AP report: LPGA Commish asked to resign by players

[RC]

Just saw this:

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - A meeting last week of more than a dozen players has resulted in a letter sent to the LPGA Tour's board urging that commissioner Carolyn Bivens resign, according to a published report.

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And there were some prominent LPGA players' names listed calling for this action.

I cannot speak to the accuracy of the report. Anyone know more?

[Awsi Dooger]

Just saw this:

I saw this about an hour ago:

http://www.golfweek.com/story/bivens-news-070609 IMO, it's the correct move. Bivens has to pay a price for inept calculation of key variables. She allowed a huge percentage of tournament contracts to expire this year, with goal of forcing hands and upping the ante significantly, coinciding with new TV deals. But once the climate altered severely against her, with the horrid economy and Annika's unexpected early retirement and a flock of faceless Koreans dominating the winner's circle, Bivens' leverage was gone but she failed to grasp that. The recent decisions have been masochistic beyond belief, forfeiting long term feel good events, apparently without concern, in favor of vague possibilities from newcomer sponsors. No commish with a threat of minimal competence would have weighed the new feelers equally with longstanding foundational tournaments. It's hardly a one-for-one swap when you lose a classic event and replace with a newbie, even if the money is somewhat higher. Very intriguing timing, on the eve of the US Open. It will be interesting to see how this story is handled by NBC.

[PEZGolf]

Carolyn Bivens started out poorly when she took the job, and has made numerous major mistakes since. My only question is this: what took the gals so long in getting rid of her?

[uttexas]

Oprah Winfrey for LPGA commissioner.

[David in FL]

Oprah Winfrey for LPGA commissioner.

If it keeps her out of politics, I'm all for it!

[PEZGolf]

How about Condoleeza Rice? At one point, (I do not know if she was kidding), she said that she might want to be Commissioner of Baseball or the NFL. She does like golf, and is used to high level negotiations, which she did as Secretary of State.

[RemyM]

She was a bad choice from the beginning and many of the good people who worked for the LPGA left after she was hired.

You heard it here first. The next LPGA Commissioner will be Karen Durkin, current CEO of the Women's Sports Foundation, and one of the top people who left the LPGA after Bivens got the job.

[Trav]

How about Condoleeza Rice? At one point, (I do not know if she was kidding), she said that she might want to be Commissioner of Baseball or the NFL. She does like golf, and is used to high level negotiations, which she did as Secretary of State.

This could be closer to reality than you may realize. She is an avid golfer, I saw her at a golf resort - while she working in the WH, when she was obviously under great pressure - working on her game. She would add a lot of gravitas to the job as well as high level contacts which probably could help in obtaining sponsorships. Don't know about her business acumen, but she is very smart.

Assuming there will be an opening to fill, of course.

[CarlSpackler]

If it keeps her out of politics, I'm all for it!

Politics? I thought she was a TV star. :rolls eyes:

[PEZGolf]

According to "USA Today", the LPGA players at the meeting included Lorena, Paula, Natalie, Cristie, and Morgan Pressel. That means that Bivens is a goner, and the real question is her replacement. It is too bad that Bivens was allowed to do so much damage before the "stars" decided that "enough was enough".

[uttexas]

If it keeps her out of politics, I'm all for it!

Agree 100%. Oprah needs to stay out of politics and medicine. She gets caught up in the Hollywood political and medical perspective. She is also guilty of fanning the flames of blind consumerism. However, she is an extremely hard worker, and a great business person. She is very media savvy. She would do wonders for the LPGA. The outgoing commish, Bivins, got off on the wrong foot with everyone and never recovered (actually got worse)

[Chief Broom]

But once the climate altered severely against her, with the horrid economy and Annika's unexpected early retirement and

This is really an uncalled for comment. I agree with your points and I'll even grant you that many of the Koreans haven't demonstrated a lot of personality, but that's because they are young and inexperienced. The real point is American zenophobia and the desire to see what we consider an attractive woman winning every week. Obviously the LPGA has to figure out how to market their commodity better, but isn't the true essence of golf excellence at the game?

[uttexas]

Whomever becomes the commish needs to involve Carol Mann, Nancy Lopez, Annika, JoAnne Carner, Rankin, and Kathy Whitworth in some of the decision making.

The PGA has tournaments in honor or hosted by Hogan, Nelson, Jack, Arnold, Norman, and Tiger. Does the LPGA have anything comparable? PS, not counting the Dinah Shore

[iacas]

This is really an uncalled for comment.

Calm down. "Uncalled for" would mean it was somehow across the line, like it was racist or something. You admit they haven't demonstrated personality, and that's all he said.

I think the "Asian Invasion" is a big part of why the LPGA Tour is struggling. American sports fans have a hard enough time relating to Paul Casey or Carl Petterssen and they live here, speak English, etc.

that's because they are young and inexperienced.

I don't think that's why at all, but you're entitled to believe it, and since it's not really the topic here, we'll leave it at that.

The real point is American zenophobia

That's one step away from calling people racist. And I don't think people

dislike the Asian players - they just can't relate to them. If you think the influx of Asian players has been good for the LPGA Tour or, at worst, has had no affect, then you don't understand a lot about sports or the U.S. And even if it was some sort of bizarre xenophobia, it's something a commissioner should recognize and take steps to counter in one way or another.

Obviously the LPGA has to figure out how to market their commodity better, but isn't the true essence of golf excellence at the game?

Something like 90% of golfers are male.

To appeal to a wide enough range of people to have commercial success, no, the commissioner has to market more than "golf excellence." Particularly when the women, in comparison to the men, really aren't all that great - and 90% of the possible audience knows that. The commissioner should know "golf excellence" or at least "golf pretty-good-ness" isn't enough - she needs to sell personalities, rivalries, sex appeal, fun, crowd interaction, skill/power/finesse, pride, conflict, tension... she has to sell all of that. And more. Bivens pissed people off to begin with. She's a hard charger who has been unable to change her tactics when the economy and her player makeup threw her a bit of a curveball. Her ideas weren't bad: better pensions, better purses, and an all around more fiscally improved LPGA. She's just not been able to divert from her long-term plan in the face of short-term (relatively speaking) crises/problems/setbacks.

[topspin4hand]

Something like 90% of golfers are male.

What he said +1.

In light of the demographic of golf fans, the more light-hearted response is that the next LPGA Commissioner should have a sit down with the most attractive LPGA players (we know who they are) and tell them to practice and get better@

[pittpanther]

To appeal to a wide enough range of people to have commercial success, no, the commissioner has to market more than "golf excellence."

Do you really believe the bolded part of the comment above? Other than length off the tee, are the men particularly better than the women? Or is length off the tee enough to be considered "better?

[iWALK18]

Do you really believe the bolded part of the comment above? Other than length off the tee, are the men particularly better than the women? Or is length off the tee enough to be considered "better?

First of all, yes, length off the tee does make them better players (But it doesn't make women's golf less watchable.) Secondly, even in the short game, male tour players are significantly better than female tour players.

[RocketSauce]

Do you really believe the bolded part of the comment above? Other than length off the tee, are the men particularly better than the women? Or is length off the tee enough to be considered "better?

i believe it. have you ever noticed the putting on the LPGA? its terrible