"I believe the commissioner mis-spoke"

Shocking as it may seem, apparently the Brand Lady was not entirely accurate in her Wednesday remarks about control of the ADT Championship's television production. Craig Dolch reports:

Who's calling TV shots?: When LPGA Tour Commissioner Carolyn Bivens said Wednesday that for the first time her tour would be producing all nine hours of television for this week's ADT Championship, that was news to NBC Sports executives. Especially executive producers Tommy Roy and Tom Randolph.

"We are doing the production of everything," Bivens said. "That means we are covering the nine hours of this tournament. We've worked in combination with the Golf Channel and with NBC, but for the first time the LPGA will be guiding what is seen on television."

Jon Miller, executive vice president of NBC sports, said Thursday that's not the case.

"I believe the commisisoner mis-spoke," Miller said. "They are producing some of the below-the-lines aspects of the telecast on site and the LPGA did oversee the productions of some vignettes on some players.

"But clearly the television you see this week, the guys calling the shots and having the final say will be Tom Randolph (Thursday-through-Saturday on Golf Channel) and Tommy Roy (Sunday on NBC). No golf ever goes on air of our 29 golf telecasts without our executive producers doing the producing."

"Our people are our product."

The Brand Lady got off to a great start in her lecture to the assembled scribblers who dared to show up for her pre-ADT Championship press conference. Paragraphs of dialogue without anything to make fun of? 

But she's still the Brand Lady...

They say that every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. So with that in mind, as we come to the end of our 2007 season, we deliberately chose the ADT Championship as the first tournament to exclusively display our brand new logo, the LPGA's first new logo in 15 years, and one that truly reflects and celebrates the diversity, the global strength and the evolution of our brand.

This tournament and our logo both epitomize our commitment to a bold new look and to bold business, especially when you look at the LPGA has taken ownership of the ADT Championship for the first time. This year everything you see, from beginning to end, the LPGA is calling the shots. Another first, we are actually producing all nine hours of television that you'll see.

I don't know a lot about golf and television, but in general is that really something to brag about? Isn't it better when someone pays you to do the production?

As we acquire more strategic assets, the LPGA brand will continue to flourish. Last month's launch of our first-ever on-line pro shop opened for business. For those of who have not visited, LPGAproshop.com is part of a merchandising program that we expect will grow to be a significant revenue stream for the LPGA.

 Is that definition of significant like the USGA's?

Also located very closely to the media tent, not by accident, is our first-ever pro shop and merchandise shop, so please visit. You have all week.

Please, slingers in attendance, tell me that last sentence was said with a wink and a laugh? Oh how would you know, you had already made your way to the door shop 'til you drop.

All of these are signs that point to the strength of our product, to our members and to our brand. I want to thank you all for recognizing the talents and the attributes of our players and for sharing their stories with your readers.

Outside the world of golf, coverage of the LPGA could be found in airline magazines, Business Week, Newsweek. In fact, in mid-October Lorena was actually the cover story on the Latin American edition of Newsweek. One of our greatest strengths is the fact that we don't separate our people from our product. Our people are our product. The LPGA is an organization, and our members as individuals are not afraid to assume greater responsibility and to hold us all to a higher standard.

I wonder how many times she practiced that mantra in front of the mirror? Try saying "our people are our product." It isn't easy (on many levels). That's why she gets the big bucks.

Q. I think, Carolyn, you said that the LPGA was producing the TV for this week. What exactly does that mean?

CAROLYN BIVENS: It means that we hired a production company, Castro Communications, somebody we've worked with before. We've worked with the Golf Channel, with ESPN to get our production crew, accepted as the ones who would be producing and calling the shots.

We've done profile pieces on just about every woman who's competing here. Those will run periodically during the telecast. We are doing the production of everything. That means we are covering the nine hours of this tournament.

We've worked in combination with the Golf Channel and with NBC, but for the first time the LPGA will be guiding what is seen on television.

Gee and I was looking forward to watching some of this.

Hana Bank Kolon Photo Caption Fun

The Commissioner was present for Suzanne Pettersen's trophy ceremony, most impressive.

Wonder what's going through the mind of the dude on the left.

From The Golf Channel:

 

LPGA Unveils Green-Haired, Yellow-Rumped Brand Vision

They've taken Tiger's old follow through, morphed it with the World Golf Championship and First Tee logos, and voila, leveraged brand equity is born...

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Oct. 3, 2007 -- The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) today unveiled its new logo, a contemporized version of its classic “swinging lady” mark. Working with SME, the world leader in strategic sports branding and design, the LPGA brought the vision of its dynamic future to life with a series of bold brushstrokes designed to stand the test of time.

