This Season Has Been A Failure

[ChronicSlicer]

I have no issue personally with Koreans or Aussie`s or whatever nationality winning on the LPGA, however I do believe the lack of Americans winning is likely hurting TV ratings here. Be honest and look at this link, who on this list of US players can draw a crowd or viewers and has the skill to win a few times a year...be honest, don`t just pick your favorite or the one who looks the best..https://www.rolexrankings.com/rankings

 

In my opinion it`s Lexi. I think she could be the player who moves the needle, she just needs some help with the putter.

Let`s face it, the Pink Panther is basically done, Michelle Wie is too inconsistent. Who`s the next "IT" girl of the LPGA for the US?

 

Lexi is the closest to being the "IT" girl of the LPGA for the US.

 

However Michelle Wie could have been, or could still be, the "IT" girl for the entire LPGA, regardless of nationality.

 

Agreed. But even if Lexi could pull off three wins a year, she can`t attract viewers and crowds week in and week out alone.

 

I know alot of hope is that the Korda sisters and D.Kang will come through, but I wouldn`t hold my breath. Fun fact: Both Korda`s and D.Kang combined have 1 more career top 10 than Lexi by herself..that says alot really.

[ChronicSlicer]

As much as I hate to say it, the LPGA needs ladies like these, BUT, they need to compete with the best also, which doesn`t seem to happen. I know some will disagree, but face it good looking girls draw crowds and boost attendance and ratings. Sorry,but it`s true. http://www.golfpunkhq.com/swingin-sirens

[Argonne69]

On the bright side, the International Crown is coming up, and the number one seeded team (Korea) is looking pretty vulnerable at the moment. I actually like the Americans' chances at defending.

 

Match play is a different beast that doesn't reward slow and steady play. The Americans generally succeed or fail with more aggressive play.

[Shilgy]

It'll be interesting to see if Lucy goes the college route, or jumps straight into the professional ranks. I'm guessing she follows Lydia, Lexi, and Brooke and turns pro.

From what I have seen is Li the answer? At best she will be a younger Lydia. Way too short a hitter to be America's hope on the ladies tour.

[legitimategolf]

As much as I hate to say it, the LPGA needs ladies like these, BUT, they need to compete with the best also, which doesn`t seem to happen. I know some will disagree, but face it good looking girls draw crowds and boost attendance and ratings. Sorry,but it`s true. http://www.golfpunkh.../swingin-sirens

 

You're right, it is true. In fact, name me a business that would NOT see an uptick if they were to replace everyone with more attractive people?

 

By your logic, we should be pushing for more attractive people in not just golf, but every single station in life.

 

Oh, but being attractive isn't relevant to most people's jobs, you might say.

 

T.S.! Is what I'd say.

[Argonne69]

It'll be interesting to see if Lucy goes the college route, or jumps straight into the professional ranks. I'm guessing she follows Lydia, Lexi, and Brooke and turns pro.

From what I have seen is Li the answer? At best she will be a younger Lydia. Way too short a hitter to be America's hope on the ladies tour.

 

Jiyai, Ai, Stacy, Inbee, Shanshan, and Lydia all rose to #1 despite being median length (or less) off the tee. So Yeon was a few yards past the median when she became #1.

 

Yeah, being long off the tee certainly helps, but it's not a requirement to be a top player.

[Socrates]

When you have 3 of your better golfers out having children, it's gotta hurt the ratings (Suzann Pettersen, Stacey Lewis and Gerina Piller). Also having Wie sidelined with injury didn't help. Other than the Korda sisters, the talent pool is currently shallow for the Americans. Hopefully some of the new US kids can soon step it up after a year or two of learning the ropes.

[Socrates]

Plus a lot of players became oddly average this year. Imbee Park, Lydia Ko, ShanShan Feng, Cristie Kerr to name a few.

[North Texas]

I believe the language issue is overblown. After four days of golf, do we really care about a 60 second post round interview? There's not enough time to ask interesting questions anyway, so you wind up with 2 or 3 softball questions. You know the answers coming before the question is even finished. Is a fan really put off because the golfer didn't give a passionate, articulate answer to the inane question? Frankly, I'd rather listen to May or Sung Hyun then, ummm, Michelle.

 

This all day long. The next interesting post round interview I see will be the first one. Post round interviews are actually pretty worthless.

