Tag Archives: Golf

Team Competition and Amateurs should be part of Golf in the 2016 Olympics

Posted on by
2

This week with the Summer Olympics in full-swing there are some great articles being written about golf returning to the Olympics (Rio 2016).  The article written by Brent Kelley titled “What Will the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Golf Tournaments Look Like” provides an easy to understand explanation and a list of what the teams would look like if golf were in the Olympics today.

The essence of the article states that the Olympic format will probably be similar to the 72-hole tournament that is currently used on the professional tours.  This makes sense for individual medals.  The article also explains that the top 15 golfers (men and women, by professional world rankings) would automatically qualify; and that each country would be allowed two players (which accommodates countries with no professionals in the top 15). Therefore, at a minimum, each country would have two players competing (in the men’s and women’s events).  Some countries could have more than two players (for example, there are currently eight American men golfers in the world top 15.)

It all seems fair when you first read the details but two things popped into my mind.  First, why is there no team competition?  Given the popularity of the Ryder Cup and the Solheim Cup it surprised me that team match play was not part of the format for the Olympics.  The Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup is USA against Europe, but I would think a match play format with all the countries playing for medals could work.  There is a strong probability that the USA, South Korea, or any of the other countries with the top professionals would win, but who cares because fans still get to cheer for their country’s team.  Team match play might even give a less known country a “Cinderella” experience.  Team competition is not unprecedented in the Olympics (e.g. gymnastics has both team and individual formats.)

The second thing that came to my mind was there is no opportunity for top amateur golfers.  It’s true that “amateur status” has not been an Olympic requirement for many years.  If you are old enough to have watched the Olympics before 1986, then you remember the communist countries that dominated the games because their athletes were not “amateurs” in the true spirit of the Olympics.  In 1986, the International Olympic Committee changed the Olympic Charter to allow “all the world’s great male and female athletes to participate” so professional status was no longer an issue.  But using the world golf rankings in 2016 eliminates the ability for the top amateur golfers to qualify.  It reminds me of when the “Dream Team” was announced for basketball for the 1992 Olympics.  Only one player on the team was a college star; the rest were all from the NBA.  I remember feeling sorry for the amateur players (mostly top college players) that had their Olympic dreams vanish when professionals were selected for the dream team.

I have no idea what the final format will be for golf in the 2016 Rio Olympics.  However, if I were on the committee to decide the format, I would suggest adding a team competition.  Also, let each country add the top male and female amateur to their rosters and add a “lowest amateur” medals category.  This would be inline with the current golf “low amateur” awarded at professional tournaments today.

The Olympics provide the biggest stage in the world for sports. I think it would be a missed opportunity to limit the competition to 72-hole stroke play.  I vote for showcasing all aspects of golf — amateurs, professionals, stroke play, and match play.

They just keep getting younger: 10-year-old Latanna Stone makes history

Posted on by
1

In June, 14-year-old, Andy Zhang became the youngest player to qualify and play in the US Open.  This week another young golfer makes news.  Latanna Stone, age 10, qualified for the US Women’s Amateur.

When I heard about Andy Zhang I thought he was too young.  I was curious what a few of the golf experts I follow on twitter thought of his age.  I sent a tweet and got a reply from Stina Sternberg, Senior Editor, Golf Digest.  Below is the twitter conversation.

Twitter conversation with Stina SternbergI was a bit surprised by Stina Sternberg’s reply.  I still felt that 14 was too young.  My opinion is that 18 would be a reasonable age requirement.  After all, the USGA has “age limits” for other championships (e.g. junior and senior events).

When I saw the news this week that a 10-year-old made the US Women’s Amateur, I said out loud (to myself) — “ridiculous.”  I have no doubt the young girl is very talented but I just don’t agree with a 10-year-old competing in the event.

You might have caught that in the tweet above, Sternberg said “If you qualify, I don’t care if you are 10…”  So imagine my surprise when I saw this tweet from Sternberg…

Stina Sternberg wrote a great article about Latanna Stone.  Sternberg explains Stone’s background and highlights the fact this young girl is home schooled and has a  “professional website”.  Sternberg suggests it is time for the “USGA to revisit its own regulations.”  Sternberg goes on to state that the USGA should have them “wait until they’re at least 14 to qualify for the U.S. Amateur.”  I still think 14 is too young but I’m glad to see Sternberg does feel 10-years-old is too young.

