Technology On The LPGA Tour

Steve Hummer penned this piece on technology and the LPGA Tour, with a few noteworthy quotes and anecdotes.

LPGA rookie Brittany Lang is in love. And it shows in that little extra bounce in her step as she hikes it down the fairway. Way down the fairway.

"The new technology is hot," she said.

Speaking early in the season, during the Florida's Natural Charity Championship at Eagle's Landing, Lang was just getting adjusted to professional life and some of the new toys at her disposal. Currently sixth in the LPGA in average driving distance (271.9 yards), she is part of a new generation combining greater strength and the latest supercharging of club and ball to add oomph to the women's game.

"By the time Q [qualifying] school ended and the time I started playing on the Tour this year, which was like three months, I worked on my swing. But I switched equipment to the newer stuff, and I was hitting my driver 15 to 20 yards farther."

Oh I don't know, maybe it was the agronomy that changed. You know, faster fairways. No? I agree.

The impact of technology on women's golf is largely superficial, though. Because women's tees are set ahead of the men's, they are easily adjusted as players add length without altering the character of a course. Unlike the men's tour, no one is worried about these players rendering classic old tracks obsolete.

Tell that to Peter Kostis!

The debate over how the new club and ball designs are fundamentally altering the soul of golf remains pretty much the property of the PGA Tour. Today's golf clubs are bigger, lighter and made of materials --- such as titanium --- that cause the ball to go farther. Vast improvements have also been made with the ball, increasing its distance and playability.

"I think that technology has helped the top male pro more than it has anybody in the game," said Karrie Webb, a 31-time LPGA winner. "It's supposed to be helping the average amateur golfer. I don't think they are getting the benefit out of the knowledge. They are just buying it all."

Karrie, Karrie...we need to get you some talking points!

The average distance of the top 10 drivers on the LPGA Tour has climbed steadily over the past 10 years, from 252.7 yards in 1996 to 274.7 this season. That is part of the package of younger players and the increased excitement around the Tour.

Well, and the branding intiatives that have brought it all together.

Sirak On LPGA Resignations

Golf World's Ron Sirak delves a bit deeper into the mysterious resignations of three key LPGA officials and seems close to having an answer as to what happened. Thanks to reader LPGA Fan for the heads up.

The final straw prompting the resignations was the tour's alleged attempt to set a benchmark sanctioning fee of $500,000 for a new tournament that wants to be added to the schedule. According to sources both inside and outside the LPGA, Bivens authorized the negotiation and then denied knowledge of it when the sponsor objected to the price tag. Asked about these allegations, the LPGA said through a spokesperson: "The LPGA is not shopping the LPGA Championship, and it is not seeking a $500,000 sanction fee for any event."

That denial will ring hollow if the LPGA Championship ends up in Virginia or South Carolina, for example. And the players will pay a steep price if McDonald's -- a generous and supportive LPGA tournament sponsor for 26 years, the last 13 of the LPGA Championship, the tour's flagship event -- takes its Big Macs and goes home. What happened that day at Bulle Rock may be in the past. But it is not over.

Mechem Stepping Down From LPGA Board

This may be old news, but I don't remember seeing it in Golf World or online anywhere. Sports Business Journal's Scott Hamilton reports that former LPGA Commish Charlie Mechem is stepping down from the LPGA Board at the end of the year.

The LPGA will have another management hole to fill at the end of the year. Former LPGA Commissioner CHARLIE MECHEM’s second term on the tour’s BOD expires at the end of this year and he will step aside. Seven top executives have resigned since CAROLYN BIVENS took over as commissioner last September, including three last week (two of whom were recently hired by Bivens). There has been no change on the BOD. Mechem would not comment on the turnover and other LPGA matters, saying, “It’s really up to the chairman of the board and the commissioner to speak for the tour, not for me.” Board members are limited to three, three-year terms, meaning Mechem could have kept his position through ’09. “It’s time,” said Mechem, who was LPGA chief from 91-95. “I’ll be 76-and-a-half years old then. There’s a time when people ought to think of turning it over to younger people. I’ll remain involved, but there comes an appropriate time for others to move in.”

