The stats don't lie, the national golf championship for women in the United States, alias the US Women's Open has been won since 2008, 10 of the last 13 years by a woman from Asia, 9 times from South Korea, once from Thailand.
Only Paula Creamer now retired, Brittany Lang and Michelle Wie have won their national title in that period.
This weekend, 33 of the 66 finalists at the Champions GC in Houston were Asian women or were of Asian descent.
Kim A-Lim from South Korea managed to string 3 birdies together in a row, crucially her last 3 holes to shoot 67 and win the 2020 edition after Japanese leader Hinako Shibuno faltered to a 74 and the lone American hope Amy Olsen stalled at the 17th.
Anyone watching the Monday final round of this US Open for the first time received an eye opening picture of the Asian dominance that is life on the LPGA tour.
Miss Lim joins Lee Jeong-eun, Ariya Jutanugarn, Park Sung hyun, In Gee Chun, Inbee Park (2), Na Yeon Choi, So Reon Ryu, and Eun Hee Ji all who have won US Women's Open championship since 2008.
I dare say nobody reading this post who is not covering the women's game in the USA or is not of Korean descent living in the USA has a clue who any of these women are.
All of this South Korean dominace goes back to 1998 when the amazing Se Ri Pak won the title at Blackwolf Run in Wisconsin. Se Ri blazed the trail that continues to this day, and in fact has spread to Japan who had 13 entrants this year, Thailand, Taiwan, Malaysia, and China.
You have to go back to 1989 to see any American domination with Betsy King, Meg Mallon, Patty Sheehan and Lauri Merton winning 6 straight titles between them.
Julie Inkster won in 99,02, Aussie legend Karrie Webb 00,01, Hilary Lunke 03 and Meg Mallon again in 04, but then the South Korean dominance began with the aptly named Birdie Kim in 2005.
The LPGA is truly an international tour in this generation, it reflects the growth of the women's game around the world, and that is good.
It does not however have the crucial big time national network TV contract and the millions of dollars that the PGA Tour thrives on to swell their purses and obtain any semblance of parity.
In fact if not for the Golf Channel they wouldn't be on TV at all.
The question is why? Their new slogan is "I'm worth watching"
I know they are, the national TV networks disagree agree apart from the majors.
They fact that 10 of their last 13 national champions are Asian women from South Korea, lots with very limited English is not helping to market their game into mainstream American households.
The fact that golf is also a very boring sport to watch to many non golf fans doesn't help either.
Tiger came along in 1997 and changed the game all together for TV coverage of golf, transcending the sport and garnering billions of dollars in advertising, and for the Tour and it's players.
The LPGA could certainly use a Tiger of their own, Michelle Wie was to be the one, injuries scuttled that plan.
For now it is what it is as we say today, and I don't see any change coming in the near future.
Bryan Angus
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