Paula Creamer wants a Women’s Masters at Augusta [SB Nation]

[Spitfisher]

The USGA, R&A;, and the PGA are all governing bodies of golf in some fashion. That obligates them to host championship tournaments for both men and women. But the Masters is an invitational tournament put on, and controlled entirely, by one golf club. In that sense, it is a niche tournament, which, despite its outsized stature, owes nothing to anyone except the members of the club. Live with it.

THIS!

[Dave2512]

I don't think nationality is the issue. Some of the Asian pros are the most exciting. When Yani was ripping it up I watched often. Just seems like 20 or so real talented and then the quality drops considerably.

[Golfingdad]

I don't think nationality is the issue. Some of the Asian pros are the most exciting. When Yani was ripping it up I watched often. Just seems like 20 or so real talented and then the quality drops considerably.

Totally agree. I wNt to watch the best golfers. Doesn't matter if they're American, Kiwi, Korean, Chinese, Spanish or German (Hi Sandra! ;)). In fact, I think the internationality is quite a good thing.

[Dave2512]

That said enjoying watching the ladies at LMGC . Course looks really good.

[14ledo81]

Are there any of the great "classic" courses that the PGA can't use any more because of the men's distance? Maybe something like this could make for an interesting course for the ladies?

[Mulligan Jeff]

I can see The Donald stepping up by pledging one of his courses for an LPGA Masters.

[Vinsk]

Top 30 LPGA: Only 7 Americans Top 30 PGA: 19 are American As far as "growing golf" in the USA I don't see how a Masters at Augusta would play any role. It would be like inviting Germany, Brazil, Italy and France to play USA in a soccer match in a prized US location and call it a World Cup. Watching US Women get their skirts handed to them by an Asian dominated tour hardly gives inspiration to our young girls who are watching.

[krupa]

Top 30 LPGA: Only 7 Americans

Top 30 PGA: 19 are American

As far as "growing golf" in the USA I don't see how a Masters at Augusta would play any role.

It would be like inviting Germany, Brazil, Italy and France to play USA in a soccer match in a prized US location and call it a World Cup.

Watching US Women get their skirts handed to them by an Asian dominated tour hardly gives inspiration to our young girls who are watching.

Unless their parents have already taught them to be xenophobic, I doubt young girls are really going to consider the nationality of the players.

[turtleback]

Are there any of the great "classic" courses that the PGA can't use any more because of the men's distance?

Maybe something like this could make for an interesting course for the ladies?

Merion.  And they would not have to trick it up the way they had to for the Men's US Open.  But there is no way they would commit to a recurring tournament, I'd guess.

General comment:  If the ladies were to get some kind of "Masters" would that be another major (what would that make, about 12 ladies majors? /hyperbole) or would they eliminate one of the existing ones?

[Vinsk]

Unless their parents have already taught them to be xenophobic, I doubt young girls are really going to consider the nationality of the players.

Disappointing response. I hope you're not one of those who feels rooting for the USA in the Olympics makes one xenophobic. I think you're completely wrong. Do you honestly believe if Tiger Woods was Romanian he would've generated the massive growth and interest in golf that he did here in the U.S. ?

[Rick Martin]

Unless their parents have already taught them to be xenophobic, I doubt young girls are really going to consider the nationality of the players.

That's a stretch. Our national sports media isn't following LPGA - pretty much has it just above woman's field hockey, imo.  And because of this, young girls aren't watching.

If we had American women dominating the sport consistently, that would change.  Most Americans know who Nancy Lopez is/was. Few know the current top LPGA players in the world.  I don't even know and I watch GC occasionally.

Tennis, especially men's tennis, has suffered from this. We don't have any great American male tennis players and the popularity of the sport has suffered and isn't covered as much as if an American were winning the events.

[Dave2512]

Here is a different take. I don't think young girls tuning in is what the LPGA needs. They need support from the golf community in general. And IMO since it keeps coming up what the LPGA lacks is highly skilled players and distance. It's not a nationality problem. Lydia Ko is making waves. The LPGA needs more Lexi Thompson types that can hit the ball far enough to impress the recreational male golffer obsessed with distance. That is what sets the PGA and LPGA apart. Guys see them hitting 240 yard drives and 190 hybrinds and think I csn do that. When they see the PGA guys bombing 325yard drives and 125 yard SW they think awesome. The LPGA needs more awesome moments or at least a way to highlight how good they are from 6400-6700 yards. But again the problem is it's 25-40 or so great ladies and the rest kind of meh. Some of the Big Break girls made it to the LPGA. They didn't do much to impress people on this forum on the show so unlikely to generate interest on the tour.