Thanks LPGA Fan for the tip.

Yasuda: Bivens Making More Friends

Thanks to reader LPGA Fan for this Gene Yasuda Golfweek story that makes me think Carolyn Bivens will have a hard time making it past Thanksgiving. 

But during the Wegmans LPGA tournament in Rochester, N.Y., it became evident Bivens' style is causing problems of substance. So much that the tour's most important constituents – tournament owners – publicly have joined the fray.

During a June 20-21 board meeting of the LPGA Tournament Owners Association at the Wegmans, directors expressed dissatisfaction with Bivens' take-it-or-leave-it approach. Their complaints signal the most serious challenge yet to Bivens' administration and give credibility to industry whispers that her tenure may be short-lived.
 
But Bivens dismissed notions that her employment was at risk and assailed what she says is a vocal minority that's attacking her only to "protect the status quo."

"The band of TOA has decided it's all or nothing. . . That's why they sought out the media." Bivens said. "It's been difficult to sit back and read that I'm out here pissing off a bunch of people. Any change threatens some people.

Isn't it wonderful that she's so media savvy!? What branding.

However, at least a dozen tournaments are in various stages of contract renewal. Should events sever ties with the tour, some players, miffed by the reduced opportunities to cash paychecks, could break ranks and seek Bivens' ouster.
 
According to Stephanie Hall, the TOA's president, directors devoted their entire session – 10 hours over two days – reviewing the commissioner's leadership since she took office in September. Most revealing, Hall said the group focused on how it "can help move the needle off the administrational hiccups" and restore "the essence of partnership that's been lost."

Ouch!

Bivens said she is not worried about losing her job because she's doing exactly what her bosses want her to do. 

"The (LPGA Board of Directors) is 200 percent behind me," she said. "The staff and the commissioner are executing a direction that has been staked out by the board."

The staff that's left, anyway. And hey, at least she didn't use 110%!

But Bivens said she has made concessions – including the sanctioning fee adjustments for existing events – and added that "you have to move when the market allows you to move."

That's life in a free market.

"You've got a clash of old world and new, and you've got others who are saying, 'Don't you appreciate I've been here for 20 years when nobody else was here?' Absolutely we do," Bivens said. "But do you not charge market value for a product because somebody has been around for 20 years? That's really what we're talking about."

Of course, we knew that.

Hall declined to identify the events, but her breakdown makes clear that nearly 38 percent of the LPGA calendar potentially is in jeopardy.

Hey, it's not like it's 40%.

In addition, she insisted Bivens' critics were unaware of the strategic initiatives the commissioner is crafting behind the scenes.

"You're going to hear a lot of positive things over the next couple of months," Donofrio said.
 
But owners are tiring of that refrain.
 
"It seems every time we meet, we're being asked, 'Give us another six weeks,' " Hall said. "Or we're being told, 'We've got some great things happening.' It's been a year, and time is running out as far as patience."
 
It is becoming increasingly apparent Bivens needs to work faster if she's to earn positive reviews from more of her constituents – and, perhaps, keep her job.
 
"In all fairness to the commissioner, our owners have certainly discussed the complexities of being in her shoes . . ." Hall wrote in another e-mail. "Many have concurred with the intent of some of her initiatives, however, the means to those particular ends is what they would likely do differently."

Yep, Thanksgiving, that's your over-under. 

6200 Yards Obsolete On The LPGA Tour Now?

Sal Maiorana at the LPGA event in Rochester:

Karrie Webb may have felt like biting her tongue after completing a disappointing 2-over-par 74 in the first round of the Wegmans LPGA on Thursday.

During a pre-tournament interview, Webb was asked if Locust Hill Country Club — with its lush rough and fast greens — would be an ideal prep course for next week's U.S. Women's Open.

