2019 LPGA Season Odds and Ends

[BadgerLin]

I love this story! It’s so random the way things happen sometimes. A friend’s daughter-in-law comes from a similar family in Chicago, (although she’s not a golfer), so it really resonated.

[fredogolfer]

I wonder when things really started going south. To me it was when the season ending event in Dubai went away. I hope it isn’t demoted to a strictly feeder tour even if nothing seems to indicate that.

[tesco]

What a wonderful and successful season for Jin Young. The Rolex Annika Major Award, Vare Trophy and the Rolex Player of the Year trophy , official money title; congratulations to her world no#1. https://www.lpga.com/news/2019-cme-notes

[fredogolfer]

The name of the Rolex Annika Major Award reminds me of the “major award” the father in a Christmas story wins. Although Major obviously refers to the majors on the LPGA for a casual observe it sounds like it’s saying the Rolex Annika Very Important award. Same with the International Crown, it doesn’t really tell you what it is.

[18majors]

@Newinup
Stage I of JLPGA's Qualifying Tournament starts tonight (Tuesday, Japan time).
Yuka Saso will play A region, Princess Superal B region; a total of 243 players will start.

[18majors]

SEA Games: PH golfers shooting for golden sweep

Go Bianca!

 

 

[Argonne69]

It would have nice to see her break the scoring record, or finish with an average below 69.0. Her ankle injury definitely put a dent in that.

[18majors]

How does life on tour compare for women and men? Let the numbers speak for themselves

[Newinup]

It seems like JLPGA Qschool is as arduous as LPGA... and obviously tougher for us here following due to the time zone difference... and, as usual, no coverage (or at least I know of no coverage from the domestic terrestrial stations and/or golfchannel japan either)... no spectators are even allowed LOL

[Stooch]

I was just reading an article on how the CP Women's Open was getting screwed over with their placement and date in 2020 and realized the LPGA is putting lots of stress on the top players and top events in this Olympic year.

July 23-26 The Evian

Aug. 5-8 Women's Olympic Golf (10 days between events)

Aug. 13-16 Scottish Open

Aug. 20-23 British Open

Aug. 27-30 UL Int'l Crown

Sept. 3-6 CP Canadian Open

I know how I feel about the Evian but it will be interesting to see how players feel about it. There could be a player or 2 who decide to skip it and focus on that Olympic gold. Scotland and Canada will have their events take it on the chin, I imagine many of the top players will skip these events. I see why CP only raised their purse 50K lol No point being the tournament with the highest purse outside the Majors if it doesn't do anything for ya. But it what it is, these events probably bring in more eyeballs on TV.http://www.golfnewsnow.ca/blog/busy-tour-schedule-could-present-hazards-for-2020-cp-womens-open/

 

[Argonne69]

I dunno. I think the Scottish Open should be fine. Sure, there will be a number of LPGA players at the Olympics, but the vast majority of card holders will be sitting at home watching the Olympics. They'll play the SO as a warmup for the WBO.

 

[Stooch]

Sure the Scottish and CP will have full fields but probably with a strength of field like the Vic Open earlier this year. I can see most of the top 20 players skipping these events. Most of the top 20 will be at the Olympics and Int'lCrown. Top players will play the Evian and have 10 days then the Olympic event starts. Olympics end on a Saturday and the Scottish starts Thursday and next week is the British and the nextInt'l Crown and the next week Canada. So most top end pro's will fly to France then the next week fly to Japan then the next week fly to Scotland the to England for a couple weeks then fly to Canada. I gotta think the big names those people wanna watch will skip one or both these events IMO.

[tesco]

I still remember that she answers a question from journalist about this when Asian swing , ' the record will be break , if not this year it will be the coming year' . I think break the low scoring record is one of her goal , is a momentum for her. She is a perfection people, she always keeping improve herself, she still feel not good enough even we think she's very good.

Sensational speech from her at the Rolex lpga award "it's not the end , it's the beginning , I will even work harder to be a better golfer." Ko Continues Quest for Perfection | LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association But I hope she enjoy and no worries to play rather than break this and that record with stress

[tesco]

A Season Of Change For Jutanugarn | LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association Ariya, sad to her without a win to end off this season, compare to last season she swept all the important hardware. Golf is hard! In addition to ball skills,it is a strong mentality to play good golf.

She will be back stronger one day

 

[18majors]

Yuka Saso is +2 and T22, Yuka Yasuda -1 and T6 and Princess Superal +1 and T15.

【2019】クォリファイングトーナメント ファーストステージB地区 フルリーダーボード｜LPGA｜日本女子プロゴルフ協会 【2019】クォリファイングトーナメント ファーストステージA地区 フルリーダーボード｜LPGA｜日本女子プロゴルフ協会

 

[OffTheDole]

 

Sure, golf is hard though I'd wager the weight loss affected Jutanugarn's swing way more than she realizes. She's going to need to spend some time getting used to her new weight and getting her timing back.

If you're a fan of exciting meals, May and Mo are good Instagram follows. They are always eating really delicious-looking stuff in their travels.