I know it is common for kids today to spend a lot of time playing and practicing their chosen sport.  My friends with kids spend hours traveling around on weekends to take the kids to soccer, basketball, baseball, and hockey games.  But, these kids compete against other kids.  I support all the AJGA (American Junior Golf Association) competitions and the USGA’s junior competitions where young golfers compete against their peers.

So why the urgency to play in the other events?  Because the can? Only the young golfer (and the parents) know the real motivation.  I must admit I wonder if the parents worry about their child suffering from burnout or repetitive motion injuries (which could happen just when they should be peaking for a professional career.)

The bottom line is that until the age limits change these kids have a right to play in the events.  It’s impossible to deny the amazing talent they posses.  So, congratulations to these young golfers for making it to the highest level of amateur golf.  I just hope these young golfers get to be “kids” too!

Grow the game of golf by being kind to a new golfer

Posted on by
3

In the past ten days I have played two rounds of golf  in which one of the other golfers was a new golfer.  At the first tee, new golfers often and nervously explained their lack of skill, sheepishly saying, “I’m just starting out, I’m not very good, etc.”

My response was to smile and tell them it’s a great day for golf.  I told them if they have any questions about the game, ask away — I’m happy to help.  You could literally see their whole bodies relax when they realized I was not annoyed with the fact that they were beginners.  I also asked them if they would like me to let them know if they are about to break a basic rule of the game or if they would like me to give them pointers on golf etiquette.  Both said they would love the help.

Now, for me, this is the key to playing with new golfers; help them relax and let them know we are in this wonderful round of golf together.  By asking them if they would like assistance, I am creating a win/win.  They agree to the help and I can offer assistance to keep me from going crazy if they do something truly annoying (like talking in my back swing).  I look at it this way, the more relaxed they are the better the chance they will play well.

Each new golfer had their own set of questions, ranging from how high to tee the ball to how to read a putt, but the most valuable tips I shared with them allowed them to keep up with the pace of play.  I told them that it doesn’t matter how bad they think they play; what they need to avoid is playing too slowly.  The advice I shared was simple:

  1. Don’t think too much about your swing.  Take one practice swing and then go for it.  If you take too many practice swings or stand over your ball thinking about all the things you learned, it will slow things down (and it will tire you out both mentally and physically).
  2. Be aware of what the other golfers are doing. Watch them hit the ball off the tee so that if they do not see where their ball landed, you can save them time finding their ball.
  3. Be ready when it is your turn — as soon as you see the other person hit their ball (hopefully from the fairway) be ready to hit your ball.  In other words, you can be thinking about what club to use and where you want to aim when they are getting ready to hit their ball.
  4. Pick up your ball if you are struggling on a hole — don’t take 15 strokes on a hole. If you are not in a tournament,  just pick up the ball and take it up to the fringe and hit a chip and putt.  No one will think less of you, and in fact, will respect that you are aware of the pace of play and making a decision that will keep things moving along.
  5. Always put your clubs between the green you are putting on and tee for the next hole.  Then when you walk off the green you can pick up a club that you might have left on the fringe and get your bag on the way to the next tee.  If you don’t know where the next tee is, ask your playing partner (as you are walking up to the green.)

The other area in which they needed a lot of advice was on the green.  Both of the beginners had putting lessons, but the lessons only explained the putting stroke, so we had a quick class on managing the green. Advice included:

  1. Make sure you have a ball marker to mark your ball — one of them didn’t even know that their glove had a built-in ball mark.  Always ask if you need to move the mark for someone else putting.
  2. Repair ball marks — I showed them how to lift the grass and tap it down with the putter.
  3. Tending the Flagstick — I explained they must remove the flagstick when their ball is on the green (or it’s a penalty).  If you can’t see the hole, you can have someone tend the flag.  I tended the flag, giving them little pointers, like if their body casts a shadow, stand so the shadow is not over the hole. Or, if it is a windy day, hold the flag against the pole so it does not flap in the wind.
  4. Never walk in between the hole and another players ball mark — explaining that you want to always know where the other ball marks are so you avoid making any footprints in another golfers putting line.
  5. Ask if you can finish out your putt. Don’t just assume you can “tap it in”…make sure your playing partner doesn’t mind if you tap in before he takes his/her turn.

Both rounds of golf where enjoyable and the new golfers were very happy when I left them in the parking lot.  I felt good about helping them and remembered friends that had helped me when I was a beginner.

