Wie WD's

From "a fan in South Carolina" who was taking in the Ginn Tribute Hosted By Annika, Michelle Wie started par-bogey-double-bogey-triple, birdied 18 to make the turn at 7-over then made 10 after three tee shots on the par-5 third, her 12th hole. 

 

She wass 13-over through 14 holes and 14-over through 16 before WD'ing with wrist pain. Of course is shot 88, as a non-LPGA member, she would have been ineligible for the duration of the season.

I don't know about you, but I'm having a hard time feeling good about B.J. Wie these days.

"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?

"Natalie is even prettier on the inside."

From Steve DiMeglio's USA Today story on what a hot babe fine humanitarian Natalie Gulbis is:

"The calendar is a reflection of my personality — there's a little golf, fitness, casual and swimsuits," she says of her latest calendar. "I think it's important for fans to see a different side of you."

LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens doesn't have a problem with the calendar.

Uh oh, this ought to be good.

"If you're in shape enough and gorgeous enough to do a calendar, in a swimsuit or other outfits, be my guest," Bivens says. "We have a lot of women who are showing that it's OK to be an attractive woman and a world-class athlete at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive.

You'd hope she would stop right there, but no, not our Carolyn!

"And Natalie is even prettier on the inside. The way she conducts herself on the tour, how much she cares and is respectful of her fellow players and the fans, makes her a role model."

I think I can speak for most of us and say, that's why we buy her calendar: her beautiful insides.

The Road Hole As A Par-5?!

Thanks to reader Jordan for noticing this bizarre plan for the Old Course and this summer's Women's British Open...

At the last men's British Open, the course was stretched to more than 7,000 yards. For the women, it will be a tournament-record 6,638 yards with a par of 73. The 17th hole, known as the Road Hole, will be stretched to 453 yards as a par-5.

So for the men in 2005, the fairway contour juts in to stop the men from hitting wedge in (see aerial to the left), while the hole is too long for the women? I don't think so.

Mi Hyun's Generosity

The LPGA's Mi Hyun Kim makes a generous donation to aid victims of the Greensburg, Kansas tornado.

Thanks to reader Noonan for noticing this classy gesture.

Women's British News

They get a new sponsor (Ricoh) and some fine future venues...

Carolyn Bivens, Commissioner of the LPGA commented, "I am delighted that Ricoh will be sponsoring one of our Major Championships. The tournament is played on some of the world's most famous courses and showcases many of the greatest golfers in the world. We are looking forward to travelling to St Andrews in August for the first of what I am sure will be many Ricoh Women's British Open Championships."

It just rolls off the tongue...Richoh Women's British Open.

And...

Sunningdale, Royal Lytham & St Annes and Royal Birkdale set to be Venues for the 2008-2010 Ricoh Women’s British Open

2nd May 2007

Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club and Royal Birkdale Golf Club will host the Ricoh Women’s British Open in 2009 and 2010, with the Championship Committee in the final stages of negotiations with Sunningdale Golf Club to host the 2008 Championship, following this year’s historic visit to the Old Course, St Andrews.

Bivens' Salary

A wire story from reader Nick and LPGA Fan:

SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL’s Daniel Kaplan cites an LPGA tax return as showing that Commissioner Carolyn Bivens earned $238,872 in the last six months of ’05, her first months on the job, which means her pay “would come to almost $478,000 annually.” Bivens’ predecessor, Ty Votaw, earned $459,677 in ’04 and $300,000 in ’03 (SBJ, 4/9 issue)....

Ginn Open Photo Caption Uh...Explanation

Any idea what this is that we're calling a trophy (held by Ginn Open winner Brittany Lincicome)?

 

" Where have you gone, Martha Burk?"

The Orlando Sentinel's Mike Bianchi manages to turn some mildly oblivious responses from Annika and Nancy Lopez into a hysterical (in more ways than one) rant about the lack of photo-opportunistic feminist leadership in sports. 

Brace yourselves... 

Her response -- correction: her non-response -- is both shocking and disappointing.

Here's the exchange between Annika Sorenstam and me Wednesday during her pre-tournament news conference for the LPGA Ginn Open:

"Annika, some derogatory comments were made about the Rutgers women's basketball team the other day; obviously, you've heard about them . . ."