[krupa]

Quote:

Originally Posted by krupa

Unless their parents have already taught them to be xenophobic, I doubt young girls are really going to consider the nationality of the players.

Disappointing response. I hope you're not one of those who feels rooting for the USA in the Olympics makes one xenophobic.

I think you're completely wrong. Do you honestly believe if Tiger Woods was Romanian he would've generated the massive growth and interest in golf that he did here in the U.S. ?

Why is it disappointing?  What does the nationality of a golfer have to do with anything?  And what do the Olympics have to do with anything?  We're not talking about a Ryder Cup-type event.

I think if TW was Romanian, and you let a young kid watch him play WITHOUT telling him where he was from, the kid wouldn't even think to ask.  I don't think the kid would care even if you DID tell him that he was from Romania.

Other sports embrace players from other countries.  What's wrong with golf?

Quote:

Originally Posted by krupa

Unless their parents have already taught them to be xenophobic, I doubt young girls are really going to consider the nationality of the players.

That's a stretch. Our national sports media isn't following LPGA - pretty much has it just above woman's field hockey, imo.  And because of this, young girls aren't watching.

If we had American women dominating the sport consistently, that would change.  Most Americans know who Nancy Lopez is/was. Few know the current top LPGA players in the world.  I don't even know and I watch GC occasionally.

Tennis, especially men's tennis, has suffered from this. We don't have any great American male tennis players and the popularity of the sport has suffered and isn't covered as much as if an American were winning the events.

I think if you bring young (i.e., pre-teen) girls to a golf tournament and let them watch, they're not really going to care where the players are from.  The idea of rooting for someone based on nationality is not something that we're born with.  So if young girls care, it's because they were taught to care.

Furthermore, I think the argument for "growing golf" by having a Women's Masters is about getting golf more exposure, not about any particular player.

[Dave2512]

Tiger really doesn't belong in this conversation. But since he was brought up worth mentioning is he wasn't exactly the model all-American. People were just as fascinated by his enthnicity as his skill.

[Jeremie Boop]

Furthermore, I think the argument for "growing golf" by having a Women's Masters is about getting golf more exposure, not about any particular player.

How about working on more publicity and exposure for all the existing tournaments. That seems like a much more logical and reasonable course of action than asking Augusta to host another tournament. I doubt females think, "if only women's golf had a Master's at Augusta I'd really be interested in playing." I also don't think that there are people who don't realize that the LPGA exists who would suddenly be interested because they had Master's at Augusta either. The concept that it should happen to "grow the game" is flawed.

[krupa]

[QUOTE name="krupa" url="/t/81424/paula-creamer-wants-a-women-s-masters-at-augusta-sb-nation/198#post_1134233"]   Furthermore, I think the argument for "growing golf" by having a Women's Masters is about getting golf more exposure, not about any particular player. [/QUOTE] How about working on more publicity and exposure for all the existing tournaments. That seems like a much more logical and reasonable course of action than asking Augusta to host another tournament. I doubt females think, "if only women's golf had a Master's at Augusta I'd really be interested in playing." I also don't think that there are people who don't realize that the LPGA exists who would suddenly be interested because they had Master's at Augusta either. The concept that it should happen to "grow the game" is flawed.

I completely agree that the concept is flawed.

[Vinsk]

Here is a different take. I don't think young girls tuning in is what the LPGA needs. They need support from the golf community in general. And IMO since it keeps coming up what the LPGA lacks is highly skilled players and distance. It's not a nationality problem. Lydia Ko is making waves. The LPGA needs more Lexi Thompson types that can hit the ball far enough to impress the recreational male golffer obsessed with distance. That is what sets the PGA and LPGA apart. Guys see them hitting 240 yard drives and 190 hybrinds and think I csn do that. When they see the PGA guys bombing 325yard drives and 125 yard SW they think awesome. The LPGA needs more awesome moments or at least a way to highlight how good they are from 6400-6700 yards. But again the problem is it's 25-40 or so great ladies and the rest kind of meh. Some of the Big Break girls made it to the LPGA. They didn't do much to impress people on this forum on the show so unlikely to generate interest on the tour.

I agree with this 100%

[Dave2512]

While watching Swinging Skirts yesterday couldn't help but think the way they present it could be a lot more interesting and upbeat. Listening to Jerry Foltz and Tom Abbott whispering monotone doesn't do much to reel you in. Not a lot of stats presented and I didn't see any Pro Tracer. The PGA doesn't do much better but at least the people calling it are somewhat recognizable.