A lot of seasoned golfers dread being put with beginners. This always amazes me because we were all beginners at one time, and let’s face it, on any given day our golf swing can let us down and our game can “look and feel” like we have never held a club in our hands.  So if you love the game of golf and want golf to grow and prosper — do your part to help grow the game of golf by being kind to a new golfer.

The LPGA’s Funny Girl – Tiffany Joh

Posted on by
1

Another US Women’s Open has come to a close and most bloggers will be writing about the winner, Na Yeon Choi but I’m going to highlight a player that did not even make the cut — American golfer, Tiffany Joh.  Why?  Because, whether it is intentional or not — she is in the process of building a unique personal brand.

This year Joh is struggling a bit with her game and is 115 in the Rolex World Rankings.  However, Joh is a solid player and shows promise.  Joh won twice on the LPGA’s Future tour.  As a member of the LPGA 2011 Rookie Class, Joh had an excellent year with $237,365 in earnings and ranked eighty-seven (87) on the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings list.  Joh also had a top 10 finish in 2012.  She was second at the Navistar Classic.  Unfortunately for Joh, it was the tournament Lexi Thompson (Golf’s newly anointed “phenom”) made history as the youngest winner (at age 16) on the LPGA.

So what makes Joh unique?  The PGA may have the Golf Boys but the LPGA has Tiffany Joh.  She loves music and has become known for her music videos.  This week, the week of the 2012 US Women’s Open, she posted her most recent video on her YouTube channel (Just Your Morning Cup of Joh.)   The video is All I Do is Win (LPGA Remix).  A parody of the song, “All I Do is Win” by Ludacris.

Joh has had a YouTube channel since 2008 but she really got noticed for her LPGA video last year “Grip It” (a parody of Freak Nasty’s 1996 hit song “Da’ Dip”).  It’s amazing how she get’s her fellow LPGA players to be silly on video.

Not only is she clever and creative with music videos but she has a great channel title “Just your morning cup of Joh” and user name “CupofJoh” and has a cartoon-like drawing (self-portrait – I’m guessing) and uses it as her YouTube channel and Twitter background.  All creating a unique personal brand.

The one thing that surprised me is that her website does not carry this branding.  However, if you visit the website, Joh’s humor and attitude come through loud and clear with just a single page stating “You are a Nerd…Websites are for Nerds.”  Is she ahead of the curve or just representative of her generation who live on social media?  I believe it is the later.  After all, the websites of the big golf stars are supported by big sponsor money.  So Joh’s site may get an upgrade if she lands a major sponsor.

It’s not just that Joh is using social media but she is savvy too — do you think the timing of the recent video was a fluke? No way.  The US Women’s open gets more press than any other women’s golf event and Joh’s video was all over twitter (at least the people who tweet about golf).

As I mentioned earlier, Joh did not make the cut at the US Women’s Open but her sense of humor never fails.  Here is a screen shot of her tweet from the airport the next day:

Tweet from Tiffany Joh on Missing Cut at US Women's Open

If you are old school and think golfers should only get noticed for their golf achievements than Tiffany Joh’s style may not be your “cup of tea” (or joh); but I respect the fact that she has developed a personal brand that sets herself apart from all the other young female golfers on tour.

Men of the Golf Channel

Posted on by
1

A few months ago I wrote about the women of the golf channel and it has been a very popular post.  I’m an equal opportunity writer so today I am focusing on the men of the Golf Channel.  I won’t be highlighting all of them (obviously there are a lot more male announcers, analysts, and TV personalities than women on the golf channel); so visit the golf channel website if you are looking for bios on Nike Faldo, Frank Nobilo, or other big name golfers now working for the Golf Channel.  Here are five of my favorite men of the Golf Channel.

Gary Williams, Morning Drive Host(1) Gary Williams – Anyone that has read my blog knows I am a fan of the Morning Drive show.  Williams has always been my favorite host for two reasons.  First, he has the perfect on-air style for an early morning show.  He has passion for what he does but he delivers it with a laid-back style.  In other words you would never call him a “morning shock jock.”

The second reason I like Williams is because he let’s his guest’s talk.  Yes, he has opinions and shares his views; but he also gives plenty of air time to other people joining him on the show.  As of May, Williams has been hosting without Erik Kuselias and frankly it is a better show.  I hope the Golf Channel executives keep Gary Williams and Holly Saunders as the mainstay personalities; while bringing on interesting co-hosts to “sit across” from Williams to discuss the days events in golf.