Before I can finish, Annika stops me cold with her response.

"No, I haven't."

You haven't?

"No," she says, shaking her head.

Uncomfortable pause.

All I can think of to say at this point is, "Never mind."

All she can think of to say is, "Sorry."

Yeah, I'm sorry, too.

Sorry because herein lies the colossal problem facing female athletes in their ongoing battle against sexism in the sports arena: Nobody cares enough to speak up or stand up for them.

Where have you gone, Martha Burk?

A gender turns its lonely eyes to you.

Oy. 

LPGA Line of Succession Established

Copied and pasted with the LPGA's deranged font settings and spacing kept intact:

Galloway named LPGA deputy commissioner

REUNION, Fla., April 11, 2007 – Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens today named Elizabeth “Libba” Galloway to the newly created position of deputy commissioner.  The announcement was made following the LPGA’s spring Board of Directors meeting in Reunion, Fla.

           “I am pleased to name Libba to the position of deputy commissioner,” Bivens said.  “Libba’s leadership, insight and commitment to the growth of the LPGA in all facets of our business have been significant in the LPGA’s success.  She will continue to lead the organization for corporate governance and compliance. Libba and I will share the activities we have underway with various association business, including representation of the LPGA in the golf industry and in women’s sports.”

           Galloway most recently held the position of executive vice president, office of the commissioner, where she was responsible for corporate governance and compliance as well as the association’s legal affairs, tournament operations staff and the LPGA’s television distribution.

In addition, she has taken on leadership positions with numerous organizations outside the LPGA on various Boards of Directors: the College of William and Mary Alumni Association; the Sports Lawyers Association; the Daytona Beach and Halifax Area Chamber of Commerce; and the Florida Tennis Center Foundation.

“Carolyn and the entire professional staff of the LPGA have made tremendous strides in the last year and I look forward to continuing what has been one of the most professionally satisfying experiences of my tenure with the LPGA,” said Galloway. “The members of the LPGA are world-class golfers and world-class people and I'm thrilled to be part of our organization's continued growth and success.”

Galloway has a wide range of legal experience, including commercial transactions, mergers and acquisitions, sports law, financing and regulatory, corporate, real estate and banking law.  Prior to joining the LPGA in February 2000, Galloway was a partner in the Cincinnati-based firm of Taft, Stettinius & Hollister, where she was a member of the business and finance department.  For two years prior to her Taft position, Galloway was an associate for Louisville-based Greenebaum, Doll & McDonald in the real estate and finance department.

LPGA "Cross Cultural Professional Development Program"

Exactly as it was sent out...and, yes, the simple answer is, the LPGA has a sponsor for their program to teach players how to speak English.

KOLON signs as title sponsor of

KOLON-LPGA Cross-Cultural Professional Development Program

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., April 11, 2007 – KOLON has been named the title sponsor of the Ladies Professional Golf Association’s (LPGA) professional development program that offers educational and cross-cultural communication training for all members and will now be called the KOLON-LPGA Cross-Cultural Professional Development Program.
           “We are excited with our partnership with KOLON, which emphasizes the importance of communication among all individuals, regardless of where they call home,” said LPGA Commissioner Carolyn F. Bivens.  “We successfully test-piloted the cross-cultural program in 2006, and we are eager to expand the program in 2007.”
KOLON has led the way in the development of golf in Korea since 1985, when the honorary chairman of KOLON Group, Dong Chan Lee, was appointed as the chairman of Korea Golf Association

“We are delighted to embark on this new partnership program with the LPGA. Our participation in this program is a tangible reflection of our enhanced contribution to golf,” said Hwan S. Jae, CEO and president of FnC KOLON.  “We believe this program will assist not only Koreans, but all international players to learn the English language and acquire a better understanding and appreciation of the cultural diversity within the LPGA.”