 

And your comment on ummm Michelle made think back to the interview of the girl who just won the US Amateur, Kristen Gillman. This girl is in her second year of college and you would not believe how well spoken and articulate she was. She made Michelle Wie should like a freaking grade schooler in comparison. Despite my sentence above about post round interviews being pretty worthless, hers was actually a good one. Of course, she is from Texas so that really doesn't surprise me :taunt:

[Railroading13]

The Koreans are a part of the problem as far as US ratings, they are boring, sorry. Like Park yesterday at Indy, literally looks like a robot and not feminine

[Argonne69]

Plus a lot of players became oddly average this year. Imbee Park, Lydia Ko, ShanShan Feng, Cristie Kerr to name a few.

 

Boy, I wish I could be that average. Inbee is 9th in CME points, and has a victory and 5 top 10s this season in only 11 starts. Lydia is 10th in CME points, and also has a victory and 5 top 10s in 19 starts. 'Definitely better than last season. Shanshan is 16th in CME points, and has 5 top 10s.

 

Sure, they're not playing like they did at their peaks, but they're way above average IMO.

[Argonne69]

The Koreans are a part of the problem as far as US ratings, they are boring, sorry. Like Park yesterday at Indy, literally looks like a robot and not feminine

 

Huh? Are we looking at the same player?

 

 

 

[The Pearl]

I am an LPGA fan and have cut down my viewing this year to almost zero. Other than Fox with their extended coverage, the rest of the coverage is one big commercial. Often it is 5 to 6 minutes, one shot, a couple of putts and than a whole slew of ads. I am done with it.

 

You can say what you want about FOX but at least they are trying to change the culture. They showed a ton of the U.S. Amateur. The rest of the networks should be ashamed to what they are doing to their broadcasts. It will be brutal during the Ryder Cup, mark my words.

[0351Duffer]

The player with the talent to be "The American It Girl" is Lexi...

 

But, I wonder if we'll see her have that fire, drive, etc... for more than a few more years at a level necessary to be #1 and have multiple win seasons. I like some young player's like Emma Talley, they have potential and are very likeable. But, honestly... there is no one amongst the American LPGA roster that I think is going to dominate a season(s).

 

On the Asian side, there is SHP, Minjee Lee(one of my favs), Lydia Ko, JYK, SYR, In Gee, just to name a few. It's going to be hard to knock the Asian women off the top of the LPGA IMO...

 

My only issue with SHP (and it's a small one) but gets to the heart of this thread, is that she hasn't gotten enough command of English to give her own interviews and talk to the press in a meaningful manner. Her golf game is a thing to behold, and she has started to show more emotion this season after wins. It's just hard to get engaged with a player who more often than not uses an interpreter.

 

From an interview standpoint, I'd compare it to the men's side where I'd rather stab myself in the eye with a dull spoon than listen to Dustin "The Caveman" Johnson give an interview. "Me Dustin, Have good round, hit ball long, long way, but why ball no go in hole?" LMFAO

 

I say this because:

 

Dustin is #1 in the world and has an impressive game, but shows almost no emotion ever while on the course, he's mind-numbingly bad to listen to off the golf course. He however has the advantage of being an American and speaking basic English(LOL) , even if it sounds like a high school jock giving an interview to the local newspaper most of the time. ;-P

 

Park, also #1 in the world and has an amazing game, but she speaks little to no English on camera, and thus, suffers from the same issues as the Caveman, albeit for different reasons. But again, she's Korean not American like DJ.

 

I'd also agree that rivalries often make golf exciting and those are lacking more in the LPGA.

[Tailgater]

I think the lack of great players in US is making people lose interest here in US.

I agree. The reason for the perceived lack of interest might be as simple as this.

 

I know S.H. Park is great. She hits it a mile. She rarely makes a mistake. She putts very well. And I still have zero interest in watching her play. I have tried to care about her. But I just don't. I don't dislike like her. She just doesn't move the interest needle for me.

 

Then think of her as a villain and root against her. It's all just entertainment IMO. I never liked Michelle Wie but as a fan of the LPGA I had to suffer through a pretty long reign of terror. But I got through it okay.

Villains still need to be interesting. She’s not.

[Longballbogey]

The worst part about the LPGA is the coverage, it's down right terrible. 3/4s of the time it delayed and when they show it live they show only the middle of the round. Like watching 6 innings of a ball game.

 

what we need is 3 putt back on this site, he creates all the interests and controversies, I like that. Thailand is my pick at the int'l crown.

[Stooch]

I think the lack of great players in US is making people lose interest here in US.

I agree. The reason for the perceived lack of interest might be as simple as this.