"I think it's perfect for driving the ball because it's really a tough challenge driving the ball," said Webb. "We're going to be facing a lot longer second shots (at Newport Country Club in the Open) into par-4s than we do here. But it's always good to touch up the wedge game and the short irons because if you are missing a few fairways at the Open, you're probably chunking it out to about that distance anyway."

Ouch.

However unintentional her backhanded swipe at Locust Hill may have been, Webb's assessment was right on. Locust Hill, set up the way it is for this tournament, is too short at 6,221 yards by today's standards, and that was definitely proven during the second round Friday.

Yes, the course has built-in defenses with its thick rough bordering firm and narrow fairways, and greens that are fast and often difficult to read. Then there's the fickle Rochester weather. Thursday it was swirling winds.

I get all that. But how do you explain this? During the first round, when the wind was whipping and many of the players said it was really tough to judge distances and select lubs, there were 35 rounds under par of 72, nearly double the first-round average of 19 over the first 29 years at Locust Hill.

More Bivens Wit And Wisdom

Sal Maiorana offers a Q&A with Carolyn Bivens in advance of the Rochester tournament.

Q: How has the transition to your new job gone?

"The transition has gone surprisingly well.

Yep, swimmingly.

The players have been very supportive, we have a very good staff,

what's left of them...

and I would say we as an organization are very healthy. The challenges as we move forward are to be able to capitalize on all the interest and the buzz around the LPGA and to convert that into something that turns into a business success for the women."

Q: You came into a pretty good situation, thanks to the highly successful tenure of your predecessor, Ty Votaw. How do you maintain that?

"Ty gave us the foundation with the Five Points of Celebrity and Fans First, which actually makes it possible for us to move beyond that. We will never lose those two initiatives, which means with every rookie class we will go back and reteach and reinforce that, but we'll move on from that to being a real international organization.

I bet you can't wait to find out what that means...

That brings with it a whole different set of issues when you talk about the fact that we own the hospitality marketplace, if you want to say that's our marketing point of differentiation.

Ah, now I get it!

We are an international organization, and it means international players have to at least have a handle on conversational English to be able to interact with pro-am partners and do defending champion media days. It means that the U.S. and European players have to at least have conversational Japanese and South Korean skills when we're playing there. We'll take the Five Points of Celebrity and the Fans First and make that international."

Oh yeah, I can see Natalie Gulbis taking Korean classes!

Q: What are some of the key initiatives that you have targeted to put your fingerprints on the organization?

"I want to continue to enhance the marketing ownerships that the LPGA has on hospitality.

Marketing ownerships?

If a company wants to entertain its very best clients or its very best prospective clients, I want them to know that there's no better way to do that than to host them at an LPGA tournament and have their customers participate in a pro-am. There are a lot of different ways you can go about that. I also think there's a very unique opportunity to market these women in ways that no one ever thought of.

These Girls Rock! 

Q: With the Women's British Open on shaky ground, is there any chance that the Rochester tournament could replace it as the LPGA's fourth major championship?

"I think that right now the LPGA, the players, the organization itself is changing so much, I certainly would never say never about anything. When we go through and benchmark best of class, whether it's tournaments and how they're run, how volunteers are trained, Rochester continues to rank in the top and epitomizes best of class."

We're benchmarking!

Q: Where do you stand on the issue of Michelle Wie and her future on the LPGA Tour?

"Michelle, with the guidance of her family, has decided to turn professional and to not belong to any tour, and frankly I think that's a good thing.

Oh just super for the LPGA!

A few years ago women didn't have a choice to make a living at golf. Because there have been pioneers who have come before Michelle, including Annika (Sorenstam), who made her way into a men's event, and a number of others going back to Babe Didrikson who did that. I would never close off doors, I think it's fine to do it a different way.

Plus, closing off doors can get you in trouble with the fire marshal.

She can play six tournaments through exemptions and two majors, and I have no doubt that's what she'll do. And I will say, and I have said before, that Michelle is going to have to win just as the other stars have. Just being almost good enough isn't good enough,

Uh...forget it...

and the world builds stars and the world tears down stars. Michelle is one of the most talented and most charismatic young women that you will ever meet, and I think we're very fortunate to have her playing women's golf."

