the pgatour vs the lpga

[new2g0lf]

I wonder how the WNBA relates to this? It believe the NBA attracts a wider audience than the WNBA.

 

The WNBA profiles their audience as the following:

Female 58%

Ages 12-17 27%

Ages 18-34 31%

Ages 35-54 26%

 

The problem is the WNBA's best rating day only had 600,000 people watching, typical ratings are around 200,000 so while more than half are female the overall fan base is quite small.

 

Compare that to the NFL which averages about 22,000,000 viewers of which 45% are female and those numbers are down about 10% since 2015.

[Conrad1953]

The LPGA survives now because it is a world wide tour with stars from all over the world.

 

It's like selling in your local classifieds compared to selling on Ebay. The LPGA is really

a niche market in a world market.....and as mentioned before, Mike Whan has made it

much better and has done a great job. He works the Augusta folks every year tying to

get a Ladie's Masters's there. He may never get it but he keeps trying at least.

[AWinfortheAges]

The LPGA survives now because it is a world wide tour with stars from all over the world.

 

It's like selling in your local classifieds compared to selling on Ebay. The LPGA is really

a niche market in a world market.....and as mentioned before, Mike Whan has made it

much better and has done a great job. He works the Augusta folks every year tying to

get a Ladie's Masters's there. He may never get it but he keeps trying at least.

He should keep working Augusta National for a women's Masters, and Augusta National should go ahead and make it happen.

[Barnacle]

Sorry for the long post TLDR at the bottom.

 

I want to reiterate some of what others have said as well as add a couple opinions of my own that I think really explain not only why the LPGA isn't as popular as well as what I think it needs to make it more popular. Full disclosure, this may upset some people, and the LPGA will never be as popular as the PGA. Here goes.

 

First the skill gap. Yes, playing from their respective tees the LPGA and PGA scores are fairly close. We all know that the LPGA focuses on more technical skill and precision with long and mid irons while the PGA is all about power, making crazy recovery shots and short game prowess including putting. Who doesn't get excited watching a top tier PGA player bomb a drive deep into the trees and then make some impossible ridiculous recovery shot that gets them up and down for par or better? Its not just the distance its what they do with it after it doesn't work out in their favor. The LPGA doesn't have that "problem" because they are far more accurate off the tee AND they don't hit it that far. I'm not saying it never happens but its rare. As a spectator its just not that exciting to watch someone hit it 250 down the fairway, then hit a 7 iron 150 onto the green. And then do it on the next hole, and the next and every player does it to. Boring. People watch Professional Golf for the same reason they watch every other professional sport, to watch top tier athletes do things we mere mortals can only dream of.

 

So whats the solution(s)? Well honestly like someone else stated, when discussing this it comes down to a choice between trying to keep the image of golf as prestigious and letting the LPGA keep struggling to succeed and attract new talent on skill alone, and making it sexier. Option 1 will be a long hard road and the purses for tournaments will never really be "big" but the women who really are the best in the world will continue to play and show us what they are capable of. Option 2 would most likely bring in less skilled players such as Paige Spiranac (who would destroy most non-pro male golfers) who definitely doesn't play to the level required to compete with the other women but more people will watch because she's attractive. I want to point out I'm not saying attractive women are all bad at sports, but if you narrow your selection of players to many more attractive women who are willing to dress in more revealing clothing you are going to have a harder time finding top quality players.

 

I think there is a better option. Make a decent number of tournaments on the LPGA pro-am style where attractive decently skilled female golfers are paired with an LPGA pro, with a tiered purse system. Bigger prizes for the pro's but still some monetary incentive for the "amateurs". Along with this, cuter outfits that will attract male viewership and female patronage of the clothing, because if there is one thing I've learned about women they really like to dress up whenever possible. Now the tour gets the best of both worlds, viewers will tune in to see the attractive women but will stay to watch the skills of the best female golfers on earth. Also more female caddies who are also attractive and not held to the same dress code standards as the players. I even think you would see a big boost in female viewership as women's golf would now be marketed as something sexy for them to do outdoors.

