A few weeks ago I listened to a Stacy Lewis interview lauding the efforts of LPGA commissioner Michael Whan in promoting and growing the LPGA brand, and of course the players desire to play for much larger purses, not unlike women in pro tennis where the winner at Wimbledon gets equivalent money to her male counter part.
Tennis like golf is covered mainly on cable TV except for the majors, and the women's game is also truly international, but their TV ratings for the US Open, Wimbledon of course and the French are much higher than any of the majors in women's golf.
Perhaps indicative of the LPGA the only 8 players under par at this week's KPMG Women's PGA were from South Korea(2) Japan, Spain, Sweden, Canada, England and USA in that order. It is a truly International tour, dominated for the last 10 years by the South Korean wave.
With the Golf Channel and NBC splitting the coverage this week the top American in the field was rookie Jennifer Kupcho who T7 with Symetra Tour graduate Lauren Stephenson and veteran Brittany Lincicomb T9. Bigger and importantly more well known names to the American audience were Lexi Thompson T30 and Stacy Lewis T33.
Had you ever heard of Bianca Pagdangadan T9, or Nanna Koerstz Madsen T13, Ashley Buhai T18, Jasmine Suwannapura T23 with Matilda Kastren...I could fill this page, along with perhaps 15 American women only their state or college and family would know about, along with their stories.
It has always been my belief that with the LPGA located in the USA and produced for TV by American networks, it will always be difficult for them to get a big long term contract with major TV network like NBC or CBS which would provide them with prize money closer to their male counterparts as long as there aren't American women the sponsors can promote, dominating and winning most weeks.
While some Korean girls have learned enough English to do a brief interview, many others like Miriam Lee who sensationally won the ANA Inspiration couldn't express herself with one word of English to Jerry Foltz before tip toeing into Poppy's Pond, and what's more American on the LPGA Tour than that moment.
Sophia Popov may be German by birth but she's lived most of her life in the US most recently in Arizona, went to an American college and when she won the AIG Women's Scottish Open in cinderella style her sponsors and AIG got a huge bang for their buck as she was interviewed around the world for a week including on "Good Morning America"
The LPGA / LET got a huge boost in popularity and they would not have if nobody could understand what she was saying. The fact she is blue eyed and blond may also have resonated with many American golf fans.
This year with COVID restricting travel, two of the most compelling Tournaments, the AIG Women's Open from Royal Troon and the ASI Scottish Open from North Berwick were piggy backed by the Golf Channel and NBC on broadcasts produced by Sky Sports out of Great Britain, which is also how we see the weekly European Tour events.
A great deal for viewers but it does nothing for the coffers of the LPGA.
With the great American hope and projected super star, Michelle Wie long gone to motherhood and perhaps commentating, I'm not sure how the present composition of the LPGA will ever improve their lot financially.
Dame Laura Davies, now in her 4th decade, says the Korean wave is just like other waves before it, like Annika and the Swedes for example, so maybe she's right and time will tell.
I hope she is.
Bryan Angus
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