Q: With the restructuring of the PGA Tour's television contracts, where does the LPGA fit into the mix?

"Our contracts with ESPN and The Golf Channel were just renewed last year and they have four more years. What we're looking at with the new talent that's coming in, we may choose some different distribution outlets. Now what do I mean by that?

Oh, do tell.

Because of the fans that follow Morgan (Pressel), Paula (Creamer), Christina (Kim) and Natalie (Gulbis), they consume media from different distribution channels than the fans did for Nancy Lopez, Jane Blalock and some of the others. Very few of them are going to sit down and watch two hours of coverage on Thursday and Friday. They may TiVo it, and watch it in about 40 minutes. It also means pushing scores through a cell phone, or through a Webcast. Those things have become much more important. I would say that no sports organization can rely on the traditional media to do all of their marketing, and you'll see us take a very holistic approach at the kinds of marketing and the forms that it takes and the distribution channels that we use over the next few years."

Consuming media and marketing holistically. Calling Whole Foods!

What are your thoughts on becoming the LPGA's first female commissioner?

"The responsibility, I feel, is to the organization and to the players. As they went through the search process and as I went through the interview process we did not talk about that, and I can't imagine any business organization would talk about whether they wanted a man or a woman. If you're not looking for the skill set that you need and outlining what has to happen with the organizations, what are the goals and objectives, then it doesn't make any difference. Nobody is going to measure up. I've been asked what it feels like to be the first female commissioner. I don't know what it feels like to be a male commissioner so I don't really know.

Hey, at least she's honest. 

Annika Troubled By LPGA Resignations

Thanks to reader Patrik for this semi-translation/interpretation of a piece appearing in Swedish Golf:

Annika tells swedish golf.se that she is troubled about what type of decision that is made on the LPGA the last couple of weeks and is worried. She thinks they have done a great job to lift LPGA to a new level and she wonders if this is going to threaten that, etc

Golf World Takes A Closer Look at Bivens

Even with Se Ri Pak's shot for the ages, Golf World chooses to go with the Carolyn Bivens debacle as its cover story. Ron Sirak pens the tough piece on LPGA Commish Carolyn Bivens and the recent resignations of top officials.

First, more warmth and fuzziness from that proud Duke lacrosse mother and LPGA Board member who chose Bivens, Rae Evans:

"Is this going to impact the day-to-day functioning of the LPGA in a substantial way? No," Evans said. "I think the resignations say more about the three individuals than [they do] about the LPGA or the commissioner."

But Sirak also reports on the growing speculation that it's Mr. Bivens who is the real piece of work:

And, in the most curious concern about the new commissioner, many players, caddies and media members feel the constant presence of her husband, retired auto executive Bill Bivens, is a form of intimidation and that he serves as the commissioner's eyes and ears to see who is talking to whom and about what.

"Every time I see him I feel like I want to run a marathon in the other direction," said one major champion with more than a decade on tour, "and it seems like I always see him." Another multiple tournament winner said: "We all know why he hangs out with us. It's to keep an eye on us."

Ultimately, Sirak says this goes back to the Barb Trammel firing after last year's Office Depot event at Trump National:

"The pebble that started the boulder rolling down the hill was the Trammell situation," said one former LPGA official. "The knee-jerk way in which that was done foreshadowed a management style."

Trammell, an enormously popular and respected official who worked closely with local tournaments on course setup and event administration, was fired after she refused to let a Hall of Fame player who had failed to enter a tournament play in the event anyway, according to multiple sources. Trammell was told, sources say, that she needed to show special consideration to certain players and was let go when she refused. Trammell declined to be interviewed, citing the terms of her separation agreement.
 

"Korea, Republic of"

You have to love the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, where Michelle Wie lands at No. 2 while Lorena Ochoa (2 wins in 2006, 9 Top 10s in 12 starts) and Karrie Webb (1, T2 in majors along with 2 wins and 6 Top 10s in 10 starts) finish behind third and fourth respectively.

