The Growth of Ladies Golf
At any given LPGA tour event, if you ask one of the pro golfers who they owe greatest thanks to, almost everyone mentions Annika Sorenstam. Although many women before her have made amazing strides in making ladies golf more pleasurable to watch, it was Annika who had made history by shooting a 59 in a professional round (a feat that even men’s no. 1, Tiger Woods, had never achieved). It was Annika who was the first women ever to compete in a PGA-sanctioned event. It was Annika who, despite her worldwide fame, helped countless golfers in many of her free clinics. And yet, despite these accomplishments, it is still merely the physical attractiveness of some of the ladies pro golfers that draw men to the sport. Ironically, it is healthier for golfers, both men and women, to watch LPGA events than PGA events.
In comes here the new sheriff in town, and his name is Michael Whan. He is the new LPGA commissioner and his goal is singular and weighty: to develop and expand the fan base of ladies golf. He was hired mainly because of his experience in developing a slumping franchise and more than tripling its revenue in only a couple of years. But this may seem much more difficult than expected, unless the LPGA understands that simply marketing the young, up and coming stars as mere models and not serious golfers will not develop a loyal fan base. That only cheapens the sport.
The reason why it is healthier for both men and women to watch LPGA events is because it offers realistic expectations. The average golfer benefits from watching the club selection, strategy, technique, and course management, LPGA pros showcase. This is not to be understood as implying that an average golfer can compete against the best female golfers in the world. There is no shadow of a doubt that a lower-tiered LPGA pro can outplay a scratch golfer (man or woman). But the PGA (men) showcases players of uncommon strength and technique. PGA players get away with many different swing faults and unrealistic course management because of their sheer athletic ability—the sort that few have. For example, Tiger Woods hit a shot from a fairway bunker, 220 yards from the pin, carrying over a water hazard the entire way, with a 5-iron, to within 15 feet of the pin. He made that putt to win the 2000 Canadian Open. These are the sorts of feats that exist only in our wildest imaginations. 99% of golfers cannot make that shot if their life depended on it. Even with the wind from our backs, downhill, a 5-iron will not fly more than 190 yards. These are the sorts of shots that create public-course-pipe-dreams for most golfers. And this is one of many: John Daly’s over-swing, Jim Furyk’s figure-eight backswing, Ernie Els’ mind-boggling tempo, and Camilo Villegas’ uncanny flexibility.
Michael Whan must communicate to the masses that all recreational golfers will learn more by watching ladies golf than the PGA. Only then will the LPGA be honored for what it really is: extremely talented women that play golf the way it ought to be played…not by shear brawn but by brains.