Photo of David Feherty (2) David Feherty — Given that I love Gary Williams because he is not a “shock jock,” it might surprise people that I like David Feherty.  His humor can sometimes be a bit overboard but I do love his on-course commentary and his show, Feherty.

I don’t really consider him a “shock jock” (although Ernie Els called him that in a Golf.com article).  He pokes fun at golfers and he gets away with it because he is “one of them” and he is also very self-deprecating.  It seems that most golfers take his humor in-stride and expect some good-natured teasing from Feherty.

On the other hand, Feherty does have a serious side.  On his show, he gave a heart-felt thank you to Tom Watson on the help Tom gave him at a difficult time in his life.  He also does wonderful interviews with other big personalities who love the game of golf (e.g. President Clinton, Donald Trump).

Photo of Tom Abbott

(3) Tom Abbott — Most folks that watch the golf channel these days will recognize Abbott as a co-host of the reality golf show, The Big Break.

Abbot does a great job on The Big Break but I really enjoy listening to Abbot’s commentary during LPGA tournament coverage.  I will admit that I do like his English accent but what I really enjoy is his enthusiasm for what he is witnessing on the course. It really adds to the viewing experience.

Photo of Jerry Foltz

(4) Jerry Foltz – Foltz is another on-course reporter that I enjoy when watching the LPGA on the golf channel.  He also does other golf tours (as does Tom Abbot).

I became an even bigger fan of Foltz when he co-hosted Morning Drive with Gary Williams.  If the golf channel executives feel they must put another permanent co-host on the show, I would encourage them to give the job to Jerry Foltz.

The reason I like Foltz is that he has a good sense of humor and the chemistry between him and the rest of the cast; especially Gary Williams, is great.  Foltz and Williams give each other a bit of a ribbing (e.g. like brothers) and it can be very funny.  Foltz has also hosted the show when Williams is on vacation; and like Williams, his personal style is great for a morning show.

Photo of Jason Sobel

(5) Jason Sobel – Sobel is technically not a “TV personality” on the Golf Channel. He is a Senior writer on GolfChannel.com but often appears on The Grey Goose 19th-hole as a panel expert and on Morning Drive as a guest analyst.

But the reason I really love Jason Sobel is because of his tweets. I’m not the only one that enjoys his 140-character commentary — Sobel has over 41,000 followers. Some might call him the “king of twitter for the golf channel,” but Feherty might want that crown given he has over 138,000 followers.  I would argue that folks are following Feherty for outrageous comic relief.  If you follow Sobel, you get clever, often funny, informative golf tweets.

It was tough to pick my top 5 because there are other men of the golf channel I really enjoy and provide excellent commentary; including Brandle Chamblee, Tripp Isenhour, and Charlie Rymer.  I have not listed any of the golf instructors on the Golf Channel (that’s a topic for another blog post) but if you want to check out the top shows you should watch School of Golf with Martin Hall and The Golf Fix with Michael Breed.

Don’t see your favorite Golf Channel guy listed?  Leave a comment on who you like and why.

The Legends of the LPGA still got game!

Posted on by
1

This weekend my friends and I decided to take a road trip to Maine to see the Legends of the LPGA.  I was excited to see Nancy Lopez, Pat Bradley, Val Skinner, Hollis Stacy, and all the other LPGA golfers; after all, I grew up watching these ladies on TV!

We arrived at the course just as Pat Bradley and Christa Johnson were coming to the 10th tee.  Obviously, living in New England, we were excited to see Pat Bradley so we decided to follow her group for a few holes.  Bradley had a tough first round score 78 (6 over par); and in the second round was 2 over for the day when she came to the 10th.  But the great thing was she was smiling and friendly.  In fact, as she walked off the green (after a bogey) she spoke to us and said “It’s a tough day at the office today.”  I thought to myself, I’d smile too if this was my office!

We walked with Bradley for two more holes and then walked over to the 16th tee to wait for Nancy Lopez and Donna Caponi to arrive.  I was so excited to see Nancy Lopez.  We were sitting on the bench by the tee box and Nancy drove by us in the cart and said “Anybody got a birdie I can buy?” and gave us that famous smile.  Nancy was also not playing well.  She shot a first day score of 83 and was struggling again on Sunday.  I’m happy to report she did par the 16th (par 3) hole we saw her play.