But more importantly, what's with the "Korea, Republic of" stuff. And the quotation marks?

_{Week  WgwrId      Rank      Change      Name      Country     Events      TotalPoints      AveragePoints
6/12/2006 0:00  1673      1      0      Annika Sorenstam      Sweden      41      672.32      16.4
6/12/2006 0:00  1913      2      0      Michelle Wie      United States      15      173.95      11.6
6/12/2006 0:00  897      3      -1       Lorena Ochoa Mexico      53      488.77      9.22
6/12/2006 0:00  1888      4      0      Karrie Webb      Australia   48      423.83      8.83
6/12/2006 0:00  1380      5      -2      Paula Creamer      United States      46      364.88      7.93
6/12/2006 0:00  400      6      -1       Cristie Kerr      United States      50      376.38      7.53
6/12/2006 0:00  21      7      -1        Yuri Fudoh Japan      54      366.76      6.79
6/12/2006 0:00  261      8      -1      Juli Inkster      United States      43      272.52      6.34
6/12/2006 0:00  774      9      1        Ai Miyazato      Japan      58      350.71      6.05
6/12/2006 0:00  1044      10      -2      Morgan Pressel      United States      17      102.08      6
6/12/2006 0:00  108      11      -2      Hee-Won Han      "Korea, Republic of"   58      342.11      5.9
6/12/2006 0:00  293      12      -1      Jeong Jang      "Korea, Republic of"   59      316.96      5.37
6/12/2006 0:00  450      13      1      Mi Hyun Kim      "Korea, Republic of"   58      272.84      4.7
6/12/2006 0:00  926      14      -2      Shiho Ohyama      Japan      66      305.66      4.63
6/12/2006 0:00  90      15      -2      Natalie Gulbis      United States      57      243.99      4.28
6/12/2006 0:00  616      16      -1      Seon-Hwa Lee      "Korea, Republic of"   52      221.7      4.26
6/12/2006 0:00  562      17      -1      Brittany Lang      United States      19      78.43      4.13
6/12/2006 0:00  592      18      -1      Ji-Hee Lee      "Korea, Republic of"   54      215.11      3.98
6/12/2006 0:00  957      19      91      Se-Ri Pak      "Korea, Republic of"   35      138.4      3.95
6/12/2006 0:00  236      20      -2      Pat Hurst United States      49      190.72      3.89
6/12/2006 0:00  591      21      -1      Jee Young Lee      "Korea, Republic of"   23      83.75      3.64}

Pak's Win

Doug Ferguson sums up Se Ri Pak's thrilling LPGA win, one of the most exciting tournaments in a long time despite The Golf Channel's minimalist production values. As tired as CBS's productions are these days, they are professionals and bring a level of production quality to their telecasts that this epic major deserved (and lacked).

It's a real shame for the LPGA "brand" that more people didn't get to see this and David Steele in the Baltimore Sun agreed in this column before Sunday's finale. As he points out, the LPGA could have been the prime network sporting event today (well, besides that soccer stuff).  

Sorrenstam's Latest Brush With The Rules

Doug Ferguson offers a fair amount on Annika's latest rules of golf snafu, which The Golf Channel handled strangely (except for Dottie Pepper who noted her recent troubles with the rules and her rules workshop studies.)

"I haven't seen anybody at headquarters with Kleenex boxes"

Courtesy of AP:

 The LPGA accepted resignations from Deb Richard, senior vice president of golf; Julie Tyson, vice president of partnerships; and Liz Ausman, chief strategic officer.

Asked why she resigned, Richard paused and said, "I've lost faith in the leadership.''

Rae Evans, chair of the LPGA board, said she was not the least bit alarmed by three resignations in one day, and seven resignations over the last eight months. Others who have left the LPGA were Kathy Milthorpe, chief financial officer; Barb Trammell, senior vice president of tournament operations; Rob Neal, vice president of tournament business affairs; and Karen Durkin, chief marketing officer.

"Business is business. People come, people go,'' Evans said. "I haven't seen anybody at headquarters with Kleenex boxes.''

