New LPGA Commissioner

[18majors]

57 minutes ago, DavePelz4 said:

Adding a presenting sponsor would only decrease the actual amount the USGA would need to add to the purse.

 

As you've mentioned, USGA is well off financially.  They're talking about $7.0 - 10.0 million for a presenting sponsor, which will go a long way towards speeding up purse equality between men and women.

 

USWO reached $1.0 million purse in 1995, a momentous milestone.  Hope they'll reach the $10.0 million milestone before the 30th anniversary of the $1.0 million purse.

Edited June 1, 2021 by 18majors

[Raving Shanker]

On 5/28/2021 at 1:41 AM, Golf Dino said:

 

Maybe the LPGA should adopt the old slogan of "These Gals are Good"  ... or some variation of the old PGA Tour's.   

Don't call them girls or gals or a guy named MagicClassic will chastise you.

[MagicClassic407]

4 hours ago, Raving Shanker said:

Don't call them girls or gals or a guy named MagicClassic will chastise you.

Naaah, I'm ok with gals.............just don't call them biotches for sure!

[Golf Dino]

@Raving Shanker @MagicClassic407 ... and I don't normally use that term much anymore ... except the PGA Tour reference was "These Guys are Good" ... so Gals was the more appropriate term to equate it with the PGA slogan.  😄 

 

[Raving Shanker]

17 hours ago, Golf Dino said:

@Raving Shanker @MagicClassic407 ... and I don't normally use that term much anymore ... except the PGA Tour reference was "These Guys are Good" ... so Gals was the more appropriate term to equate it with the PGA slogan.  😄 

 

Well they ARE good - we can all agree on that. This might seem like an aside compared to bigger issues, but finding a slogan that doesn't offend the perpetually offended is not easy! I have nothing by the way!

[KBong]

https://www.lpga.com/news/2021/welcome-aboard-a-q-and-a-with-lpga-commissioner-mollie-marcoux-samaan

 

I got nothing out of this Q & A.

Lots of softball questions and answers.

 

I'm not sold that she's the best candidate for the role.

[Bad9]

1 minute ago, KBong said:

https://www.lpga.com/news/2021/welcome-aboard-a-q-and-a-with-lpga-commissioner-mollie-marcoux-samaan

 

I got nothing out of this Q & A.

Lots of softball questions and answers.

 

I'm not sold that she's the best candidate for the role.

 

What did you expect in an interview for the LPGA website?

 

For the little of it I watch I'm more bothered by the sycophantism displayed by all the various forms of golf media towards the PGA Tour. 

[DavePelz4]

3 hours ago, Bad9 said:

 

What did you expect in an interview for the LPGA website?

 

For the little of it I watch I'm more bothered by the sycophantism displayed by all the various forms of golf media towards the PGA Tour. 

 

There aren't many people smart enough to understand that word...thankfully I'm one.

[Bad9]

10 minutes ago, DavePelz4 said:

 

There aren't many people smart enough to understand that word...thankfully I'm one.

I did have to Google to confirm the spelling

[Phreddy]

I wish Ms Marcoux Samaan all the luck in the world as the new commissioner.  Personally I find the LPGA more engaging than much of what I see on the PGA and I enjoy the way the players comport themselves as compared to the petulant lemon faces you see on many of the PGA tour players.  That said, filling Mike Whan's shoes is a big ask.  He had the respect of the players, thought globally and reportedly had great rapport with the sponsors.  Who really wants to follow Lombardi or Belichick?

[KBong]

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/mollie-marcoux-samaan-begins-lpga-commissioner-reign-100day-plan

 

Another empty article.

 

Three phases that detail nothing other than to say..... the plan is to create a plan in the 2nd phase....lol...and then a template that will come out of this phase....lol.

 

The 1st phase:

"She says the plan is broken into three phases, beginning with a period of listening and learning"

 

Listening and learning isn't a plan...it's a given....who doesn't do this taking on a new role.

Duh.

 

"During her introduction to the media, she declared herself a super fangirl of the LPGA"

I bet our very own WRX LPGA fangirls of @Kaysquare, @BadgerLin each have 100x the LPGA knowledge....just sayin.

I say Kay or Lin for Commish...let's petition.

 

"....and recounted being in awe of Juli Inkster, who is a member of the board."

