When Will the PGA tour start helping the LPGA tour

[sean_miller]

Contrast that with how anonymous and prone to cheating the players from ______ are.

I like to watch good golf, but just like the rotating top spot in women's tennis, if we don't know who the players are then we don't care who wins or loses. In other words, we don't care at all. At least in women's tennis there are some hotties worth watching just for the sake of watching.

Originally Posted by Shorty

Not quite sure about your logic.

The top female golfers in the worlds are Asian players.

How would an event combined with a PGA tournament help American female players?

The only exposure you'd get would emphasise how superb the Asian players are and how petulant and sulky the likes of Creamer and Pressel are.

[ghalfaire]

I like a couple of points here.  The first is the LPGA needs a Tiger Woods to show up.  Sure helped the PGA and would help the LPGA, especially if it was an American Born Tiger Woods (that is not intended to be an anti Europe or Asia remark, just helps to see the home team excel).  I also like the idea of some shared events.  I used to watch the "Wendy's TriTour Annual" tournament.  The set the tee boxes such that the players were hitting approximately the same iron for the approach shots.  So the event was more about shot making than Power & Distance.  It was surprising how often the Champions Tour and LPGA Tour player won the event.  It was entertaining to watch and maybe one of the reasons I still watch the LPGA and Champions Tour events.

[sean_miller]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ghalfaire

I like a couple of points here.  The first is the LPGA needs a Tiger Woods to show up.  Sure helped the PGA and would help the LPGA, especially if it was an American Born Tiger Woods (that is not intended to be an anti Europe or Asia remark, just helps to see the home team excel).  I also like the idea of some shared events.  I used to watch the "Wendy's TriTour Annual" tournament.  The set the tee boxes such that the players were hitting approximately the same iron for the approach shots.  So the event was more about shot making than Power & Distance.  It was surprising how often the Champions Tour and LPGA Tour player won the event.  It was entertaining to watch and maybe one of the reasons I still watch the LPGA and Champions Tour events.

[Whiskey84]

I've always wondered when the PGA tour will start helping the LPGA tour just like mens college sports has to help womens sport. Title V I think. I love to listen to the interviews with the LPGA players when the ask them why the LPGA can get more sponsored events. It seems like they only play every other week at best. I hate to sound harsh but its like watching the teenage Asia tour. Don't get me wrong those ladies are great golfers but most Americans want to see American women playing better. This is the only way this tour stands a chance. Maybe try to combine a couple of events with the PGA tour to get more people exposed to the LPGA tour.

I think Title IV is awful. Women's sports don't generate nearly the revenue that men's do, yet they're entitled to equal funding across the board? Men's golf is just more exciting to watch. With both sexes on at the same time, most people tune into the PGA tour.

[shades9323]

This couldn't be further from the truth. LPGA players would wipe the floor with an average golf guy.  They will wipe the floor with scratch players, let alone an average guy.

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I agree that the LPGA is more like the golf average guys play versus the PGA which is what we all aspire to be able to do but very few of us ever will.

[mdl]

I actually really like watching the LPGA.  I agree that the talent isn't as deep.   The 50th best player on the LPGA is much worse than the top 10 players on the LPGA as compared with 50th versus top 10 on the PGA.  But the best two or three dozen players are SO good, and I actually like the fact that because they're smaller and female, I can hit it longer than almost all of them, so I get to see what shots look like hit by someone with pro level talent but a swing speed more like mine than the PGA pros are.

I'm also bored by the tiniest of the Asian women who hit their drivers 230 and play 7i for a 125 yard shot.  Yes it's highly effective for them but it's just not an entertaining athletic venture to watch someone with clubhead speed of 75-80 mph...

[mdl]

Originally Posted by shades9323

This couldn't be further from the truth. LPGA players would wipe the floor with an average golf guy.  They will wipe the floor with scratch players, let alone an average guy.

Totally.  Lots of solid long hitting amateur guys could outdrive an LPGA player, then just get absolutely dominated from there to the hole.

[Gresh24]

Originally Posted by shades9323

This couldn't be further from the truth. LPGA players would wipe the floor with an average golf guy.  They will wipe the floor with scratch players, let alone an average guy.

Average guys for sure, but scratch players?  Really?

[Yukari]

Okay, before this thing gets out of hand, let be clear that it is Title IX not Title V or Title IV that helped women's high school/collegiate sports.

To the point of this thread, there are many sports that have more audience for women's competition than men's--gymnastics, tennis, to name just a few.  Problem with LPGA--IMHO--is that the attractive females don't get much TV time.  Before you stop crying that I am being sexist, just think of the average Joe Schmoe who watches golf.  And the fact that Natalie Gulbus (as someone has already mentioned) is one of the most popular LPGA player--who has won only once or twice shows that the general public wants to see more TV coverage for an attractive female.

