the lpga is a joke?

[kevinbomb123]

After watching the golf channel i found out that lorena ochoa is going to retire and it said her earnings were only 14.3 million. Phil Mickelson made 7.6 million in his masters win alone plus his sponsors money.

I think the lpga is just to make all these women happy that they can play golf and not be on the pga tour.

i mean michelle wie wants to play with the men when she cant win with the girls.



but still......... its still a fact that lpga earnings are 95% smaller then the pga tour

[senorchipotle]

i wouldn't call it a joke. it gives young female athletes something to aspire to. obviously they're not men, so they're not going to be as athletic. but it's the same with every other sport. if i ever have a little girl, i'm going to teach her to golf, and the women's tour will be something to aspire to. just think, if there were no men's tour, what would we have to aspire to? sure we'd still play, but it would severely diminish the game.

[Fairway_CY]

I don't see anything wrong with it. It's not in high demand... but - tell me this... how much has she outearned you by since 2003. She's outearned me by nearly $14M. I wouldn't say that an average of almost $2M a year is a 'joke'. In fact... I'd say that the bigger joke is that PGA purses have been blown up to such insane numbers. Just my opinion.

CY

[Shindig]

After watching the golf channel i found out that lorena ochoa is going to retire and it said her earnings were only 14.3 million. Phil Mickelson made 7.6 million in his masters win alone plus his sponsors money.

Yeah, and? Three of those are wins at one of the most lucrative events in the year. Lorena has sponsor money too, but very few athletes,

male or female, in any sport get Phil's level of endorsement money.

I think the lpga is just to make all these women happy that they can play golf and not be on the pga tour.

Yes, it's just to make these women happy, not to sell advertising, or hold competitions, or whatever.

i mean michelle wie wants to play with the men when she cant win with the girls.

Except for that she

has won with the girls, you're right.

but still......... its still a fact that lpga earnings are 95% smaller then the pga tour

It's not a fact; it's not 95% by a long shot. The Tres Marias tournament at the end of this month has a purse of $1,300,000 ; of this, 18% ($234,000) goes to the winner. This matches the purse and prize money from Phil's third PGA Tour win, the '93 International. His second PGA Tour victory - at Torrey Pines that same year - paid less than this (and his first win paid nothing, but that's because he was an amateur, and is acordingly another story).

That same week, the PGA Tour will be at Quail Hollow, competing for a purse of $6.5 million. This is only 5 times more than the purse the same week on the LPGA Tour. Most LPGA TOUR professionals don't make what the top PGA TOUR professionals make in endorsements, either, with a few notable exceptions (a certain someone made something like $20 million pretty quickly). But then again, the LPGA Tour isn't bringing in the same level of TV Ratings or ticket sales; they can't command the same prices for pro-am events and corporate booths, for naming rights, for tournament sponsorship.

[USA 79S]

I did read an article about the new LPGA Commissioner stepping in after I think a short term by the outgoing Head of LPGA. Anyways what I deciphered was that the LPGA has spiraled downward over the past few years, sponsors are down, tournaments are down, and they are hoping to rejuvenate the sport in 2010.

At any rate, like any sport I think that while female athletics are important to society, they just don't pick up the main media and fan coverage. Probably because men make up the better half of sport fans, and are more interested in the action being further, harder, faster, stronger, higher, or whatever other adjective need be inserted to describe excellence in a given sport.

I hope they do get things going stronger, my wife is getting into golf, and it'd be nice for her to find a role model to follow in the game. And who knows - I might have a daughter that could one day aspire to play golf at a competitive level, and with LPGA support programs for those girls will be stronger.

[nike_golf]

It's not a joke at all. I for one enjoy the LPGA tour. Plus, you said Ochoa "only" made 14.6 million during her career? Her career spans what? 6 - 7 years? I wouldn't say 14.6 million is just too bad.

And 7.6 million for Phil's Master's win? Where did you get that number?

I believe the winning purse was 1.6 million if I remember correctly.

Where are you getting the other 6 million?

[GaijinGolfer]

The LPGA isnt a joke. The ladies dont make as much as the men do for the simple reason that there isnt the sponsors and the financial backing like what the PGA tour has, so there simply isnt as much available for prize money.

[Doctorfro]

It's the same thing with the WNBA. They don't make much at all. They make around $50,000 per year. Some NBA guys make that for one game.

[FX(TM)]

And 7.6 million for Phil's Master's win? Where did you get that number?

I was thinking that.

After watching the golf channel i found out that lorena ochoa is going to retire and it said her earnings were only 14.3 million. Phil Mickelson made 7.6 million in his masters win alone plus his sponsors money.

Only $14.3million. I've got a task for you. Go online, and just list everything you'd want to buy if you had all the money available, put it all in a basket, and see what it comes up to. I bet you don't make $1million, without going to houses, and cars, then it'll come up to $2-3million.

You act as if $14.3million is nothing. She's made more than me and you put together will make in our lifetime, just by playing our favourite hobby.

[Ash1974]

I wish could I make 1.4 million in my life, let alone 14.3 million in 6-7 years.....

[Lefty-Golfer]

I don't know about the accuracy of the numbers but I do know that money talks. The sex of the golfer has litle to do with the prize money. If the LPGA drew big ratings, had huge corporate support and were percieved as being worth the investment they would make the top money as well...the reality is that the ratings aren't the same, the golfers aren't as good, fans aren't as many and the money machine for the LPGA just doesn't produce the $$ to support that.

It is not a joke, just different.

[CrazyXGolfer]

The tour is fine,
The Woman do not get the same crowds and sponsers so there is no way they can pay out huge amounts of money that is not there to give away.

[shades9323]

I guess that would make the Champions Tour a joke as well? You know, because the biggest winners check last year was $470k and the total purses were rarely over $2 million.

[Gioguy21]

I guess that would make the Champions Tour a joke as well?

well yea...keep up lol

[MicahF7]

Micheal wie made 20 million in 2008 I believe.... Just check on sports illistrated top 50 highest paid athletes list that they do every year.

But I think the lpga is a joke. Not because of the money.... They make great money for playing golf!

I think its a joke because for this reason.... In men's golf, the whole "gentlemen" think and dress code and respect and stuff like this is HUGE and honored everywhere.... Well the girls don't have any of that! Just watch if for 5 minutes and you can see that they are all wearing supper short skirts or shorts or something and it is completely stupid. Why don't they where pants like the men? Or a long skirt if they want to? Why do they get to be like that? Some of them are wearing no sleeves... It goes on, its unbelievable and a disgrace to golf I think... If girls want to play golf, they should play it like the guys. I have 3 sisters and a mom and they all agree with me to.

For these reasons I think it is a joke and I think they are hurting themselves. Think about it!

[Paz]

It's not the prize money that plays a significant difference in the incomes of LPGA and PGA players, it is the endorsements. First place at the Masters is 1.5mil. Only one higher than that is the PLAYERS at 1.7

[MasterP]

Just for comparison purposes, the winning-est professional bowler of all time Walter Ray Williams has made $4.25 mil over his 30 year career. The LPGA does pretty good for itself compared to other individual sports.

[enis750]

Micheal wie made 20 million in 2008 I believe.... Just check on sports illistrated top 50 highest paid athletes list that they do every year.

i really hope your a woman typing this....

i for one enjoy the oufits JUST FINE :)