“We designed a logo that represents the power, strength and athleticism of our LPGA athletes, and with the use of the bold colors, highlights our international membership and global business,” said LPGA Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens. “This new logo underscores the changes in women's sports and the LPGA in recent years, and communicates the LPGA's bright future.”

That's not what I got from it. I got: why does she have a green ponytail?

The sleek new logo, which features an effortless, bold stroke-form of a female golfer, was designed to reflect the power, energy and contemporary lifestyle of the LPGA athlete. For the first time in the association's 58 years, the LPGA's primary mark will not be enclosed in a frame, representing a future with limitless potential.

Oh nice symbolism. And time for the traditional quote pile-on...

"Throughout the creative-design process, we sought a logo that offered a balance between the classic and traditional nature of the sport, but also captured the passion and drive of today's LPGA members," said Bill Susetka, the LPGA's chief marketing officer. "We also needed a logo that we could easily reproduce on merchandise, billboards and signage, and one that could carry its meaning to all points around the world. We've achieved this with our new logo."

"Of all the prestigious brand development assignments that we've been fortunate enough to work on over the years, the LPGA is among the most exciting," said Ed O'Hara, SME's chief creative officer and senior partner. "The new logo is a dramatic expression of the special and unique attributes of the brand, and truly symbolizes the LPGA's brand promise of showcasing the very best in women's golf."

And there's even more good news... 

Fans do not have to wait until the ADT Championship to catch their first glimpse of the striking new logo. A wide array of official LPGA merchandise and golf related items are available for the first time today via the LPGA's new online pro shop: www.LPGAproshop.com. A wide array of LPGA-branded apparel and golf-related items are now available on the Web site.

I think I know what I want for Christmas: the hat pin and hat clip ball marker combo platter. Though I wouldn't be upset if you got me a "These Girls Rock" hat too.

The logo redesign, the first since 1992, and LPGA Pro Shop launch are part of the organization's on-going branding initiatives that reinforce the LPGA as one of the world's most dynamic sports brands.

Just looking at the logo, I feel better about the LPGA already. 

On a serious note, it is an improvement. Seriously, it is. 

"From Day One, Bivens moved fast to reshape the LPGA. She replaced the exiting staffers with a team heavy on marketers and intellectual-property lawyers"

Now I'm sure that the LPGA Carolyn Bivens inherited was far from perfect and that as with any organization, some change was necessary. But if you believe BusinessWeek (and that's hard to do considering how they pandered to ranking partner ESPN), you would be under the impression that the LPGA Tour was a complete and utter disaster and that her initiatives have completely turned things around.

Is it me or does Dean Foust's breathless piece reads a bit too much like an official LPGA press release:

If you think the inauspicious start chastened Bivens, think again. The LPGA chief makes no apologies for rattling cages at the 58-year-old tour, telling more than one interviewer: "I didn't take the job to be voted Miss Congeniality." She sees her game-changing overhaul as crucial to making sure the players reap their fair share of the spoils from the growing fan interest in the LPGA. "There were a number of people invested in maintaining the status quo," says Bivens. "It would have been criminal not to change the business model. The value of the LPGA had changed exponentially, and the contracting and the fees hadn't caught up to that."

Ah the value. Of course.

The tour Bivens inherited was far from healthy. Since 2001, the number of tournaments had shrunk from 40 to 35, and interest among TV networks was so limited that the LPGA not only didn't receive rights fees but had to buy air time to broadcast. The tour couldn't even afford to provide health care or retirement plans to its players.

And that has changed?

Perhaps more important, the LPGA didn't control any of the tournaments on its calendar. That left it vulnerable to the whims of tournament operators. For example, in 2006, CBS decided to move the final rounds of the McDonald's LPGA Championship to early afternoon—a time slot that was clearly unpalatable to the tour. NBC was willing to air the tournament in a better slot for $1.5 million. But the tournament's owner opted for The Golf Channel, which cost much less—about $300,000—but could deliver only a quarter of the NBC audience.

From Day One, Bivens moved fast to reshape the LPGA. She replaced the exiting staffers with a team heavy on marketers and intellectual-property lawyers who could help strike better deals with sponsors, licensees, and networks. For players, she hired a "branding coach" to help enhance their marketability. What's more, Bivens gradually hiked the sanctioning fees charged to the tournament owners to $100,000, from the $10,000 or so many had paid—a fee that wasn't enough to cover the cost of setting up the course and providing weekend child care for players. That triggered a backlash among tournament operators, but many players backed Bivens. "In the past I think our leadership was in a position of wanting to please too much. She wanted to do things differently," says tour veteran Wendy Ward.