A funny thing happened, my friend has Nancy Lopez golf clubs and she noticed that Nancy was playing with Titelist clubs.  My friend announced to us — “She doesn’t play her own clubs” (I must admit I was hoping Nancy did not hear her because we were not too far from Nancy sitting in her cart.)  As we were walking to the 16th green a man came up to us and explained that Nancy doesn’t play her clubs because they are designed and manufactured for beginner and intermediate golfers and so they do not fit a professionals game; and then he walked on.

We met up with the man again at the next hole and I took the opportunity to thank him for his insight.  He said he usually doesn’t interject but felt compelled this time. I asked him if he worked with Nancy.  He said “No, I’m her boyfriend.”   I asked him what was wrong with Nancy’s knee (she was wearing a black brace).  He said “Her knee is basically bone on bone and it’s been that way for years.  It is hurting her today.”  Then we stopped talking because Nancy was about to putt.  O.K., I must admit — it was fun to talk to Nancy Lopez’ boyfriend.

We watched Lopez and Caponi tee off the 18th hole and then we walked across the cart path to the 10th hole.  We camped out at the green for the 10th hole to watch the next 10 groups come by (and we could easily walk over to the 18th tee to see the early groups coming to tee off on 18).

As we sat and watched the players putt on the 10th hole I said to my friend that the hole location must be really tough because we have seen player after player miss their putts.  Then came the group with Sherri Turner and Val Skinner. They both started the day at one under par.  Sherri Turner shot a 32 on the front nine holes and was now 5 under par and leading the tournament.  Turner hit a beautiful shot on to the green and birdied the hole.  I said to my friend, she is the only player we have seen birdie this hole so I think she will win today.

After watching all the groups on the 10th hole we headed to the 18th green to see everyone finish. See the slide show at the end of the post — it has a photo of Sherri Turner putting for the win!  Her final score was 6 under par.

We watched the award ceremony and it was wonderful to see Sheri Turner so happy.  Below is a great video of her speaking about the win (she states many of the things she said when she was accepting her trophy.)  What is thrilling for me is Turner talks about the birdie on the 10th hole and how it was a big deal for her.

My only expectation in attending the tournament was to enjoy a warm summer day in New England and to see some great golf.  What I did not expect was the interaction with these famous golfers.  There were no ropes (expect on the 18th green).  I did not expect the players to talk to us or stop to take a photo with an eager fan in the middle of their round (my friend got a picture with one of her favorite players).  It is clearly a more relaxed tour then the PGA or LPGA (where the players are still making their mark in their sport.) Although these “legends” do not have to interact with the fans, it is wonderful that they are so open and it is a great service to the game of golf.

If you love golf, have a non-golfer friend you want to introduce to golf, or a child interested in golf — go to a  Legends of the LPGA tour event.  It will be a relaxed and fun day for everyone. I know my friends and I will remember our visit to Maine.  Finally, here are some photos taken at the event. Photos taken with my iPhone…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Karen Palacios-Jansen delivers a fun and informative online golf class

Posted on by
2

The Golf Channel Program, Morning Drive, is one of my favorite shows and that is where I first saw Karen Palacios-Jansen providing tips to improve one’s golf game.  I loved the combination of swing tips and off-course exercises Karen provided and thought it would be great if I could find someone like her (golf pro and certified personal trainer) locally.  Well, now I don’t have to look because I can work with Karen online.  Yes, from the comfort of my own home, I can work with a LPGA teacher of the year.

At first I was skeptical when I saw that Karen was providing online golf instruction via the web. I have participated in plenty of online courses but they did not involve any physical activity.  I was curious to see if it would be possible to create the interaction of a face-to-face golf lesson or workout session online.  Here is what I experienced:

The Technology for the Class

I did not recognize the website, Powhow and so I read the “about us” section of the site, the terms & conditions, and the refund policy. The company is new and their focus is providing great technology for online classes.  The terms were fairly standard and I was pleased to see the refund policy was in plain English and seemed very reasonable.  Please make sure you read the terms and policies anytime you use a website for the first time.

It was easy to sign-up and email reminders were sent with technical requirements and instructions on how to log-in.  The day before the class, I did go to the website, speedtest (provided in my reminder email) to test my internet speed.  It was easy to do and it put me at ease knowing my internet access exceeded the speed requirements.

The day of the class, I just opened the email reminder and clicked on the link for the class. When I arrived on the landing page, I chose to log-in via Facebook and it was fast and seamless. Within less than a minute I was online with Karen.