Well, at least we know one trait Molly is good at. 🤣

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ThinkingPlus]

48 minutes ago, KBong said:

https://www.golfchannel.com/news/mollie-marcoux-samaan-begins-lpga-commissioner-reign-100day-plan

 

Another empty article.

 

Three phases that detail nothing other than to say..... the plan is to create a plan in the 2nd phase....lol...and then a template that will come out of this phase....lol.

 

The 1st phase:

"She says the plan is broken into three phases, beginning with a period of listening and learning"

 

Listening and learning isn't a plan...it's a given....who doesn't do this taking on a new role.

Duh.

 

"During her introduction to the media, she declared herself a super fangirl of the LPGA"

I bet our very own WRX LPGA fangirls of @Kaysquare, @BadgerLin each have 100x the LPGA knowledge....just sayin.

I say Kay or Lin for Commish...let's petition.

 

"....and recounted being in awe of Juli Inkster, who is a member of the board."

Well, at least we know one trait Molly is good at. 🤣

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am not overly impressed by the LPGA commissioner choice either.

[KBong]

2 hours ago, ThinkingPlus said:

I am not overly impressed by the LPGA commissioner choice either.

I don't really know much about you.....whether you're young or old...or a retired touring pro golfer, a teaching pro or just a good Am, etc.

But looking at some of your posts...I believe your golf knowledge is high....I assume you have good business acumen.....so I think you'd be a better Commish...ok another petition to start....now we have 3 candidates when we add @Kaysquare and @BadgerLin.

 

And why did it take Molly 2.5 months to transition out of Princeton....something else I don't understand...unless there was some T&C's in her Princeton contract that had a specific transition period to depart unless she was fired....or severe financial penalties to early terminate her contract.

 

I'm not saying the LPGA needs a Mike Whan V2 clone...everyone needs their own style.....but he is a salesman at heart....and in sales...you want things done yesterday and are somewhat impatient...you EXECUTE and PRODUCE results...and if you fail...you're OUT.

 

I doubt Whan would have communicated a three phase 100 day plan without some more specific details.

 

And as a good sales pro...Whan has a natural gift for communication...though at times...IMO...Mike sounded a bit too cheesy...especially as a Commish....but people over looked that because he produced results for the most part.

 

As a prior private sector Exec...I assume if Whan had ideas he believed in.....he took charge ....then delegated and would make them happen.

eg.) The Founders event...took a risk when the LPGA was struggling....asked the LPGA pros to play for free and look what transpired....an event to honor the "founders' of the LPGA and eventually a new tournament with a sponsor and a purse to play for.

 

https://www.golfchannel.com/article/randall-mell/free-thinker

 

I just have a hard time believing that there aren't quite a few proven results oriented  sale & marketing Exec's with a passion for golf to lead the LPGA vs. Molly's credentials.

There's got to be quite a portfolio of these Execs globally to shortlist.

 

IMO....the recruitment firm didn't do a great job and why did the BoD's accept this???

Just my 2 cents.

Edited August 14, 2021 by KBong

[Argonne69]

Keep in mind that the tour Mike inherited and the one Mollie inherited are almost night and day. Mike couldn't afford to sit around and assess things for a period of time. The tour was in rough shape.

 

Mollie gets a tour that it in about as good shape as it's ever been. Sure, it needs help in many areas, but I don't think they need someone to come in and immediately start making changes just for the sake of making changes.

 

[ThinkingPlus]

16 hours ago, KBong said:

I don't really know much about you.....whether you're young or old...or a retired touring pro golfer, a teaching pro or just a good Am, etc.

But looking at some of your posts...I believe your golf knowledge is high....I assume you have good business acumen.....so I think you'd be a better Commish...ok another petition to start....now we have 3 candidates when we add @Kaysquare and @BadgerLin.

 

And why did it take Molly 2.5 months to transition out of Princeton....something else I don't understand...unless there was some T&C's in her Princeton contract that had a specific transition period to depart unless she was fired....or severe financial penalties to early terminate her contract.

 

I'm not saying the LPGA needs a Mike Whan V2 clone...everyone needs their own style.....but he is a salesman at heart....and in sales...you want things done yesterday and are somewhat impatient...you EXECUTE and PRODUCE results...and if you fail...you're OUT.

 

I doubt Whan would have communicated a three phase 100 day plan without some more specific details.

 

And as a good sales pro...Whan has a natural gift for communication...though at times...IMO...Mike sounded a bit too cheesy...especially as a Commish....but people over looked that because he produced results for the most part.