 

Couple caveats I could see is make sure they are rotating team style sports like the PGA pro-Ams where the pro is also playing their own score. This would decrease the chance of the "attractive ams" detracting from the pro's, help avoid as much controversy about golf becoming "all about looks", and help avoid the sport becoming cliqueish.

 

TLDR: In essence sex sells so the LPGA should use that but in a way that doesn't detract from the skill, perseverance, and dedication that these women have towards this awesome sport.

[duffer987]

I even think you would see a big boost in female viewership as women's golf would now be marketed as something sexy for them to do outdoors.

 

While reading, I wasn't sure if you've interacted with women (not counting relatives) before, but then I got to this and that answered the question. ;)

[Kenny Lee Puckett]

one letter.

[Red Special]

Love the LPGA and the PGA but there is no way on earth the best players on the LPGA can keep up with the best players on the PGA. None.

[jmvargas]

i just realised it's really unfair to compare the pgatour vs the lpga with regards to popularity...

 

i cannot think now of ANY sport wherein the ladies have a bigger following when both sexes play the same sport..

 

on another note i can only think of Pinehurst and St. Andrews wherein both have played events and the scoring in Pinehurst were not too far apart but what about St. Andrews..

[Conrad1953]

Why not just accept the LPGA as it is? If they are making money and adding events I

don't see the beef.

 

But here's something to think about...........remember Nicklaus watching Hogan on

the range?..............Hogan didn't watch Nicklaus. Many LPGA players will attend PGA

Tour events, especially majors; if they are not playing that week. Do PGA Tour players

ever go to LPGA events? I don't know but I think not..........maybe Martin Piller or Lexi's

brother.

 

The girls on the LPGA know who the best players are. I've heard them talk about them

on the radio. They watch DJ hit a drive.........they know it's different, lol.

 

So why compete with the PGA Tour? They are outmatched and they know it. If the LPGA

is doing well now and growing; that should make them all happy. Many of them are living

a pretty good life.

[thug the bunny]

Ah, Rad, you know that WRXers generally do not like answers saying 'there is no problem'. There are apparently tons of problems in golf. Cost, participation, pace of play, the LPGA, ball goes too far, courses are too long, golf dress, etiquette, blah, blah.

 

Now, there are tons of problems in society, but we can't talk about them on WRX.

[Texsport]

The 4 major tournaments should be the crown jewels - yet I certainly can't tell you what the 4 LPGA majors are... because they've been sold off to corporate sponsors - at one point wasn't one the 'Weetabix' Open or something?

 

At the very worst, you could have say the Women's "US Open" sponsored by whoever/whatever - but to sell the name of the major tournament indicates how desperate and poorly marketed the Women's tour is.

 

That's because there are 5 LPGA "Majors"

 

Texsport

[Texsport]

The ladies are great athletes, but it's a different game because of the differences in strength/speed/power.

 

Most PGA Tour pros can out drive everyone on the LPGA Tour using a 3 wood.(Many LPGA stars only carry the driver 230 yds or less). A 150 yd shot is a 8,7,or 6-iron for LPGA players - it's a 9 or PW for PGA Tour players.

 

LPGA courses feature wide fairways kept firm for maximum roll out, virtually no fairway bunkers, virtually no forced carries over green-side bunkers.

 

Greens are generally pretty flat, unlike some roller coaster PGA Tour greens.

 

It's just a pretty boring game on relatively easy courses.

 

Added to that, the short and hazard free courses tend to bunch the fields' scores. This translates to a series of top players, but not a dominant star.

 

It's just different.

 

Ladies tennis does have a dominant star exhibiting a great power game.

 

Texsport

[fredogolfer]

The ladies are great athletes, but it's a different game because of the differences in strength/speed/power.