 

I know S.H. Park is great. She hits it a mile. She rarely makes a mistake. She putts very well. And I still have zero interest in watching her play. I have tried to care about her. But I just don't. I don't dislike like her. She just doesn't move the interest needle for me.

 

Then think of her as a villain and root against her. It's all just entertainment IMO. I never liked Michelle Wie but as a fan of the LPGA I had to suffer through a pretty long reign of terror. But I got through it okay.

Villains still need to be interesting. She's not.

 

The closest thing I had to a villain on the LPGA recently was Ha Na Jang, and she's a sweetheart lol. Her furious fist pumps after a birdie on the 2nd hole of the 1st round drove me crazy inside, so much so a voice in my head would say I hope she loses, but that as close as I got to a villain lol

[kool-aid]

The wife and I have, and continue to, watch way more LPGA golf on TV then the PGA. Don't ask me why but it's just way more interesting to us.

 

Does anyone know how TV ratings have done compared to previous years?

 

Weather delays are just bad luck.

Don't see the rivalry aspect as a big deal as there are numerous good players pretty much contending every week.

Weak play by Americans could, and will, become a huge problem for the LPGA if it doesn't change.

Don't really know what was terrible with the TV coverage as compared to previous years.

Majors are always more intriguing.

 

First round of the US Womens open had the lowest viewership of any LPGA event this year, final round of the Womens British was the most viewed event of the year and pushed this years average viewership up (local winning at home is always a massive draw in any sport). British made the average viewership comparable to 2013 levels, but again thats just one tournament giving it a massive boost.

 

The LPGA has viewership and marking issues, they almost couldnt find a venue to host the US Womens Open a few years ago. The LPGA doesnt have a marketable dominant star and challengers, or someone you hate to see win and watch to see if they lose a la Patrick Reed.

 

Cristie Kerr and Stacy Lewis used to fill that role for me but they are not the players they once were.

[Tailgater]

The Koreans are a part of the problem as far as US ratings, they are boring, sorry. Like Park yesterday at Indy, literally looks like a robot and not feminine

 

Huh? Are we looking at the same player?

 

I agree with RR13. She is 80% part robot and 20% part boy, despite a couple of cherry-picked photos.

[joeshmo]

This Season Has Been A Failure----------I guess it's a American point of view.

 

I am a Epat living in Asia. We might get 10 PGA events on TV. We get all the LPGA events on Tv.

I'm loving the LPGA coverage and the variety of players/winners each week.

A lot of the LPGA Tournaments are live in the middle of the night here and Fox Sports will usually

have a 1 to 2 hour highlight show later in the day...might be 1 reason I enjoy watching the ladies.

[ChaosTheory]

^^^ This is a good contrast to the problem of poor coverage in the USA, which was mentioned earlier. That’s a big deal. I know when the PGA is on. I know when the Cubs are on. But it’s hard for me to sync up an interest in watching the LPGA with the poor availability of it.

[ChronicSlicer]

As much as I hate to say it, the LPGA needs ladies like these, BUT, they need to compete with the best also, which doesn`t seem to happen. I know some will disagree, but face it good looking girls draw crowds and boost attendance and ratings. Sorry,but it`s true. http://www.golfpunkh.../swingin-sirens

 

You're right, it is true. In fact, name me a business that would NOT see an uptick if they were to replace everyone with more attractive people?

 

By your logic, we should be pushing for more attractive people in not just golf, but every single station in life.

 

Oh, but being attractive isn't relevant to most people's jobs, you might say.

 

T.S.! Is what I'd say.

 

Sorry, I`m not saying replace anybody with attractive people. I just pointed out the obvious.

[Argonne69]

^^^ This is a good contrast to the problem of poor coverage in the USA, which was mentioned earlier. That’s a big deal. I know when the PGA is on. I know when the Cubs are on. But it’s hard for me to sync up an interest in watching the LPGA with the poor availability of it.

 

You don't have a DVR?

 

I'm serious. My DVR is set to record all LPGA events. Other than the West coast events, there's a round waiting for me to watch when I get home from work, finish dinner, and plop on the sofa to watch TV. OK, that's a loud PLOP.

 

Yes, I do agree that the coverage is lacking in many areas. Too few hours most weeks. Too little golf at times. However, the fast forward button is a remarkable invention that makes golf highlight reels possible. I can listen to as little, or as much banter as I can stomach.

 

Hopefully the LPGA will work out a much better deal when the current contract expires. At a minimum, streaming would be wonderful.