[Stooch]

So every time I look at my twitter feed, I see the LPGA pushing the player of the decade fans voting thing. I'm usually not concerned with these fan popularity contest but when looking at the bracket I see that Sung Hyun Park, Jin Young and Brooke Henderson are part of it. I'm a fan of all 3 but how can any of these players be considered player of the decade when none have been members of the tour for even 5 years and a decade is considered 10. Today all 3 of these players would be ahead of Lydia Ko but if you take a snap shot of 3-4 years for Lydia, she had a better run that all 3. So I feel this little gimmicky thing is like comparing apples to oranges. And if you are adding these players to considerations then Yani Tseng within a window and ignoring the last 6 years is the BOSS.

You know I'm bored when I decide this is something to rant about lol.https://twitter.com/LPGA/status/1199373032965443585

[fredogolfer]

Looks like the the LPGA and LET are joining forces

https://www.lpga.com/news/2019-lpga-and-let-join-forces-to-drive-growth

 

[fredogolfer]

I also hope the European Tour will be a Euro based tour or that prize money will increase. Could you imagine traveling all over the world sometimes thousands of miles between events to play for purses of €300,000? That’s almost Symetra tour level.

[18majors]

The decision is final.

LPGA AND LET JOIN FORCES TO DRIVE GROWTH OF WOMEN'S PROFESSIONAL GOLF IN EUROPEhttps://www.lpga.com/news/2019-lpga-and-let-join-forces-to-drive-growth

 

[ChronicSlicer]

Gotta admit the money isn't all that great, but some of those courses are stunning.

[Argonne69]

Not to mention the fact that the decade ends on 12/31/2020. Sheesh.

 

[tesco]

Photos: LPGA players who earned $1 million on tour in 2019https://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2019/08/26/2018-2019-pga-tour-money-list-see-who-earned-the-most-total-money-115868/

How big is difference in money earn between women and men , has anyone mentioned it? When we talk about the gender equality, this is not the case in golf industry; the fact is a huge difference. I feel sad when they do the same thing but get a huge prize money difference.

[Raving Shanker]

Professional sport is an entertainment product. That's the start and end of it. Not as many people watch women's golf, so they get paid less. I'd like more people to appreciate women's golf to drive up the market value of what these women do - and most people on these boards would feel the same. There's been many discussions about it.

What the CME Group is doing is essentially affirmative action. They are paying way over the market value in the prize money they dish out. As an LPGA fan that excites me! But as a realist I wonder if it is sustainable - if it is not coupled with a grassroots increase in the level of interest in women's golf. I hope it works as a stimulus - but I am not so sure it will. I found the CME championship to be riveting, but how many people outside the niche even noticed it?

[18majors]

Yuka Saso improved to even par for Round 2, she's +2 and T12.

Yuka Yasuda is -2 and T4, Princess Superal +1 and T11.

【2019】クォリファイングトーナメント ファーストステージA地区 フルリーダーボード｜LPGA｜日本女子プロゴルフ協会 【2019】クォリファイングトーナメント ファーストステージB地区 フルリーダーボード｜LPGA｜日本女子プロゴルフ協会

[18majors]

Amateur no more; 17 years old Yae Eun Hong signed a pro contract.

넵스, LPGA '라이징 스타' 홍예은 프로 후원 계약 | 연합뉴스

 

[Stooch]

You beat me to it but well said, it sorta a form of corporate welfare. The one danger I see is that a company gets to promote itself through the LPGA for roughly 2 million and if I'm being real as much of a fan of the LPGA that I am the companies aren't probably getting the bang for their buck with the 2 million. Stacey Lewis just wrote a piece in Golfweek about growing the purse but if you try shaming the sponsors to raise the purses the danger is them saying the "juice ain't worth the squeeze" and you'll have them spend the advertising and sponsor budgets somewhere else. I'm not sure why this is a thing in golf, you don't hear the WNBA star saying it's not right they don't make what Lebron does.

[Newinup]

I actually found it odd that Yuka Saso's name, which is already her real name (in Japanese), is still translated into a Japanese equivalent... (she's already is Japanese, just representing the Philippines - eg she's a dual citizen)... of course Princess Superal is English LOL...

[18majors]

Yuka Saso moved up to +3 and T10.

Yuka Yasuda is -1 and T3, Princess Superal +3 and T11.

 

【2019】クォリファイングトーナメント ファーストステージB地区 フルリーダーボード｜LPGA｜日本女子プロゴルフ協会https://www.lpga.or.jp/qualify/qt/2019/9111/leaderboard/3/

 

 

[18majors]

An improvement for Yuka Saso; she advanced to the final stage of JLPGA Q-School. She finished +4 and T7.

Yuka Yasuda was +2 and T5; Princess Superal +4 and T8.

In all sixty (60) players advance to final stage from all 3 regions.

【2019】クォリファイングトーナメント ファーストステージB地区 フルリーダーボード｜LPGA｜日本女子プロゴルフ協会https://www.lpga.or.jp/qualify/qt/2019/9111/leaderboard/9/.