I always forget that all change is progress! Stupid me.

This was also curious, since the ADT started under the prior regime:

To that end, she has already gained control of the season-ending ADT Championship held in mid-November in West Palm Beach, which pays two-thirds of its $1.55 million purse to the winner (winners usually get 15% of the purse). That disproportionate payout upset some older tour players, but their complaints have fallen on deaf ears. One more reason Carolyn Bivens won't be winning that congeniality award anytime soon.

IM'ing With The Commissioners, Vol. VII

My friends at the NSA have been waiting for LPGA Tour Commissioner Carolyn Bivens to return from the Solheim Cup, knowing that an inevitable instant message chat with the PGA Tour's Tim Finchem would take place after all of the FedEx Cup excitement died down. Previous chats are here, here, here, here, here and here).

twfPGATour©: Carolyn, are you there?

DaBrandLady: hi tim! wow, you never say hi first. what's wrong?

twfPGATour©: Well, the usual stuff.  More importantly, how about that product Sunday?

DaBrandLady: i know, who would have though morgan would beat annika!!!!!!

twfPGATour©:  Oh.

twfPGATour©: No, I meant the conclusion to the PLAYOFFS©

DaBrandLady: oh right. you know i tito'd it and was going to watch it this week after i got caught up.

twfPGATour©: Well it was pretty spectacular, even though Tiger chose not to embrace certain platform dynamics that we had outlined in the witty and truly spectacular FedEx Cup creative that ran in the first quarter of this year.

DaBrandLady: what, he didn't whistle eye of the tiger?

twfPGATour©: No, that was the third quarter creative. I was referring to the ingenious "Who will be the first to kiss the Cup" line from our friends at GDS&M.

DaBrandLady: you mean GSD&M?

twfPGATour©: Right! Always get that mixed up.

DaBrandLady: here's what i think. it's tiger's loss that he didn't embrace the brand momentum! especially since your prediction came true that the events would be "the most impactful series of events in the history of the sport."

twfPGATour©: Thanks Carolyn. Yes, I must say they were pretty special. And thanks for putting that in quotes.

DaBrandLady: anytime. speaking of impactful tim. are you a milk of magnesia man?

twfPGATour©: No, I eat a spinach salad every day when I'm here at headquarters and I really nurse the flax seed oil when I'm on the road. Family history with IBS.

DaBrandLady: you mean ubs? they did some nice stat work for us at the evian masters and we're really hoping to sign them up for an account in the fourth quarter of this year, preferably for something on the domestic schedule.

twfPGATour©: No, no, IBS, irritable bowel syndrome.

DaBrandLady: oh, sorry.

twfPGATour©: Well I've been lucky so far. And thankfully, I'm not one of players, it looks like one of the IBS drugs may be on our banned list.

DaBrandLady: oh how's that coming along tim? i'm anxious to see what you guys do with tetrahydrogestrinone and modafinil.

twfPGATour©: Big announcement Thursday. Email Ty. He'll get you in on the conference call if you'd like.

DaBrandLady: well, good luck with the testosterone issues.

twfPGATour©: I'm not having any problems. Did someone say I was?

DaBrandLady: oh tim, it's always about you!

DaBrandLady: i was talking about the testing for steroids and measuring rises in testosterone levels.

twfPGATour©: We are testing to detect the T/E ratio on testosterone to epitestosterone, drawing the line at 8:1

DaBrandLady: oh no, you have to go 6:1. you also have to subject the urine samples to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry

twfPGATour©: is that where they heat the product to turn it into gases so they can separate and analyze the molecular levels?

DaBrandLady: that's the one. characteristic “signatures” will betray the presence of banned substances every time.

twfPGATour©: Jeese. Most of our guys didn't understand deferred compensation, I can't imagine the player meetings on performance enhancing drugs.

DaBrandLady: but just think tim, this testing does so much for our brand positioning and upward integrity streaming.

twfPGATour©: That's right, just what I told the sponsors in a conference call today.

twfPGATour©: I need to run Carolyn.

DaBrandLady: the UBS acting up?

twfPGATour©: No, but close. Phil Mickelson on line two. Give my best to, uh...

DaBrandLady: he says hi back!

IM'ing With The Commissioners, Vol. VI

My sources aren't what they used to be, so it's been hard to obtain instant message conversations between the PGA Tour's Tim Finchem and the LPGA Tour's Carolyn Bivens. Thankfully my NSA mole lifted this chat on the eve of the FedEx Cup. Previous chats are here, here, here, here and here.) 