The KOLON-LPGA Cross-Cultural Professional Development Program was designed to assist all LPGA members in developing core skills that will help them be successful as an LPGA professional.  The LPGA showcases an international membership and a global business footprint that establishes the LPGA as the premier women’s professional golf organization in the world.  It boasts a Tour membership exceeding 450, including 117 international players representing 26 countries, while the LPGA Teaching and Club Professionals includes nearly 1,200 golf professionals who are teachers, coaches, managers and entrepreneurs.
            In 2006, Phase I of the program focused on the importance of effective English language communication skills including conversational, survival and golf “speak.”  The program was successful in its inaugural season integrating onsite tutoring sessions into real-life situations, such as weekly pro-ams, media interviews, practice rounds, informal settings with other players and LPGA staff.
Moving forward, the KOLON-LPGA Cross-Cultural Professional Development Program will focus on building social and professional skills with an emphasis on bridging cultural differences; growing awareness of, and sensitivity to, cultural differences exemplified by differing values, assumptions, and communication styles.  The program also emphasizes the skills espoused by the LPGA’s Five Points of Celebrity – Appearance, Relevance, Approachability, Joy/Passion, and Performance; as well as establishing the ability to respond to demands of global golf sport entertainment business.

Wouldn't most other leagues keep something like this a secret?

And an entire press release went by without mentioning the brand. The times they are a...
           
  

It’s Girls Gone Wild for Girls (and Marketing)

Melena Ryzik will probably be getting some mail from The Brand Lady or one of her lieutenants after this NY Times piece on lesbian spring break, better known as Kraft Nabisco week. Wait, I mean, Dinah Shore weekend. Got to get my brands straight.

Welcome to Dinah Shore Weekend, or, as it’s better known, lesbian spring break, which concludes today. An annual pilgrimage for more than three decades, it has attracted thousands of adult women to this mountain-ringed Southern California desert town, which becomes a destination for lesbians looking to party, socialize and hook up.

The name comes from the Kraft Nabisco Championship (formerly the Dinah Shore Golf Championship), the first stop on the Ladies Professional Golfers Association tour, which happens concurrently a few miles away.

In the years B.E. (Before Ellen DeGeneres), the Dinah was the province of mostly polo-shirted women seeking a low-key weekend getaway. Now, in the years A.L. (After “The L Word”), it has been transformed into a fashionable bacchanal, nearly a week long, with celebrity guests like Carmen Electra and Joan Jett, large pool parties and dozens of corporate sponsors, who vie for the attention of a community that is suddenly much more visible, and visibly wealthy. It’s Girls Gone Wild for Girls (and Marketing)

"You've got to have technique and balance to pull off the long shots"

The Brand Lady did a wonderful job with those softballs lobbed by those 18-to-34-year-old demo drawers Verne Lundquist and Judy Rankin during today's Dinah Shore final round. Me thinks the LPGA Commish has been working overtime with her brand coach, but she did stray into foreign territory this week and thanks to LPGA Fan, we get some juicy insights from Ms. Bivens.

From Janet Cromley's LA Times story on women hitting the ball longer (or not):

But they can get closer with improved mechanics and technique, says LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens. "Frankly," says Bivens, "the women have to be more fit than the men and their mechanics have to be better. A guy can mis-hit a ball and mis-hit it farther."

To hit the ball farther, the women are focusing not only on upper body strength but also leg and core strength, with balance as the ultimate goal. "You've got to have technique and balance to pull off the long shots," says Bivens.

Lost In Translation

Jim Achenbach at the Dinah Shore, or, well you know what I mean, writing about the language issue for many foreign players:

Language barrier would be an understatement. I was lost in the labyrinth of rising and falling inflections that inhabit the Korean language.

Of course, Ahn had a translator, who happened to be her agent, Vicki Lee.

Ahn was asked about changes in her attitude on the golf course. She fought for two minutes to explain herself.

Then came the predictable five-second translation: "She has fun. She is a little more lighthearted."

The Brand Lady...

...I'm sad to say, chose not to give a "state of the LPGA Tour" press conference at this week's Dinah Shore (or whatever it's called).

A sad, sad day. At least there's last year's classic to relive.

Update on 2007-03-30 13:53 by Geoff

A reader chimed in that this is the first time since at least 1990 that the LPGA Commissioner did not use the Dinah Shore to do a "State of the Tour" press conference.