 

As a prior private sector Exec...I assume if Whan had ideas he believed in.....he took charge ....then delegated and would make them happen.

eg.) The Founders event...took a risk when the LPGA was struggling....asked the LPGA pros to play for free and look what transpired....an event to honor the "founders' of the LPGA and eventually a new tournament with a sponsor and a purse to play for.

 

https://www.golfchannel.com/article/randall-mell/free-thinker

 

I just have a hard time believing that there aren't quite a few proven results oriented  sale & marketing Exec's with a passion for golf to lead the LPGA vs. Molly's credentials.

There's got to be quite a portfolio of these Execs globally to shortlist.

 

IMO....the recruitment firm didn't do a great job and why did the BoD's accept this???

Just my 2 cents.

Just an old, RETIRED engineer that spent 30 years learning to play golf semi-well.

 

Molly's experience is too esoteric for my taste.  Agreed the LPGA needs a very business and marketing savvy person with golf DNA.  It will be interesting to see how Molly does.

[golfortennis]

On 8/14/2021 at 3:39 PM, ThinkingPlus said:

Just an old, RETIRED engineer that spent 30 years learning to play golf semi-well.

 

Molly's experience is too esoteric for my taste.  Agreed the LPGA needs a very business and marketing savvy person with golf DNA.  It will be interesting to see how Molly does.

 

Just can't help thinking the real world is going to be a big shock for her.  Seems not many business people have made good ADs at schools, and vice versa. 

[wjdpar1]

From what I've seen I'm very skeptical.  Can't understand the fit.

[DanoCanuck]

I didn't watch last weekend but hopefully the ladies had a good live crowd and TV audience. Saw where they allowed up to 8K fans per day. Anyone know if they actually had that many fans? Like I said, I didn't see the TV coverage but with the time difference and no Northern Trust it should have been a decent TV/live crowd. 

[Argonne69]

1 hour ago, DanoCanuck said:

I didn't watch last weekend but hopefully the ladies had a good live crowd and TV audience. Saw where they allowed up to 8K fans per day. Anyone know if they actually had that many fans? Like I said, I didn't see the TV coverage but with the time difference and no Northern Trust it should have been a decent TV/live crowd. 

 

The crowds looked sparse Thursday through Saturday. Sunday was better. Louise had a good crowd following her.

 

[Golf Dino]

6 hours ago, DanoCanuck said:

I didn't watch last weekend but hopefully the ladies had a good live crowd and TV audience. Saw where they allowed up to 8K fans per day. Anyone know if they actually had that many fans? Like I said, I didn't see the TV coverage but with the time difference and no Northern Trust it should have been a decent TV/live crowd. 

 

 

Official numbers from the Organizers is 28, 758.  I don't know if that is over the four rounds ... or perhaps even over the practice days too.

[18majors]

It looks like we maybe down to the last six tournaments in 2021.

 

Two of the Asian Fall Swing events, Taiwan and China, have been officially cancelled.  The other two, Korea and Japan, may suffer similar fate.

 

Will the new commissioner organize one or two or three Drive On tournaments?  All jokes aside, this is where rubber meets the road!

Edited August 25, 2021 by 18majors

[18majors]

 

Not only she understands the issue; she seems to know how to get there!

 

New commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan reveals her top priorities for the LPGA’s future

 

"Another priority for Samaan? Ensuring that her players are well taken care of in every sense — especially financially.

“I think that all the women on the tour should be able to make a really good living,” Samaan said. “They’re the best in the world. And so making sure that they have those opportunities, the tournament schedule, the purses, I think that’s all really critical that we need to keep working on.”

 

[golfortennis]

30 minutes ago, 18majors said:

 

Not only she understands the issue; she seems to know how to get there!

 

New commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan reveals her top priorities for the LPGA’s future

 

"Another priority for Samaan? Ensuring that her players are well taken care of in every sense — especially financially.

“I think that all the women on the tour should be able to make a really good living,” Samaan said. “They’re the best in the world. And so making sure that they have those opportunities, the tournament schedule, the purses, I think that’s all really critical that we need to keep working on.”

 

 

Ok, so how do you get there?  What is a "really good living?"  Easy to say, but considering her experience is in environments where stuff like that is mandated, not earned through the market, how does she plan on doing that?  She will lose a lot of support if she plays the "woe is me, we deserve" angle.  If nobody is watching, the money isn't going to be there. 