Any concerns about the technology quickly left me within the first few minutes and I was completely focused on Karen.  The image was clear, I could hear Karen clearly, and she could see and hear me.
The ultimate “thumbs-up” test was that I never had any delay in the video or voice transmission during the class. 
The Class:  Swing Essentials – Tips & Drills for Distance and Consistency
We chatted for a few minutes and I told Karen I had a shoulder injury.  Karen began the class and it was easy to follow along.  Karen started off the class with a warm-up you can do before you play.  I did all the moves along with her and I could ask a question at any time.  But, given Karen’s expertise in teaching, I really did not need to ask too many questions.  It seemed like every time I thought “what should this feel like” Karen would say “you should feel this in your…”  I guess I could say she was reading my mind but I just think she knows her stuff.  When she came to an exercise involving the shoulders she paused and said “Catherine, you probably should not try this one.”
Karen went over some of the common swing issues.  One issue I have had is coming out of my golf stance. Karen explained the role of the hamstrings in maintaining the position.  I am happy to report that I have been doing the strength and stretching exercises she showed us and it has made a big impact on the course!
Karen frequently reminded the class that she can see us so if we were wondering if we were doing an exercise correctly, she could look at us and give us feedback on what we were doing. This is where Karen’s skill at verbal instruction comes into play.  For example, she can’t physically take your hands and place them on the grip for you but she can say move your left had a bit to the right.  That is the unique aspect of this class and what makes it better than a video. Don’t get me wrong watching a video is great but you don’t get feedback.
When I started the class I felt a bit funny standing in my home office doing the exercises while watching Karen on my computer screen but it didn’t take long for me to just focus on what I was doing.
I think a good sign that you are engaged is if the time flies by and that is what it felt like taking this online class with Karen.  I learned a lot and enjoyed the class; and was so pleased with what I learned that I got her iPhone App. 
Grade for my experience:  A
The class exceeded my expectations.  I don’t think it replaces my face-to-face time with my local golf pro but it is definitely a nice addition to the tools I use and lessons I take to improve my game; especially her insights on off-course exercises based on issues with the swing.  Finally, if you live in a cold climate and want to work on your game in the winter — mark your calendar to take an online class with Karen Palacios-Jansen.
 
 

The LPGA’s Marketing Challenge

Posted on by
3

The LPGA has a challenging issue in the American market.  The challenge is to change the perception of the LPGA in the mind of the average American golf fan.

What is really behind this challenge?  Let me share a recent conversation I had with other golfers on the Wednesday before the Wegmans LPGA Championship.  I was playing golf with a group of women (all play a lot of golf and are passionate about their sport).  I asked if they watched the LPGA and they all said no because the top 10 women golfers are all Korean.  Their perception is that the LPGA is becoming an Asian tour.  Their declaration that the top 10 players are all Korean is not correct. They were surprised when I told them both Stacy Lewis and Christie Kerr are in the top 10 of the world rankings; and that Stacy Lewis had won two of the last three LPGA events.

On Thursday, I started watching the Wagmens LPGA Championship.  It looked like an American might actually win this major tournament; Paul Creamer, Christie Kerr, and Stacy Lewis were playing well.  Then, on Sunday,  a Chinese player, Shanshan (Jenny) Feng shot an amazing 67 and won.  She is the first Chinese player to win but this means that the current title holders for the four LPGA majors are all Asian (from Korea, Taiwan, and China), and this is “the story” that is focused on in the media.

On the golf channel, both Ron Sirak and Tom Rosenforte raised the issue of what Feng’s win means for the LPGA.  Ron Sirak even suggested that it might mean the LPGA Championship could be held in China in the near future.  In Beth Ann Baldry’s GolfWeek online article she also pondered what Feng’s win means… “For all we know, decades from now this tour might be based in China. Crazier things have happened.”  These golf commentators are adding fuel to the fire and provide even more proof of the “image battle” facing the LPGA marketing team.

So what’s the LPGA to do?  They have tried very hard to position the tour as a “global” tour and promoted Yani Tseng so that fans can embrace her.  This is an important message because the huge growth in golf will be from markets like China.  But frankly, that doesn’t really help with the immediate (and sensitive) image issue facing the tour in its key market, the United States.

It is important to give credit where credit is due and the leaders of the LPGA are reinvigorating the tour overall. For example, they have added events, gotten new sponsors, and they have a really great new marketing campaign for 2012 —  “See why it is different out here.”  I promise, you will enjoy the video below.