Such warmth and compassion. Go Duke lacrosse!

It also lost network coverage of a major when the LPGA Championship, angry about being asked to move up starting times in the final round starting in 2007, left CBS Sports for The Golf Channel.

"The knee-jerk reaction is we left a network for The Golf Channel,'' Evans said. "It's too early to tell. I probably view networks, because of the audience delivery, as the place to be. But a lot of smart people have invested in The Golf Channel. We'll see where it leads.''

Oh I think we know.

The Brand Lady Strikes Again

According to Jay Coffin at Golfweek.com (and thanks to reader Van for the head's up), they can't resign fast enough from the Carolyn Bivens's regime.

Liz Ausman, chief strategic officer; Deb Richard, senior vice president of golf; and Julie Tyson, vice president of partnerships,

Is that like life partnerships? Sorry...

turned in their resignations June 7, a day before the start of the McDonald's LPGA Championship, the tour's second major championship.

Ausman and Richard have left the tour immediately. Tyson will stay with the LPGA for two more weeks.

The announcement means seven of the LPGA's highest-ranking officers have left since Carolyn Bivens took over as commissioner in September.

Kathy Milthorpe, executive vice president and chief financial officer, left the LPGA in September after 17 years to take an executive position with the International Speedway Corp. Barb Trammell, senior vice president of tournament operations, abruptly resigned in October after 20 years with the LPGA and Rob Neal, vice president of tournament business affairs, left in December to take over as executive director of Tournament Golf Foundation Inc. Karen Durkin, the tour's executive vice president and chief marketing officer, left in February after 11 years to assume a role with the National Hockey League as executive vice president of communications and brand strategy.

The latest news is strange because Ausman and Richard were hired by Bivens. Richard began her post in November and was a replacement for Trammell. Ausman was hired in February.

Richard, Ausman and Turner could not be reached immediately for comment.

And leave it to Bivens, to issue an absurd statement:

"Given the LPGA's incredible mix of talent, diversity and personalities, now is the time to take this organization to new heights. While we change the business model in order to better monatize our success, fans can continue to expect the very best in women's professional golf. We're committed to collaborating with all of our key constituents to create a stronger LPGA.

Better monatize our success?

Now, according to Websters, monatize means: "A mineral occurring usually in small isolated crystals, phosphate of the cerium metals."

I think she means monetize, which according MBA jargon watcher JohnSmurf.com, is frequently used in the Internet world to figure out how "make money off each page view, visitor (eyeballs), or anything else. If you work at an Internet company, you've used this term."

Maybe she's like, you know, going to like crystalize the Tour? Or something.

"As women's golf continues to grow and the popularity of the LPGA skyrockets, our organization will continue to evolve. We wish Liz, Deb and Julie success in their future endeavors. 

You know have a feeling it's not long before Bivens is pursuing other opportunities or spend more time with her husband? 

Guest View: The Brand Lady

LPGA Commish Carolyn Bivens penned a guest column in the Star Gazette News of Somewhere to help kick off Corning Classic play, and after days of deep analysis, I now post it for your brain teasing pleasure.

You are not only spectators and volunteers of this event, but you're also fans of women's golf who contribute to the growth of the LPGA. Thanks in no small part to your support, our organization is riding a remarkable wave of momentum. For those of you who come out to Corning Country Club this week, or even tune into The Golf Channel telecast, you'll be witnessing the LPGA Tour at the height of its popularity. You also will see a showcase of some of the greatest, most engaging and entertaining athletes in the world of sports today.

And, their interpreters too!

Yes, I am a little biased, but it's a fact. The world is finally discovering what many of us have known all along -- that female golfers have incredible charisma, power, strength and talent. From young talents such as Morgan Pressel and Seon Hwa Lee to American standouts Christina Kim and Natalie Gulbis -- the future of the game is so bright. And those young phenoms are playing right alongside Grace Park, Laura Diaz and Mi Hyun Kim, who are all in the prime of their careers, as well as accomplished veterans Helen Alfredsson, Pat Hurst and Lorie Kane.