DaBrandLady:  you there tim?

twfPGATOUR©: Yes, how are you Carolyn?

DaBrandLady:  super duper. haven't seen you online much lately.

twfPGATOUR©: Just returned from a very productive week of meetings and retreats in Colorado. Just me and the Co-COO's, Senior Executive VP's, Executive VP's, Senior VP's  and other potential VP's.

DaBrandLady: wow, that's a big group. you guys must fill up the broadmoor!

DaBrandLady:  tim, u there? it was just a joke...

twfPGATOUR©: Yes I am. I just had to close out something. Craig's List.

DaBrandLady: is stadler complaining again?

twfPGATOUR©: No, something else entirely it's a web site where, well, forget it.

twfPGATOUR©: Say, I think you would have been impressed with the program we had in Colorado. We had several group brand-bonding exercise sessions.

DaBrandLady:  oh, which courses did you guys play?

twfPGATOUR©: No, these were actual seminars structured to educate our executives on brand value building as we leverage equity in the FedEx Cup Playoffs© and beyond.

DaBrandLady: good thinking. you can never do enough brand building as far as i'm concerned.

twfPGATOUR©:  We looked at the entire brand building process, with a focus on verbal and visual identity, monetizing logo graphics and manipulating other imagery aspects essential to classic brand building and upward equity paradigms.

DaBrandLady: fascinating, wish i could have been there!

twfPGATOUR©: I tell you, I feel rejuvenated. It's been a rough few weeks here.

DaBrandLady : oh, yes I've seen all of the fedex cup criticism.

twfPGATOUR©: No, I was referring to something else that came up. It's nothing, just make sure your VP's stay off this Craig's List at work.

DaBrandLady: you know they refuse to monetize that intranet site?

twfPGATOUR©: I know, makes no sense. What's the point of doing something if you can't monetize it?

DaBrandLady: my feelings exactly.

twfPGATOUR©: Wait, what FedEx Cup criticism? I've been looking at PGATOUR.com everyday and the writers there have been very positive. My people say there was more buzz at the PGA Championship about our playoffs than there was about that so-called major.

DaBrandLady: well tim there is some question about the points system and, tiger is skipping round 1, that's kind of unfortunate.

twfPGATOUR©: You aren't going negative on me too, Carolyn?

DaBrandLady: well as you know we had a very successful adt championship under my watch, and all i'm saying is... DaBrandLady: the format has merits...i'm biased of course, since i came up with it.

twfPGATOUR©: I thought the adt concept developed was under Ty's watch?

DaBrandLady: well i did the brand building on it, so in essence, it's mine.

twfPGATOUR©: True, true.

twfPGATOUR©: Well you just watch. My VP of FedEx Point Permutations and Playoff Licensing has crunched the numbers and he's confident it will all play out nicely. And he doesn't go on Craig's List, he swears.

DaBrandLady: huh?

twfPGATOUR©: Long story. Say, I have to run. The Falcon is prepped and fueled, I'm off to NYC for a round of meetings, then up to Westchester. Very exciting times.

DaBrandLady: yes it should be interesting. good luck!

twfPGATOUR©: Thanks Carolyn, enjoy the FedEx Cup Playoffs©!  Give my best to...

DaBrandLady:  he says hi back!

"While increasing the economic opportunities for our members, marketing opportunities for sponsors and opportunities for fans..."

Who else could so relentless use the same word in one sentence? Why you know who, the Brand Lady, probably fresh from a downward brand stream integration meeting where they decided this news would be branded as creating "opportunities."

Readers LPGA Fan and Phil sent this news...

LPGA acquires Duramed FUTURES Tour

Women’s professional golf now under one umbrella

NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y., July 18, 2007 – Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens, in conjunction with Zayra Calderon, president and CEO of the Duramed FUTURES Tour, announced today that the LPGA has acquired the Duramed FUTURES Tour effective immediately.  The Duramed FUTURES Tour has been the official developmental tour of the LPGA since 1999.  The announcement was made at the LPGA’s HSBC Women’s World Match Play Championship at Wykagyl Country Club in New Rochelle, N.Y.

        The Duramed FUTURES Tour offers rising stars in the women’s game the opportunity to prepare for a career on the LPGA.  For the past eight years, the Duramed FUTURES Tour has operated in a licensee role with the LPGA.  In recent years the organizations have worked closely to align business practices to assist the members of both tours with professional development, and to prepare members of the Duramed FUTURES Tour for the transition to the LPGA.  One of the biggest examples of the synergy between the two organizations over the years has been the awarding of coveted LPGA Tour cards for the top money leaders on the Duramed FUTURES Tour.  In 2003, the LPGA increased the cards from three to five.