 

She said something about being a "coach"....  Hopefully I'm reading it wrong, but micromanager seemed to jump to my head.

 

 

 

[18majors]

The rise of Mollie Marcoux Samaan and Excel Sports Management in Women's Golf:

 

LPGA returns to Cincinnati in 1st deal for new commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan

 

"The LPGA Tour is returning to Cincinnati for the first time in more than 30 years with the first new tournament announced since Mollie Marcoux Samaan took over as commissioner.

The Kroger Queen City Championship is scheduled for Sept. 8-11 in 2022 at Kenwood Country Club with a $1.75 million purse."

"The Kroger Queen City Championship, which will be managed by Excel Sports Management, starts off with a three-year deal."

 

 

[KBong]

7 hours ago, 18majors said:

The rise of Mollie Marcoux Samaan and Excel Sports Management in Women's Golf:

 

LPGA returns to Cincinnati in 1st deal for new commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan

 

"The LPGA Tour is returning to Cincinnati for the first time in more than 30 years with the first new tournament announced since Mollie Marcoux Samaan took over as commissioner.

The Kroger Queen City Championship is scheduled for Sept. 8-11 in 2022 at Kenwood Country Club with a $1.75 million purse."

"The Kroger Queen City Championship, which will be managed by Excel Sports Management, starts off with a three-year deal."

 

 

I'd say this deal/event was in the works under Whan's watch and the LPGA business development officer(s) and have their fingerprints on the deal and not Samaan's influence....mainly the fingerprints of the BDO(s).

 

The article doesn't give any credit to Samaan, it just said Samaan was the commish when it was announced.

Edited September 8, 2021 by KBong

[18majors]

6 minutes ago, KBong said:

I'd say this deal/event was in the works under Whan's watch and the LPGA business development officer(s) and has their fingerprints on the deal and not Samaan's influence....mainly the fingerprints of the BDO(s).

 

 

 

Have you been employed before?   The Head of any enterprises is responsible for the company but rarely does the actual work.  It's true with Mike Whan and it's also true with Mollie Marcoux Samaan.

 

From the CEO's perspective, it doesn't matter when negotiations started.  They get the credits or blames depending on the outcome.

 

 

 

[KBong]

6 minutes ago, 18majors said:

 

 

Have you been employed before?   The Head of any enterprises is responsible for the company but rarely does the actual work.  It's true with Mike Whan and it's also true with Mollie Marcoux Samaan.

 

From the CEO's perspective, it doesn't matter when negotiations started.  They get the credits or blames depending on the outcome.

 

 

 

The way you wrote "the rise of Samaan" would imply Mollie had a big influence on this event.

 

Yes, I know the commish didn't do the "legwork"...and if you read my post...you'll notice I said the BDO(s) were the one's developing/executing the majority of work.

 

If Samaan takes credit for this event then she's a fool...and I think she'd be the 1st to give the LPGA team the credit.

The article simply states Samaan is the commish when the announcement was made.

 

It's laughable that you think you're the only one who understands how business works....I think with the spat you had with @Golf Dino...he'd agree.

[18majors]

3 minutes ago, KBong said:

If Samaan takes credit for this event then she's a fool...and I think she'd be the 1st to give the LPGA team the credit.

The article simply states Samaan is the commish when the announcement was made.

 

 

Why should Mollie take credit on anything?  The credit will always come back to her eventually.  I bet she'll give credit to her associates even if she's the one who did the work.

 

But, from the outside, she's the CEO when the deal is signed.

 

 

[Ignatius Reilly]

On 8/30/2021 at 3:12 PM, golfortennis said:

 

Ok, so how do you get there?  What is a "really good living?"  Easy to say, but considering her experience is in environments where stuff like that is mandated, not earned through the market, how does she plan on doing that?  She will lose a lot of support if she plays the "woe is me, we deserve" angle.  If nobody is watching, the money isn't going to be there. 

 

She said something about being a "coach"....  Hopefully I'm reading it wrong, but micromanager seemed to jump to my head.

 

 

 

Is that really true?  She spent 19 years at Chelsea Piers Management - aren't they private?

 

Anyways she seems i) a very good fit to replace Whan, and ii) off to a good start.

 

Whatever her exact role in the return to Cincinnati, it's happening and under her watch.  She didn't botch it.

[wjdpar1]

Something is not right here.  I give it 6 months.