They also have embraced social media as I highlighted in my previous blog post “Funny Tweets from LPGA Golfers.”

Now this is all great but the problem is that the message is not getting out to the average golf fan (at least not where I live).  The ads I see for the LPGA are only on the golf channel and mostly shown during coverage of the LPGA.

So what is the LPGA to do?  Well, here are a few suggestions.

  1. Get the Golf Channel to show the new ad campaign during broadcasts of the other tours; especially the PGA.  I get why the new ads are shown during LPGA coverage, but to me this is “preaching to the choir.”  As a marketing professional, this has always been a “pet peeve” of mine — showing ads that are intended to reach new customers to viewers already engaged with your product.
  2. Target an ad campaign to the viewers that “long for the days of Nancy Lopez.”  Heck, get Nancy to do some ads to promote the new breed of American players.  The message is that if you liked Nancy Lopez, then watch Stacy Lewis.  Which brings me to the next issue.
  3. Promote the heck out of your top American players.  Stacy Lewis is #2 in the Rolex world rankings — make a big deal of it.  Play off the developing competition between Stacy Lewis and Cristie Kerr to be the top American.  It’s great that the golf announcers talk about it during the broadcast but take advantage of it in your marketing (use all that great TV footage for some great viral videos).
  4. Expand social media and create a Pinterest strategy.  First, I give credit to the LPGA for having an official Pinterest page; but it has no strategy to engage Pinterest users. The strategy right now looks like they just put up some images as placeholders. They are missing a huge opportunity to brand the LPGA (as well as women and golf)  on a social media site whos biggest demographic is women. I can think of lots of quick wins for their Pinterest presence.
  5. It’s great that the LPGA has embraced Twitter with their players; but now it’s time to see if they can get some love from their brothers on the PGA. The young golfers on the PGA tour “are champions” (excuse the pun) at tweeting and some of the PGA players have huge followings.  I am curious if PGA players follow the LPGA.  If yes, see if they will tweet about it.
  6. Focus on grassroots marketing (and not just when the LPGA is in town for a tournament).  Basically create an outreach program with content that golf associations can use in their eMarketing channels.  There are many golf organizations that are key influencers in their markets and could be the local cheerleaders of the LPGA but they need to be given the messaging and the stories to push.

This blog post may seem like I’m on my soapbox but it just irks me that the golf media has to keep the focus on the large number of Asian players on the LPGA.  Since the media is determined to keep it as a top story; it is up to the tour to create the stories to give the home fans something to embrace.  Many of the American LPGA players are trying hard to step-up and compete (should I say it again, Stacy Lewis is #2 in the world) so they are doing their part.

Golf fans are passionate about their sport and usually have a favorite player (or players) that they follow.  For golf fans that like to cheer for the “home town players,” the LPGA has a lot of great American players to promote in the US market.  Golf fans love to watch great drama unfold during tournament play.  The LPGA has all these things, but right now it seems to be the best kept secret from the average golf fan.

Funny tweets from LPGA golfers

Posted on by
3

I have been following a number of the LPGA players on twitter and it is really amazing how much information they share about their personal lives.  Yes, they do promote events they are attending and products they use (or should I say endorse) but overall the tweets are not commercial.  In fact, many of the ladies are quite funny.

The best tweets involve photos, food and/or drink, insider jokes, and conversations between players.  Below are some examples.  If you are not familiar with Twitter, I’ll do my best to explain.  One thing to keep in mind is that anytime you see a twitter handle (like @ChristinaKim) just replace it with a name.  Here we go….

Here is a tweet from Christina Kim that represents it all (Photo, Food, Humor – self-deprecation).  Kim replied to a tweet from Nicole Hage.  Hage tweeted a photo showing her recent baking efforts.  Hage says “all done” (and includes a photo) and Kim replies ” You bake, and look like you….”

Christina Kim Tweet to Hage

Now, Kim has been tweeting a lot about her workouts at the gym (which adds to this already funny tweet.)  If you don’t know this…in the tweet above, there is a photo, Kim is the women in the front (that’s Michelle Wei behind her and the photo is from the Solheim Cup).

Nicole Hage

Here is a Photo of Nicole Hage.  I had to add the photo because Kim said  “you bake, and look like you” (so I know my readers would ask, so what does Nicole Hage look like).

Now, many of you who read my blog know I have written about slow play and how it is bad for the game.  So here is a funny tweet between two players about the time it took to play a Pro-Am tournament.