Annika, Shmannkia.

It's an incredible mix of youth, culture, experience and talent that is translating into little girls showing up at a golf tournament with fun, stylish golf outfits "like Natalie," into record-breaking visitors to LPGA.com and into more fans tuning in or coming out to watch a tournament, many of whom have never been engaged with the LPGA or golf before.

Thank Heaven, for little girls...sorry

That excitement is only multiplied by several initiatives that are new to the LPGA since the Tour last came to Corning. Fans of the LPGA are already very familiar with the "These Girls Rock" campaign, which is all about showcasing LPGA players as great golfers -- some of the best golfers in the world.

This year, we also launched the LPGA Playoffs 2006, the first-ever playoff system in professional golf. Throughout the season, your favorite players will attempt to qualify for the season-ending ADT Championship and a chance at the $1 million first-place prize, the largest paycheck in women's golf history. And also earlier this year, the five major women's professional golf tours unveiled the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, which provide a definitive answer -- and spark lively debate -- regarding the question, "Who are the best women golfers in the world?"

Yes, the debate has been lively. Right up there with, "what's the Schwab Cup?"

"We need money to invest back into the brand"

Jeff Murray of the Star Gazette of something had the misfortune of interviewing both former LPGA Commissioner Ty Votaw and current Commish/brand maiven, Carolyn Bivens.

First, the Votaw chat.

Former LPGA Commissioner Ty Votaw returned to Corning as a private citizen this week to watch his fiancee, LPGA player Sophie Gustafson, play in the LPGA Corning Classic. Votaw stepped down from the LPGA's top post last year and was replaced in September by Carolyn Bivens. He spoke with Star-Gazette reporter Jeff Murray about life after the LPGA and his new role with the men's golf tour.

Are you here officially or unofficially?
Very unofficial, as unofficial as you can get. I'm just here as Sophie's fiance. I've been to one (LPGA) tournament this year. My job with the PGA Tour keeps me busy. So this is the second time I've watched her this year.

Why did you choose this tournament to watch Sophie play?
Corning has always been one of my favorite places. Given it's a long weekend and the fact that I just got back from London, it worked out well.

When is the wedding?
We haven't set a date yet.

Oops.

And the Bivens chat... 

How do you compare your management style with your predecessor, Ty Votaw?
Each previous commissioner, we're all coming into it at different times. Each had specific things they wanted to accomplish. They all needed to do things to grow the tour -- find enough tournaments, find sponsors. So it's different times. It's hard to compare.

Such eloquence.

Do you see your role as continuing to build on that momentum?
Continuing to build on it, but also to make a business of it. So we have to come up with more endorsement opportunities, health care for players, retirement benefits. We need money to invest back into the brand.

Not the Tour, not the players. The brand.

One of the more contentious initiatives you've instituted is a new policy giving the LPGA more control over media images and stories about the tour. What was the genesis of that move?

The media policy is mine. Because the LPGA is the last major sport that had no control over use of images at tournaments. If you Google LPGA and put in the name of your favorite player, you can find there are many photographs you can buy. You can also buy things like beer mugs with the LPGA logo on them. These are things that we didn't give permission for. We just wanted to gain control of it.

I'm sure those LPGA mugs were just flying off the shelves!

What does the LPGA have to do to continue growing in popularity?
I have to believe the players are the most important aspect of making it grow out there, and they are there.

Where's there? Like, the brand marketplace?

TV ratings, we are year-to-year (growing by) double digits. NASCAR is the only other sport where you are seeing that kind of growth. You've got a variety of personalities and you draw a broad audience. We have a very wide range and appealing group of women.

What are your personal goals for the tour?
I want women to get closer to parity with men as far as endorsement opportunities and playing in major markets. Each sport has made a major move at the height of its popularity, the PGA, NASCAR. We have an opportunity through our wealth of personalities to make our move in the market.

So you plan on staying on the job for a while?
I moved from Los Angeles (to Florida). I didn't take that lightly.