“We are absolutely delighted that we have reached an agreement for the LPGA to acquire the Duramed FUTURES Tour,” Bivens said.  “This acquisition demonstrates our desire to fortify the LPGA as the home to the best golfers in the world, providing us with a powerful development system for women, while increasing the economic opportunities for our members, marketing opportunities for sponsors and opportunities for fans to enjoy the next generation of future LPGA stars.”

The acquisition will put women’s professional golf in the United States under one umbrella.  Together, the tours will bring the world’s best female professional golfers to more markets, resulting in increased exposure for the players, sponsors and tours.  Currently the LPGA has 35 tournaments worldwide and the Duramed FUTURES Tour has 19 tournaments in 14 states.

“The Duramed FUTURES Tour has strategically aligned with the LPGA to provide a seamless transition for Duramed FUTURES Tour players to the LPGA,” Calderon said.  “This agreement solidifies what all of us have been working toward for years – a cohesive tour system for the best talent in women’s golf.  The LPGA Tour features the very best in the game and the Duramed FUTURES Tour offers talented golfers and rising stars the opportunity to prepare for a career on the LPGA.”

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.  Notable terms call for Calderon to remain as president and CEO of the Duramed FUTURES Tour and become a member of the LPGA’s senior management team. In addition, the Duramed FUTURES Tour staff will relocate from Lakeland, Fla., to the LPGA headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla., by the end of the year.

Everyone Wants To Have Their Own Tournament!

Doug Ferguson reports that Lorena Ochoa is the latest, but the Brand Lady is worried. Thanks to the Golf Chick for this:

Ochoa's brother said the $1 million tournament would be limited to the top 30 players from the money list, and he was hopeful of a date the week before the season-ending ADT Championship, a spot on the calendar now occupied by the Tournament of Champions. He said he had a title sponsor lined up, but declined to identify it until contracts are signed.

LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens, however, said nothing has been determined.

“I don't know how I'd handicap that,” Bivens said when asked the chances of the No. 1 player having her own tournament. “Next year's schedule is still being refined. She'd love to have a tournament down there next year, but it depends on finding a title sponsor and the right mix of sponsors.”

That's a non-committal committal.

Warning To Network Executives: Brand Lady To Come Knocking While You're On Vacation

...but at least she's presenting at the time of year when so many executives are vacationing in the Hamptons excited to hear pitches: August. Alan Blondin of The Sun News reports:

Bivens inherited cable contracts with ESPN and Golf Channel, and larger events are on ABC, NBC and CBS. Broadcast times vary greatly.

The tour will begin making presentations to network and cable stations in August. "The most important thing for the LPGA is to have a consistent television schedule," Bivens said. "It's very difficult for our fans to find where we are from week to week."

Since events in international locations aren't generally televised in the U.S., Bivens will try to group those to include dates when the LPGA would normally be dark, such as the weeks of the Masters, U.S. Open and PGA Championship.

That should ensure they'll never make it on American airwaves too. 

The events are important for exposure and lucrative deals with international television stations in which the LPGA is paid for broadcast rights - similar to the PGA Tour TV agreements. Right now the LPGA buys time on ESPN and the three major networks and has to sell commercial spots itself. It has other agreements with the Golf Channel.

Bivens said for 2010 and beyond she'll either seek rights fees or develop an LPGA production company that would buy time and produce the programming itself. "If you have a brand that is still forming like the LPGA, being able to control your production is worth a lot of money," Bivens said.

Wait, the brand is still forming? Well, how is it a brand if it hasn't formed yet?

"Especially in terms of educating the audience as to the personalities behind the athletes. We're a society where fans develop behind personalities."

Ahh...translation: lots of fluff!

But I'm back on this brand formtion stuff. Branding experts, could you tell us how you know a forming brand officially becomes a brand? 

"There was a lot of things swirling around the media center."

The Brand Lady made a rare press center appearance to try and put out the various fires started by Michelle Wie's entourage last week.

CAROLYN BIVENS: I'm going to make a fairly brief opening statement and I will take a few questions, and I'll outline some of the things that we can and can't talk about.

She's baaaccckkkk!

I want to go back to last Thursday and the round in Charleston at River Town. Thursday morning, actually, beginning with the fifth hole that Michelle played, which was the 14th, there began to circulate all kind of rumors, innuendos and questions about a potential ruling, or lack thereof. There was a lot of things swirling around the media center.

