADVISORY: "Bivens Fully Aware That She Will Be Asked Tough Questions"

From The Golf Channel:

LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens to Answer her Critics on Friday’s Sprint Post Game on The Golf Channel

WHO: Carolyn Bivens                      Commissioner, LPGA Tour

Steve Sands                          Sprint Post Game Host

Brian Hewitt                           Sprint Post Game Analyst

WHAT: Carolyn Bivens will appear on Friday’s Sprint Post Game news program on The Golf Channel, following the conclusion of the third round of the Evian Masters.  Fully aware that she will be asked tough questions, Sprint Post Game will provide a forum for Bivens to answer her critics, explain her positions and to defend her record.

Yes, fully aware that they'll be doing something unusual, like actually asking tough questions!

WHEN: Sprint Post Game

Friday, July 28, 9:30 – 10:30 p.m. ET

WHERE:The Golf Channel

This ought to be fun. I mean, to see if The Golf Channel asks tough questions...

"Another week, another Carolyn Bivens controversy"

Jay Coffin writing in Golfweek:

This time, the LPGA commissioner bailed on a July 20 Tournament Owners Association meeting at the last moment, saying she was uncomfortable with the situation. Bivens made her decision moments before she was to board an airplane heading for Denver, and she told several other LPGA staff members they were not permitted to attend. One senior staffer was at the Denver airport when Bivens made the decision, and the staff member immediately returned to the tour's Daytona Beach, Fla., headquarters.

And this is nice...

"The performance of the TOA board over the last couple of weeks is beginning to cause some serious dissection," Bivens told Golfweek July 20.

Dissection?

"The only way the LPGA and TOA as a group can have a relationship is if it is based on trust. I don't feel as if there has been full disclosure."

Bivens had a 2,800-word speech prepared for the TOA meeting – a copy of which was obtained by Golfweek – where she planned to set the record straight by going point-by-point through "misconceptions or differences that have been reported." The subjects included Bivens' strategic plan, the 2007 schedule, new sanction fees, tour finances and the characterization of Bivens' relationship with the TOA.

Under the latter heading, Bivens wrote, "I have repeatedly left meetings and conversations with many of you feeling energized about our future together, and comfortable that I have shared the LPGA's goals and direction in detail. Yet I turn around and read articles that depict a much different picture. This sort of public outcry does not have the LPGA or its players as the primary focus. One can only conclude there are individual agendas at work.

And she even gets all Freudian on them.

"The passive-aggressive dealings of the TOA leadership are not healthy and are not in the best interests of the LPGA and anyone associated with our organization."

You go Carolyn! 

LPGA Leaving Las Vegas

Thanks to reader Noonan for this Kevin Iole story:

In a letter to volunteers, tournament manager Ava Kawana wrote that LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn V. Bivens doesn't think Las Vegas is a good market for the tour.

The Takefuji Classic took place at Las Vegas Country Club for four years beginning in 2003.

"I regret to inform you the new commissioner of the LPGA does not feel Las Vegas is a good market for the tour and we will not be continuing the tournament," Kawana wrote in her letter. "I hope that in the future, the LPGA will have a different view and we will be able to work together again."

Their Own Self-Interest

Ron Sirak has the latest on the LPGA-ShopRite spat in this week's Golf World, with this quote from the Commissioner.

Harrison says Bivens gave his date away while they were still negotiating with the LPGA Tour. Bivens denies that, and the level of acrimony is evident. "I have trouble with her credibility and I have trouble with her integrity," Harrison said.

"We would love to be able to work it out," noted Bivens, "but it hurts the overall product when people care only about their own self-interest."

Isn't "own self-interest" redundant?

Of course Bivens is only interested in dumping the ShopRite for a more lucrative event to increase her Tour's charitable donations. 

Hawkins On The Commissioners

John Hawkins in the latest Golf World:

In 2006 we've learned Carolyn Bivens and Tim Finchem share at least one common trait: a zeal for prioritizing revenue generation over the game's competitive welfare, then trying to disguise their corporate mentality by peddling it as progress.

And...

The FedEx Cup format has been panned both inside and outside the ropes, becoming the first playoff series to include more participants than are eligible for the regular season.

Coming off the controversial decision to forsake ABC/ESPN and sign for 15 years with an endemic network such as The Golf Channel, Finchem appears to have bartered his legacy to strengthen the tour's fiscal standing. He calls title-sponsor suits to the podium at news conferences, a practice that further reveals his transparent motives. He uses his own time at the microphone to embark on tangents about the tour's economic prowess, then fends off pertinent questions with his patented semantic splendor.

Another Feather In Bivens' Cap

I tell you, I am going to miss her. You can't make this stuff up!

Robert Thompson writes about Carolyn Bivens in Canada and here beyond belief comment to Lorne Rubenstein.

“Lorne, you are much better looking than you sounded on the phone yesterday,” Bivens said. Is it just me, or is this an unusual comment to make to a major newspaper writer in the midst of an interview?

If Tim Finchem said that to Christine Brennan, he'd be packing up his office.

Coffin On ShopRite

Golfweek's Jay Coffin on the ShopRite situation, which is making Tim Finchem's handling of Washington D.C. look graceful.

"The ShopRite folks have not signed a contract with the LPGA since 2001," Bivens said. "We wanted them to have the same date, and while we were negotiating with several other tournaments their date was not in play. Then, after their tournament was over, we had no indication they were going to re-sign. That's when the ShopRite date was pulled into play. We are hoping we can work something out."

ShopRite's last LPGA contract did expire in 2001, but that's the LPGA's fault, Harrison said. He contends that the event has been more than willing to sign on the dotted line for the past five years but the tour has constantly dragged its feet in expediting the process. Besides, in 21 years the ShopRite has given more than $12 million in charitable donations, with more than $1.8 going to charity last year, the highest of any LPGA event. Harrison believes those statistics entitle him to better communication from LPGA brass.

"For somebody who says they care about the LPGA, (threatening a lawsuit) is not consistent," Bivens said. "We've retained a terrific law firm, (which) has reviewed this. We wouldn't be putting the LPGA at risk if we weren't sure we have the right to do this."

Whether, or how, the situation is resolved will not diminish Harrison's distaste for Bivens.

"She has no integrity," he said. "None. And if the (LPGA) board (of directors) doesn't do something soon, the whole tour will have no integrity."