LPGA Commissioner

[Bad9]

All this bickering is why the LPGA struggles. Whan's doing a great job.

 

So the LPGA is struggling because a bunch of grumpy old men on an internet golf forum are bickering about its commissioner?

 

Partially. Thanks for your in-depth analysis! :swoon:

 

Its twice as in depth and insightful as yours was.

[Ignatius Reilly]

Cristie Kerr, the top American on the career LPGA Money List, has racked up just short of $20 million in career earnings.

 

 

 

Yes, and Cristie has been on tour since 1997. She has 20 wins. 176 top 10`s. Total earnings $19,607,756

Dustin Johnson has been on tour since 2007. He has 19 wins. 90 top 10`s Total earnings $ 56,601,122

 

So, yeah they girls don`t play for peanuts exactly, but it`s pretty clear there`s a huge,huge difference, Don`t forget Cristie has 10 more years and nearly twice the top 10`s as DJ, yet Dustin has earned 37 million more. Just sayin..

 

Dustin and many others benefitted from the Tiger TV/ratings factor. If there was an equivalent on the LPGA tour, who knows where prize money would be.

 

As a point of validation, the 1995 US Open was won by Corey Pavin. He made $350,000.

 

The 2005 USO paid out $1.17M to the winner, Michael Campbell. 3x increase.

 

Just to complete the comparisons, the 1995 US Women's Open was won by Annika. She made $175,000 (exactly half of what Pavin made).

The 2005 USWO paid out $560,000 to the winner, Birdie Kim. 3x increase.

 

You have to dig down a few more decimal points to see the difference: Men's was a 3.34x increase, women's was 3.20.

 

So.... I think the "Tiger factor" might be overrated.

 

The reality is the LPGA attracts fewer fans and sponsors so it has less money to deal with. Pretty much the same as every other sport.

 

Whan has been terrific for the Tour. Bivens was actually very good as well, with one kinda big gaff.

[JaNelson38]

 

 

Yes, and Cristie has been on tour since 1997. She has 20 wins. 176 top 10`s. Total earnings $19,607,756

Dustin Johnson has been on tour since 2007. He has 19 wins. 90 top 10`s Total earnings $ 56,601,122

 

So, yeah they girls don`t play for peanuts exactly, but it`s pretty clear there`s a huge,huge difference, Don`t forget Cristie has 10 more years and nearly twice the top 10`s as DJ, yet Dustin has earned 37 million more. Just sayin..

 

As I said, there is a huge difference because the LPGA product is not nearly as popular with viewers and corporate sponsors as the PGA Tour is. In all honesty, that's where the bump in money has gone. Until the LPGA can get to that point, their payouts are simply going to be less because the size of the pie is smaller. To be quite frank, they've done an amazing job getting the purse levels on the LPGA to where they are now, with purses for most regular events between $1-2 million and majors at $3-4 million or higher.

 

The PGA Tour is going to face the same issue once Tiger and Phil no longer play. There is no real transcendent golfing star in the hopper after them that will drive and sustain the current purse levels the PGA Tour has the way Tiger and Phil have carried the Tour over the last 2 decades. There is no doubt in my mind the PGA Tour will be having a "correction" in purse and sponsorship money in the very near future.

[DavePelz4]

Dustin and many others benefitted from the Tiger TV/ratings factor. If there was an equivalent on the LPGA tour, who knows where prize money would be.

 

 

 

Well, although she wasn`t American, Annika was the female version of Tiger, both playing at the same time as well. Clearly the LPGA must not have caught fire like the PGA. It is what it is I guess.

 

Comparable relative talent between the two but Annika lacked the presence and "it" factor. If Michelle Wie had ever reached her full potential, that might have been someone who could have slightly closed the gap.

[ChronicSlicer]

Dustin and many others benefitted from the Tiger TV/ratings factor. If there was an equivalent on the LPGA tour, who knows where prize money would be.

 

 

 

Well, although she wasn`t American, Annika was the female version of Tiger, both playing at the same time as well. Clearly the LPGA must not have caught fire like the PGA. It is what it is I guess.

 

Comparable relative talent between the two but Annika lacked the presence and "it" factor. If Michelle Wie had ever reached her full potential, that might have been someone who could have slightly closed the gap.

 

Interesting thoughts.

[GeorgeHWB]

Poll the LPGA players and ask them if they'd rather have Michael Whan or Carolyn Bivens as their commissioner.

 

Michael Whan is fantastic. I wish the NFL would take him and make him their commissioner. I'm serious.

[NaBUru38]

so, if the American men who are trying to make it outside of the US...should they have to learn the language for the various countries those tours play in?

Yes. Footballers do, for example. The Dutch spoke perfect Spanish at Barcelona. Carlos Tevez spoke English very poorly at Manchester, but he did anyway.

[tbowles411]

Michael Whan grew the LPGA rapidly and brought them back from the brink. Their purses have increased and now they have a huge schedule. You have the big players now not having to play every week and the journeymen (ladies :) ) can now have legitimate chances to make a living out there. They had to go truly Worldwide to do it, but they did it.

[lumberman2462]

Most casual fans do not realize how close the Biven’s era came to making the LPGA insolvent.

 

The event at my former club died during her tenure...l was close to a few people involved in the discussions with her and LPGA staff. Delusional is the best description.

 

Whan turned it around. Hope he gets a bonus. (Or maybe a tournament named after him)

 

 

 

[postfold]

Most casual fans do not realize how close the Biven’s era came to making the LPGA insolvent.

 

Whan has been fortunate that the economy has been in better shape than it was during Bivens' tenure but the fact of the matter is that he and his team have done stellar work. More tournaments, bigger prize pools, innovations -- looking forward to the Dow team event's debut this year -- more TV time. They can do better yet in all respects but the progress is unmistakable.

 

I can only assume the original post was a troll attempt. Whan is the commissioner of a professional golf tour, not a gynecologist.

[new2g0lf]

Whan has increased purses and tournaments but did so by seeking support outside the US, which was a calculated risk. It seems the outcome is greater interest outside the US and less within the US.

[lumberman2462]

Whan has increased purses and tournaments but did so by seeking support outside the US, which was a calculated risk. It seems the outcome is greater interest outside the US and less within the US.

 

Maybe. Time will tell. I wouldn't be surprised if the US experiences a turnaround over the next few years and we see some events return.

[new2g0lf]

Whan has increased purses and tournaments but did so by seeking support outside the US, which was a calculated risk. It seems the outcome is greater interest outside the US and less within the US.

 

Maybe. Time will tell. I wouldn't be surprised if the US experiences a turnaround over the next few years and we see some events return.

 

It also depends on a Ladies European Tour not pushing harder to capitalize on what the LPGA has built overseas. I'm sure the US members wouldn't mind cutting back on their international travel if you're right.