And it's good to see she's been brushing up on her English.

At this point, she rambles on about the advice ruling, which isn't why we're here, is it? Now, the 88 stuff...

The 88 rule only came in to effect by the time that Michelle had finished what would have been her 10th or 11th hole and shot the 10.

The Wie camp asked questions about the rules and the regulations, and we did as we do every week, and as we had done earlier that day for her playing partners and for others out in the field; we answered the questions regarding the rules and the regulations. At no time did anyone from the LPGA make any suggestion that Michelle should come off of the course.

I see. And, does this mean Mr. Higgs was less than truthful about his consultations "for no particular reason" with Mr. Nared? Oh I'm sorry, continue...

The one thing that I will not go into is any of the conversation that took place with Mr. Wie, Greg Nared and myself.

Oh. Well, let's see what the slingers ask.

Q. How do you think the conversation went without getting into details? Did he accept what you had to say; not what was said but just the tone of it.

CAROLYN BIVENS: I'm not going to -- I'm not going to discuss it.

Hey, you tried.

Q. Do you ever thoughts on the 88 rule and whether that still need to be in existence?

CAROLYN BIVENS: I really don't.

That's comforting.

I'm not the expert on the rules. It's something that our executive committee will look at. What we generally do is at the end of the year we take two or three days in what's called think tank and the members of the executive committee, of which Annika is a member, get into some of the meatier issues that we really can't deal with during the playing year. And we figure out what needs to be changed, what needs to improve, what needs to be added for the following year.

Oh it's toast. As it should be.

 Q. And as a lot of these storylines focus around various aspects of conduct with a 17-year-old, is there anything that you noticed at all leading into last week that raised any red flags; that got your attention that "I need to kind of pay attention to this?"

CAROLYN BIVENS: The question was, was there any indication before leading into last week that maybe was a red flag or something that needed to be paid attention to.

Doug, there really hasn't been. There really hasn't been.

No, nothing at all! Not like say, having to be hospitalized or previous high profile rules infractions.

Nope, no red flags here!

"I mean this is my sixth year out here"

Travelgolf's Chris Baldwin reports that Michelle Wie and Carolyn Bivens chatted about Wie's Monday pro-am performance, and it wasn't pretty.

LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens talked to Wie and her Nike manager Greg Nared in a closed conference chat today at the LPGA Championship. Part of the talk centered on Wie's conduct in her pro-am round Monday. At least one of Wie's pro-am partners complained about the way the teenager treated her pro-am group during the round.

It's not known whether Bivens and Wie also got into a discussion over Wie's ever-increasingly-controversial withdrawal from the Ginn Tribute last Thursday with the 88 rule hanging over her - and the Tour's - head.

Wie called the conversation with Bivens "very insulting." "I mean this is my sixth year out here," Wie continued. "I've played in numerous pro-ams and this is the first time there's been any type of false accusation about me. I think it's ridiculous."

Questions For The Commissioner

If you haven't read Eric Adelson's account of the disturbing antics that took place with Michelle Wie's Ginn/Annika withdrawal, you must. While Adelson clearly observed some disturbing behavior on the part of B.J. Wie and agent Greg Nared while making some sad observations about Michelle's state of mind, left unanswered are bigger questions about the LPGA Tour's behavior.

According to Adelson, both LPGA Chief Operations Officer Chris Higgs and Commissioner Carolyn Bivens were present at various points in the round, particularly Higgs just before the crucial moment when Wie's wrist magically became unbearable, coincidentally after Nared happened to have spoken to her! 

Reader Four-putt brings up an innocent but vital question, namely, why was agent Greg Nared on a cell phone when they are not allowed? That leads to other more vital questions. Was Nared on the phone with someone clarifying the LPGA's rule Rule of 88 rendering 88 shooter's and higher ineligible for the rest of the year? Adelson writes:

Chris Higgs, the LPGA Chief Operations Officer, soon drove up in a cart and spoke with Nared. Higgs had been talking about the Rule of 88 in the media tent, but he said he came out to Wie's ropeline for "no particular reason."

Was Higgs informing Nared that he could not use a cell phone, or was he explaining the Rule of 88?

"No particular reason" doesn't cut it.

Furthermore, let's say Higgs was explaining the Rule of 88 ramifications, did he suggest that Wie should withdraw if she would like to play in LPGA events later in the year? And if so, was Commissioner Carolyn Bivens, who was on the course at points in her round, involved in this discussion?