[ChaosTheory]

That would take work on my part, lol. Well it really would, because I would not watch 90% of the episodes, and eventually I'd get tired of deleting them. If there was a DVR function which would auto-delete if not watched within 1 week, that would be perfect for things like this. Essentially creating my own on-demand catalog.

[Argonne69]

That would take work on my part, lol. Well it really would, because I would not watch 90% of the episodes, and eventually I'd get tired of deleting them. If there was a DVR function which would auto-delete if not watched within 1 week, that would be perfect for things like this. Essentially creating my own on-demand catalog.

 

You must have a very poor DVR. My box has options to keep recordings until I delete them, or keep (n) episodes. After reaching the (n) limit, it deletes the oldest episode. After setting up the initial recording, I haven't touched it in years.

 

Of course, I watch every LPGA round, so it's not really an issue for me.

[North Texas]

That would take work on my part, lol. Well it really would, because I would not watch 90% of the episodes, and eventually I'd get tired of deleting them. If there was a DVR function which would auto-delete if not watched within 1 week, that would be perfect for things like this. Essentially creating my own on-demand catalog.

 

You must have a very poor DVR. My box has options to keep recordings until I delete them, or keep (n) episodes. After reaching the (n) limit, it deletes the oldest episode. After setting up the initial recording, I haven't touched it in years.

 

Of course, I watch every LPGA round, so it's not really an issue for me.

 

Yep. Same here. We're set up to record all LPGA tournaments automatically, delete them after so long, AND with an automatic 3 hour extension added so we don't have the recording cut off before the tournament is over due to weather delays and/or slow play. Believe me, if I can figure out how to do all that, anyone can. Seriously.

[Argonne69]

 

You must have a very poor DVR. My box has options to keep recordings until I delete them, or keep (n) episodes. After reaching the (n) limit, it deletes the oldest episode. After setting up the initial recording, I haven't touched it in years.

 

Of course, I watch every LPGA round, so it's not really an issue for me.

 

Yep. Same here. We're set up to record all LPGA tournaments automatically, delete them after so long, AND with an automatic 3 hour extension added so we don't have the recording cut off before the tournament is over due to weather delays and/or slow play. Believe me, if I can figure out how to do all that, anyone can. Seriously.

 

I do have to make a note to myself to set up the recording for the USWO on Fox, and the KPMG and WBO on NBC. For the two on NBC, I'll manually set the DVR to record the time period after the NBC broadcast ends in case they cut off coverage, and send it over to The Golf Channel.

[legitimategolf]

As much as I hate to say it, the LPGA needs ladies like these, BUT, they need to compete with the best also, which doesn`t seem to happen. I know some will disagree, but face it good looking girls draw crowds and boost attendance and ratings. Sorry,but it`s true. http://www.golfpunkh.../swingin-sirens

 

You're right, it is true. In fact, name me a business that would NOT see an uptick if they were to replace everyone with more attractive people?

 

By your logic, we should be pushing for more attractive people in not just golf, but every single station in life.

 

Oh, but being attractive isn't relevant to most people's jobs, you might say.

 

T.S.! Is what I'd say.

 

Sorry, I`m not saying replace anybody with attractive people. I just pointed out the obvious.

 

And I pointed out that many businesses could benefit from more attractive people which is completely in line with your ugly, idiotic, sexist idea.

[legitimategolf]

The Koreans are a part of the problem as far as US ratings, they are boring, sorry. Like Park yesterday at Indy, literally looks like a robot and not feminine

 

This sort of bigotry is actually why we need a US vs Korea cup match IMO!

 

This is a real rivalry, with a compelling narrative. It would be the closest thing to the original Ryder Cup that anybody could come up with. Which is to say the situation reminds me of Britain v. the US in the very early days of modern tournament golf (i.e. early 20th century). Britain at that time probably felt that the Americans were trying to usurp the game that they had invented. America is now in Britain's place. We are the putative superpower of golf, but Korea is encroaching, sucking up so many of our trophies and prize moneys. Beating up on our girls.

 

Such an event, while potentially ugly, would be sensational IMO. If you thought there's too much crying at the Solheim Cup, you wouldn't even be able to handle this one.

[Argonne69]

Curious what people think about first time winners. Good? Bad? Mixed? Even though I like seeing the top ranked players battling for the win, it's nice to see a first time winner now and again. It gives hope to the winless that they too can put together four solid rounds and hoist the trophy. We've had two players win three times this season, and six first time winners. The remaining tournaments were won by previous winners.