HOW TO CREATE MORE INTEREST IN WOMEN’S GOLF

PGA & LPGA — WHERE THE GROUNDWORK BEGINS

My golf league of 50 men and two women had a discussion about a post that one of the guys put up of a sexy woman in a bikini, high heels, wearing a golf glove and a driver standing on a banquet table along with a derogatory question asking, “If you followed her on the LPGA tour, would you be part of Horny’s Army?” Her name is Josephine Horn. I politely answered with one word, “NO”. I was then explained by an English gent, “the LPGA needs more pretty girls whether you like it or not. There are countless male sports stars whose marketability is based more on their appearance than just their talent. I’m not saying they have to parade around in bikinis, but the viewing public, and more importantly the sponsors, will come flocking”, he said.

So, I sat with that awhile and asked myself, when was the LPGA at its highest? And as I  ponder this, thoughts keep coming back to these short bursts of high interest and although fleeting as they may seem, they were some really exciting moments that had people talking for days or weeks and every sports announcer, writer and analysts were eager to comment on them. I can recall a few times that stood out for me, but I started to research ones that were before my time. So, let’s start the list with what I found.

1938 & 1945 — Mildred “Babe” Didrikson Zaharias played the men’s Los Angeles Open but did not qualify. However, in 1945 she played three PGA events and placed respectively in two.  

1951 — the year after the LPGA was founded (in part by Babe Didrikson Zaharias) Babe and a group of American women professionals enjoyed a clean sweep at Wentworth Club, just outside London, in the singles playing against top British male amateurs, with Babe out-driving Walker Cup player Leonard Crawley all day from the same tees. “He was shaken to the bristling tips of his ginger mustache,” proclaimed the UK’s Daily Express. The women were noticed and created a lot of attention. Not the attention they were looking for, but none the less, it was attention and everyone who knew golf, watched.

1972 — the LPGA’s biggest event was the Colgate-Dinah Shore. Why was it the biggest? Well, Dinah Shore hosted it for one and it was the largest winnings by 5x’s on the women’s tour amounting to $20,000. It was televised and many sponsors asked players to do commercials which was a huge deal.

1978 — Nancy Lopez came along and won five successive tournaments and was the equivalent of Arnold Palmer and Seve Ballesteros.

1994 — 16 years of flatlining until Annika Sorenstam came on the circuit. At that time, the LPGA was flushed with personality and was stealing the golf headlines from the PGA, which was no different when Sorenstam shot 59 in 2001. This was the highlight of a lifetime and remains true today.

2003 — Annika was invited to play the Colonial in Ft. Worth Tx. She received a sponsorship exemption and was greeted with positive reactions by most, with a couple of exceptions from some male pros, whom I believe, intimidated her. The fans loved her, the media loved her, and millions of people tuned in to watch. This was a very big deal.

2004 — Michelle Wie at age 14 gave it a go and appeared as an amateur at the men’s Sony Open in Hawaii. Wie missed the cut by only one stroke. In 2006 she tried to qualify for the men’s US Open and shot a 68 in the first round and sored to a 75 in the second. She was five shots out of reaching a playoff for the 18^th qualifying spot.

2019 — Jennifer Kupcho (Wake Forest) and Maria Fassi (Arkansas) two college champions and player of the year, came together to play in this groundbreaking inaugural tournament, Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The enthusiasm of collegiate players competing on national tv and this being a women’s golf tournament presents a phenomenal turning point for women’s golf. Now add in a once, all-male golf club, this has created a historical event. The excitement began once this event was announced and it intensified from there. It was very real to the amateurs watching which added to the thrill of the event.

1999 — (although not in sequential order as I intentionally left this for last.) was the last time the LPGA and PGA played a mixed format in the JCPenney Classic. I remember that event being a fan favorite for sure. Why not bring that back? I recall more recently a charity event with Billy Horschel and Lexi Thompson. Maybe because it was a charity event, it did not get that much attention? I believe a Mixed Format would be a huge hit. Do it for the fans who want entertainment and great golf. The dynamic of these players coming together will present a thrilling event. It would be a lot of fun for them and equally for the fans. Whether it be a one-day event or a weekend event, either would be sensational. There are so many fantastic formats that can be played for mixed pairs. Scramble, Shamble, Mixed Pinehurst, Stableford, Alternate Shot, etc.

When thinking about the comment I opened with from my English friend, I am not seeing where sex appeal ever contributed to the success of the LPGA. Nor do I see it as a way to grow the number of viewers, especially when half the viewers are women and young girls. but we are trying to convince women that they too can play golf. It is no longer a man’s game and it is no longer the good ole’ boy mentality.

The “men’s” league I play in is not considered a men’s league. It is co-ed and they want me to bring more women in to play. However, women tend to feel intimidated playing with the men and won’t even give it a try.

I believe if you bring the LPGA and the PGA together this will help promote a mixed mentality on both sides. It would create a lot of fun for the players and personalities would shine. When players are smiling and communicating with their partners, this would make for great television, especially if they were mic’d up.

Another event to try adding is high-profile colleges competing like NCAA events, both men and women. Build it up with backstories on the players with highlights of their life and how they got started, high school and college stats all leading up to the event.

Again, providing personal background helps people to get to know them. It lets personalities paint the story. They become attached to them like a friend and neighbor. They follow their game and cheer them on to see how far they go. This may help increase viewership for the Web.com and Symetra Tour as well.

Just my opinion and wanted to share some thoughts on how I think we can grow this silly little game, that I love, called golf.