There have been questions for some time about Carolyn Bivens' regard for the rules of tournament player, dating back to the events that led to Barb Trammell's ouster and to that bizarre Annika-Paula Creamer incident. But this episode may have more significant ramifications because Bivens and here COO were directly involved in the decision and were directly or indirectly communicating with a player on the course through her agent.

And were LPGA officials involved in the decision to explain the reason for the withdrawal so that Wie would not have to in the post round press conference? 

This is of course why Tim Finchem gets the big bucks. He wouldn't have been caught dead within three states of such a debacle.

Anyway, I'm sure you all have more questions for the Commissioner, so please post them. Not that she'll likely step into the press tent to answer any.

"Soon after her score ballooned to 12-over on the par-72 course, her parents began consulting with each other and William Morris manager Greg Nared, who had a cell phone to his ear."

Eric Adelson at ESPN.com paints a richly detailed, compelling and ultimately stunning portrayal of the events surrounding Michelle Wie's first round WD from the Ginn/Annika event. Thanks to reader Steve for spotting this fine reporting, which you should read in its entirety.

The highlights. Or lowlights.

Wie landed in the bunker on 14, and then came one of the oddest holes of her brief pro career. She pushed her drive into the trees on the par-3 15th, then searched for her ball. Her mother, father, caddie and a family friend helped look for it before she called an unplayable lie.

Then Wie's father, B.J., said something to her caddie. More than one reporter present heard him say, "What about the tee?" Within seconds, Michelle decided to go back to the tee to hit again. She told her playing partners to putt out as she walked back to the beginning of the hole.

Playing partner Janice Moodie cautioned B.J. about Rule 8-1, which forbids a player from soliciting advice. "During a stipulated round," the rule states, "a player must not ... ask for advice from anyone other than his partner or either of their caddies." The penalty is two strokes. After Wie blocked her second shot and ended up with a triple-bogey, B.J. approached rules official Angus McKenzie and spoke with him for several minutes while his daughter moved to the next hole. McKenzie said later that B.J. had an explanation for the interaction, saying that he was only asking the caddie, "What are the options?"

Technically, there is no rules violation, since Michelle did not actively ask for help. But McKenzie told B.J., "When in doubt, don't."

Sharp had the same concerns. "Anybody can say something from outside the ropes," she said. "But he was too close. He's always so close to her. You're going to get your daughter in trouble. Everyone at the range was talking about it."

Oh but it gets worse. Much worse.

Meanwhile, Wie's body language began to match her game. She slumped her shoulders and sighed repeatedly. She showed little energy, even in the form of frustration, trudging along to her ball and taking less than the usual time lining up putts. She said almost nothing to her playing partners or to her caddie. And no wonder. Her round felt like a geological excursion, going from water to pavement to sand to tall grass.

Then came the bottom: the par-5 third hole. Wie's tee shot veered out of bounds, into a street, and down a storm drain. LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens, who suddenly appeared on the fringe of the fairway, stood by as a little boy got on his hands and knees to peer into the drain in search of the ball. Wie played a provisional and hooked that into a pond. She walked toward the street in hopes of finding her ball, then turned and retraced her steps to the tee for the second time during the round. She eventually carded a quintuple-bogey 10, and stood at 12-over after 12 holes.

Now missing the cut became the least of Wie's troubles. The somewhat obscure Rule of 88 states that a non-member who shoots 88 is forced to withdraw and subsequently banned from LPGA co-sponsored events for the remainder of the calendar season. Wie said later that she never considered the possibility, but soon after her score ballooned to 12-over on the par-72 course, her parents began consulting with each other and William Morris manager Greg Nared, who had a cell phone to his ear. Chris Higgs, the LPGA Chief Operations Officer, soon drove up in a cart and spoke with Nared. Higgs had been talking about the Rule of 88 in the media tent, but he said he came out to Wie's ropeline for "no particular reason."

Wie's score climbed to 14-over, and then, after finishing up on the seventh hole, Nared spoke to Wie briefly before she announced, "We're not going to play anymore."

Wie had a 43 on the front and was at 7-over 35 on the back -- two bogeys shy of 88. She shook hands with her competitors, glumly climbed into a cart, and rode to the clubhouse, where she met behind closed doors with her parents and Nared. The four spoke for 15 minutes, then an ice pack was brought in for Wie's left wrist. Wie then walked to the media tent without the ice pack.

Oh but yes, there's even more.

So why did she withdraw?

An LPGA official answered that question for her, saying, "Michelle, thank you for coming in after your withdrawal from the tournament because of your wrist. Are you optimistic from here on out once your wrist does heal?"