 

Most PGA Tour pros can out drive everyone on the LPGA Tour using a 3 wood.(Many LPGA stars only carry the driver 230 yds or less). A 150 yd shot is a 8,7,or 6-iron for LPGA players - it's a 9 or PW for PGA Tour players.

 

LPGA courses feature wide fairways kept firm for maximum roll out, virtually no fairway bunkers, virtually no forced carries over green-side bunkers.

 

Greens are generally pretty flat, unlike some roller coaster PGA Tour greens.

 

It's just a pretty boring game on relatively easy courses.

 

Added to that, the short and hazard free courses tend to bunch the fields' scores. This translates to a series of top players, but not a dominant star.

 

It's just different.

 

Ladies tennis does have a dominant star exhibiting a great power game.

 

Texsport

 

Out of 158 players measured this season only 1 has an average driving distance below 230 yards and most are above 250 yards. Not sure who these LPGA stars who carry their drive less than 230 are.

 

I don't have an issue with people saying the men are better but everyone comes on here and talks like they could go out and beat the ladies and/or shoot the same score on the same course. In most LPGA pro-ams you get a bunch of cocky male club members who needed something to do so they sign up for the pro-am and think it'll be easy because they outdrive the lpga pro on the first tee and by the time all is said and done they get outplayed in iron play and around the greens.

[Argonne69]

 

LPGA courses feature wide fairways kept firm for maximum roll out, virtually no fairway bunkers, virtually no forced carries over green-side bunkers.

 

 

Yeah, that's right. The men never play on firm and fast fairways. Pfffffttttt. The average carry on the PGA is 275 yards. How do you explain the number of players reaching the 550+ par 5's in two with driver/iron?

[Argonne69]

The ladies are great athletes, but it's a different game because of the differences in strength/speed/power.

 

Most PGA Tour pros can out drive everyone on the LPGA Tour using a 3 wood.(Many LPGA stars only carry the driver 230 yds or less). A 150 yd shot is a 8,7,or 6-iron for LPGA players - it's a 9 or PW for PGA Tour players.

 

LPGA courses feature wide fairways kept firm for maximum roll out, virtually no fairway bunkers, virtually no forced carries over green-side bunkers.

 

Greens are generally pretty flat, unlike some roller coaster PGA Tour greens.

 

It's just a pretty boring game on relatively easy courses.

 

Added to that, the short and hazard free courses tend to bunch the fields' scores. This translates to a series of top players, but not a dominant star.

 

It's just different.

 

Ladies tennis does have a dominant star exhibiting a great power game.

 

Texsport

 

Out of 158 players measured this season only 1 has an average driving distance below 230 yards and most are above 250 yards. Not sure who these LPGA stars who carry their drive less than 230 are.

 

I don't have an issue with people saying the men are better but everyone comes on here and talks like they could go out and beat the ladies and/or shoot the same score on the same course. In most LPGA pro-ams you get a bunch of cocky male club members who needed something to do so they sign up for the pro-am and think it'll be easy because they outdrive the lpga pro on the first tee and by the time all is said and done they get outplayed in iron play and around the greens.

 

Keep in mind that carry < total driving distance. Assuming 20 yards of rollout, the 98th - 158th ranked players are likely carrying the ball 230 yards or less. The swing speeds are in the 90 to 95 mph range at that level, which is pretty much correct.

 

Of course, Inbee, Lydia, Shanshan, and IK seem to have managed decent careers as "short knockers".

[tbowles411]

LPGA courses feature wide fairways kept firm for maximum roll out, virtually no fairway bunkers, virtually no forced carries over green-side bunkers.

 

 

Yeah, that's right. The men never play on firm and fast fairways. Pfffffttttt. The average carry on the PGA is 275 yards. How do you explain the number of players reaching the 550+ par 5's in two with driver/iron?

LOL! I figured a comment like this would appear. Men get salty when courses are not firm and fast. To your point, the new "It Boy" Xander Schauffle hit a 2 iron almost 300 yars a couple of weeks ago. Faldo was dumbstruck.