[newtogolf]

I'll agree average was a bit too far of a reach, but I think you went too far the other way to make your point saying they'd wipe the floor with male scratch golfers unless you are assuming they play from different tees

Originally Posted by shades9323

This couldn't be further from the truth. LPGA players would wipe the floor with an average golf guy.  They will wipe the floor with scratch players, let alone an average guy.

[x129]

There are lots (ok for some definition of lots) of long hitter amateurs that can outdrive PGA pros.

I would take the top 15-20 LPGA players over a scratch golfer (assuming we play the ladies tee in the mid 6k range).  Look what Annika or Wie did against the male golfers.  I doubt many scratch golfers would have been that competitive.  I don't track the LPGA enough to have a feel of how good the 100th ranked player is.

Originally Posted by mdl

Totally.  Lots of solid long hitting amateur guys could outdrive an LPGA player, then just get absolutely dominated from there to the hole.

[shades9323]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

I'll agree average was a bit too far of a reach, but I think you went too far the other way to make your point saying they'd wipe the floor with male scratch golfers unless you are assuming they play from different tees

LPGA tournaments are mostly in the mid 6000 range for yardage I think. Some shorter, some longer.  From those tees(both playing the same tees), yes the LPGA player will wipe the floor with the male scratch golfer.

Originally Posted by x129

There are lots (ok for some definition of lots) of long hitter amateurs that can outdrive PGA pros.

I would take the top 15-20 LPGA players over a scratch golfer (assuming we play the ladies tee in the mid 6k range).  Look what Annika or Wie did against the male golfers.  I doubt many scratch golfers would have been that competitive.  I don't track the LPGA enough to have a feel of how good the 100th ranked player is.

The 100th ranked player has a scoring average of 74 in tournament conditions. Similar to the PGA add, these gals are good!

[Montezumasdaddy]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

I went to this week's Safeway Classic on Friday and had a great time. The golf is superb, but closer to the scale of the golf I play than the men's game is. The shots the ladies hit, I can hit too, two or three times a summer. I like LPGA golf and watch the tournaments whenever I can find the on TV.

I don't see a business need for the PGA to help, support, subsidize, etc., the LPGA, though. Nor do I see a moral(?) need to. While I sympathize with the LPGA's current situation, they will have to find their own success model. They will be better for it if they do. Hopefully, they can find a way to get to a 33 to 35-tournament schedule in the next few years, with 20-25 of them in the U.S.

As for womens' sports in general, let me offer two hypotheses for the general lack of public support for women's sports.

1. Pop Psychology: Men are wired to be competitors. Women are wired to be cooperators. In general. The idea of watching men compete seems natural and we look forward to the chance. Women competing seems odd, in a way, because our primeval wiring sees this as acting against type. So we'll watch, but our interest is lukewarm.

2. Standard setters: The best athletes, by far, are men. There is no questioning the truth of that. That is why men and women compete separately. When we watch athletes performing, we want to see the best performances that can be achieved in that sport. That's men's performances. Women doing the same thing is interesting, but not up to the standards the men set, so it's not that interesting (ML baseball vs. college softball). Exceptions that come to mind are figure skating and gymnastics, in which the men's version and the women's version are entirely different sports.

I think women's tennis got a free pass because the men's and women's tournaments are played simultaneously (at least the major tournaments are) in the same venues, and not because the quality of competition in the women's game equals that of the men's game.

What???!!!!!!!! I assume you're single and have never had a girlfriend. JK. Seriously though, I enjoy watching the LPGA however if I have to choose between that and the PGA, unless its a major I'll choose the PGA.

[clubchamp]

A scratch golfer most of the time wouldn't compete with a LPGA player from the same tees.

As for the LPGA tour I've said previously they need to come to the realization that they will have to move the bulk of their schedule to Asia. Yani Tseng is a heck of a player but she just doesn't get the attention that Annika or Lorena got when they dominated. If the majority of your top players are from other countries then you need to build your schedule around them. I like the LPGA tour but with the down economy and lack of sponsors in america why not shop some where else.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Whiskey84

I think Title IV is awful. Women's sports don't generate nearly the revenue that men's do, yet they're entitled to equal funding across the board?

How much money do you think men's golf generates in college?

Originally Posted by shades9323

They will wipe the floor with scratch players

I disagree, but, we have another thread for that discussion .

Originally Posted by mdl

I actually really like watching the LPGA.  I agree that the talent isn't as deep.   The 50th best player on the LPGA is much worse than the top 10 players on the LPGA as compared with 50th versus top 10 on the PGA.  But the best two or three dozen players are SO good, and I actually like the fact that because they're smaller and female, I can hit it longer than almost all of them, so I get to see what shots look like hit by someone with pro level talent but a swing speed more like mine than the PGA pros are.

I'm also bored by the tiniest of the Asian women who hit their drivers 230 and play 7i for a 125 yard shot.  Yes it's highly effective for them but it's just not an entertaining athletic venture to watch someone with clubhead speed of 75-80 mph...

Agree with all of that.