Wie's reply: "Yeah, it felt good when I was practicing but I kind of tweaked it in the middle of the round a little bit. So just taking cautionary measures, and I know what to work on. The only way to go up from here is up, so I'm feeling pretty good about it."

Later, she elaborated: "Well, I think that when an injury is in the back of your mind, you're thinking, 'Oh, this is going to hurt.' The last thing you're thinking about is trying to hit the ball straight.'

That, combined with her stilted follow through, shows that her injury has not healed. And yet Wie did not shake her wrist or show any sign of discomfort during the round. Last season, she grabbed her wrist on several occasions, even during press conferences.

"She wasn't holding her wrist," Sharp said. "I think she just had a bad day. If it was her wrist, why wait until the last two holes [to withdraw]?"

That question will probably never be answered. Nor will the question of what happened with her father and her caddie on the fifth hole. "I don't know," Wie told reporters. "It's a long way back."

And it's a long way back for Wie herself. The withdrawal will not affect her world ranking, but she has not broken par in an LPGA event since last July. That doesn't include all the trouble she's faced in recent men's events. The season's second major awaits next week at the LPGA Championship in Maryland, and -- assuming she plays -- she will face more questions about her withdrawal, her wrist, her swing, and the involvement of her parents. But the most worrisome question may be about her state of mind.

"I kind of felt bad for her," Sharp said. "She didn't seem happy."

Wow. 

"It's a Rubik's Cube, it all has to fit together."

Thanks to LPGA Fan for spotting the Brand Lady's interview in what seems like ages. From Charleston's Post and Courier (she saves her time for the big platforms!), interviewed by Tommy Braswell:

When you first took over as LPGA commissioner, there seemed to be a lot of controversy. But things have settled down. Are you happy with the LPGA's direction now?

"I'll speak for myself and my staff.

That's right, only you be so presumptuous!

We're very happy with the direction things are going. We made some changes and went through all the bumps in the road last year. We're in a much stronger position this year. We've added three new tournaments. And redoing a little bit of our schedule has made a difference for the players and, I think, the attendance at some of the events. We're very strongly focused on next year, and several of us are working on years 2009 and out. I think not only what you see this year, but what you'll see in 2008, 2009 and 2010, you'll really see the direction the LPGA is headed."

When you first came to the LPGA did you expect it to be a smooth transition?

"I knew that making change wasn't going to be easy. What I did underestimate was how public it was going to be."

And whose fault is that again?

Your thoughts on drug testing?

"We are being proactive for a couple of reasons. Number one is that our sport in Europe already has been testing for several years. We were almost tested at Evian last year. So we need to get into the world in which we compete. Number two, I do believe with a group of women it's a little different in terms of drug testing. From the time women are 17, 18 years old, there are certain hormones one takes until the time they're 50 to 55 years old. So we have a much bigger job of education before implementing drug testing. We wanted the opportunity to do this in the right way and to educate women and be ready as opposed to having to react to something."

Why can't she be that coherent on other issues?

What's your take on the LPGA's TV ratings?

"They're up overall. They're up again, 2005 over 2004, 2006 over 2005, and so far (in 2007) they're up again."

What kind of goals do you have regarding TV ratings?

"We did start from a smaller base, but so did the Champions Tour and so do a lot of other sports. Nonetheless, we're the only ones bucking the trend. Our trend line is in the right direction. The specific numbers for the Ginn Open (an April event in Florida) was 1.3, which is one great rating.

Let's not jump for joy just yet!

And the last three hours going to The Golf Channel, it was 410,000, which again is a very big number. There's no way you can attribute it to anything else but the women and the caliber of play."

Jeese, you'd think she just outdrew the final night of American Idol! 

Have the young faces helped?

"No question, newness does have an interest. But make no mistake, Juli Inkster and some of the others have very big followings.

I mean, who isn't checking her scores hourly?

I think it's the combination of having the Morgan Pressels and the Juli Inksters still out there and still being competitive. Juli is not out there as a hobby. She's still winning tournaments and finishing in the top 10. It's the combination that makes the product so exciting. There's nothing else like it in sports."

Ah the product. And here we are 400 words into this and not one brand reference!

South Carolina has a mixed history with LPGA tournaments. What's the secret of keeping tournaments?

"The LPGA has done a pretty good job of keeping tournaments. One of the things is matching up the corporate sponsor, a good golf course and a community where you can get volunteers and available TV times. It's a Rubik's Cube, it all has to fit together.

 I thought we were going to try to cut down on the metaphors, Carolyn?