Carolyn Bivens, Courageously Running LPGA Into the Ground
Posted June 22nd, 2006 by Erik J. Barzeski
Carolyn Bivens is making a mess of the LPGA Tour, and unless she changes her attitude or someone wises up and cans her, the LPGA Tour may be headed for some bad, bad times.
Carolyn Vesper Bivens has been at the helm of the LPGA Tour for less than one year, and I am hopeful that she won't last long enough to blow out the candles on a second anniversary cake.
Bivens' task was perhaps one of the easiest facing any sports commissioner to date: sell the LPGA Tour to the sponsors, the media, and the fans. She's failed miserably on all accounts.
Her failure comes at a time when the LPGA Tour might not be easier to sell. Annika Sorenstam still dominates, but youthful, energetic, and attractive gals named Paula Creamer, Lorena Ochoa, Morgan Pressel, Michelle Wie, Cristie Kerr, Natalie Gulbis, and Christina Kim have suddenly come about. Se Ri Pak and Karrie Webb have even returned to form this year, taking the first two majors of the year.
Yet Bivens has done nothing to capitalize. Actually, that's not quite true: she's done plenty, but little of it has been good. Seven of the LPGA's highest ranking officers - some of whom Bivens hired - have left the LPGA Tour since Bivens took over less than one year ago. The first, many will recall, was senior vice president of tournament operations Barb Trammell, who was forced to resign after failing to let a high-ranking player bend the rules on entry deadlines.
Then she went and pissed off the media over credentials to cover her tournaments. And all along, she's failed to grant Michelle Wie an exemption to play full-time on the LPGA tour - official earnings and "membership" or not, despite the obvious exception Michelle Wie poses to the "18 and older" rule.
It's not often a certain architect and I agree on something, but Bivens is so bad she's brought us together in agreement. As a woman with a long history of marketing and promotion, selling attractive women with talent should be easy.
In a recent Q&A, Bivens appears so ignorant to the appeal of Michelle Wie, the marketing possibilities that lay before her, and the overwhelming stench emanating from LPGA headquarters that one has to wonder what reality she's living in: her own, or one shared by the rest of us.
Even Annika Sorenstam has called Bivens management into question and was quoted as saying "I am quite concerned about some of the decisions and changes I have seen lately. I just wonder where we are headed."
Hopefully, Annika, we're headed towards a new LPGA commissioner, and quick!
Feedback
We'd love to hear from you! Comment below or join our forum.
Posted 24 Jun 2006 at 12:59pm #
I find your commentary timely. As the father of three girls, whom I hope will all maintain an interest in golf ( my eldest, age 9, does play ), I had hoped the LPGA would create a bigger national presence. Young people look to role models, often sports figures. It may not be fair to expect sports figures to be role models, but they are often cast in that role. I would rather my daughters have as a public figure they might wish to emulate someone such as Lorena Ochoa or Brittney Lang rather than Brittney Spears or Paris Hilton. But in order for the LPGA stars to compete with the coarser, broarder entertainment world, they have to be well marketed. Now maybe part of that responsibility falls to the athletes' agents but, certainly, part of that responsibility is owned by the LPGA CEO. Besides, building the game in the next generation is easier if the soil is tilled when the kids are young. It seems the previous fellow, whose name eludes me, was more successful. In any event, I have been disapointed that, with the great depth of talent, oddball angles from time to time ( such as 14 year olds playing in pro events ), and some beauty thrown in, we haven't seen the LPGA make a bigger splash. Does that mean the current CEO needs to be canned? I don't know. What I do know is that the LPGA isn't being heard over the screeching noises made by coarse, ill mannered, self absorbed denizans of teen girl culture. And I do think they have very marketable talent to attract a younger market in such stars as Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Lorena Ochoa, not to mention the three hundred yard knocker, Michelle Wie.
Posted 28 Jun 2006 at 8:10pm #
Another article on this topic can be found here.
Posted 09 Aug 2007 at 7:33pm #
Television coverage of the LPGA has hit an all-time low.
Consider this. Last Saturday the Russian Open was televised for 3 hours, the PGA Bridgeport Invitational was on for 5 hours, the Champions Tour was on for 2.5 hours, and the Women's British Open (a MAJOR) was on for 1.5 hours!
It's obvious that the LPGA is not living up to its potential. Painful to watch the meager coverage.
Concerned fan.
Posted 22 Nov 2007 at 3:07pm #
What do you think now?
Posted 20 Jul 2008 at 7:25am #
DQ MICHELLE WIE......for not signing her card in the correct area??? Where was the Commissioner and her staff if not attending to such matters????
Bush League stuff that the LPGA can't afford. There aren't enough stars on this tour to sustain it so there should have been personnel designated to protect against such an event.
Posted 29 Jul 2008 at 8:19am #
Bivens needs to take a step back and look at whats going on. I'm not a Wie fan but I am trying so hard to be an LPGA fan and I find it so boring to watch or annoying or both.
She can't see that Wie makes it interesting?, the PGA exemptions should give her a slight clue.
I won't be watching anymore LPGA events since the European and Nationwide and Champion tour have better golf and show the entire telecast.
I feel bad for all the great lady players
Posted 27 Aug 2008 (2 weeks ago) at 1:22pm #
No big surprize -- Bivens truly is a cancer. She has left a trail of bones in the LPGA just as she has elsewhere. Terminal myopia and all the charm of a rat in heat.