Suzann Petterson Tweet on Pro-AMChristina Kim reply to Pro-Am As you can see, Kim’s reply comes after Pettersens’ text..5:50, Stop exaggerating. Ugh!  The joke is self-evident.  Hopefully, now you get how to read the tweets.

Below is a “tweet conversation” that I loved because the players are exchanging a bit of “teasing” before a match.  Sophie Gustafson and Karen Stupples were scheduled to go head-to-head in match play (this was tweeted the night before the match).

Tweet between Gustafson and Stupples

Gustafson Foot Photo

And, Gustafson attached photo of her foot…to which, Karen later tweeted..love the golf tan.

Here is a great tweet from Karen Stupples regarding a rain delay.

Stupples tweet about rain delay in NJ

I guess as a traveling golfer you see it all.  Here is a photo tweeted from Rachel Connor.

Connor Tweet on Airplane

And how about this tweet from Sophie Gustafson at an airport terminal.  I can’t attach the video but here is a still of the object on the luggage carousel (yup, it’s a Heinken)

Gustafson Video Tweet

There are so many more good tweets I could show but this post would just get too long.  I want to end with two that are not really “funny” like the ones about; but show the great support these players give each other (as friends) on tour.

Kerr tweet to GulbisLincicome Tweet Congrats to OToole

This week, at the ShopRite tournament, the LPGA will promote the use of twitter by adding player’s twitter handles to name tags that go on the back of the caddie’s bib.  Now, as a fan, I already follow my favorites. So the bibs are interesting but I’m not sure it will get me to follow more.  As a marketing professional, I say “good for the LPGA for trying something new;” and I will be interested to see if it impacts individual player’s (i.e. will they get more followers.)  I plan to do my own research and see if I see any spikes in followers for the players.  By the way, the LPGA did tweet about the new name tags.

LPGA Photo Tweet

Finally, are you wondering which LPGA player has the most followers?  Well, it is Natalie Gulbis with 115,855 followers (as of May 28 at 2:38 pm).  This doesn’t surprise me given I wrote a blog post titled “Natalie Gulbis – This golfer is a savvy Marketer.”

What was the biggest surprise last week in golf — Curtis, Tseng, Wie, or Rio?

Posted on by
Reply

I was watching Ben Curtis win the Valero Texas Open yesterday and the thought went through my head that he was a “surprise” winner.  He had not won since the Booz Allen tournament in June 2006.  The surprise about the lack of wins between 2006 and 2012 is fueled by the fact that Curtis is a “Major” winner (he won the British Open at Royal St. George in 2003.)  Curtis won just a few years after turning pro and then did not live up to the expectations of a “Major” winner.  Expectations that now Bubba Watson will have to live up to in the coming years.

But was Ben Curtis the biggest surprise?  If we look at the LPGA tour, we could list the fact that Yani Tseng did not win (she finished tied for 10th at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii.)  But it is not a big surprise to me because I may just be the one person on the planet that does not believe Tseng will win every tournament she enters.

Is the bigger surprise the fact that Michelle Wie missed the cut again (making it three missed cuts in a row?)  I don’t think so.  She has missed three in a row in previous years.  The expectation some folks had that she would come out of Standford University and suddenly be great was ridiculous.  Every top golfer in the world talks about the focus it takes to be at the top of their game.  Wie is struggling because she has not been focused on golf in the last few years and it is clearly showing on the course.  Give her time to get mentally “back into the game.”

I think maybe the biggest surprise for me this week was not how well or poorly a professional golfer played; but the announcement that the site selected for the golf course for the 2016 Olympics is under a land dispute in Rio.  According to an Associated Press article it threatens the ability for the golf course to be ready because if they can’t use the land, they have to start from scratch for the golf course design.  This is a big deal given the designer has stated plans to “break ground” in October 2012.

The article goes on to say that “Elmway Participacoes has been trying to claim ownership of the land for the past three years.”  Really?  You would think the city/organizers of the Olympics would not pick a plot of land that someone has been trying to claim ownership of for three years.  But who knows what is really going on behind closed doors.  But the article also stated that this is not the first time a land dispute caused delays for another major sporting event (world soccer) in Brazil.

Bottom line, I want to see my favorite sport in the Summer Olympics — after all, the last time it was part of the Olympics was 1906 — and I would hate to see “a land dispute” keep it from happening.  Let’s hope the golf course designer, Gil Hanse, doesn’t face too many more surprises.