What the LPGA schedule would look like if i was commissioner

golfnut · 02-22-2010, 10:22 PM

I'm sure we all have probably asked ourselves this question, what would i do if i were in charge of something? In this case, for me, what would the LPGA schedule look like if i were commissioner. Well after giving it a lot of thought this is what i came up with.

The official schedule would start the first full week of january with the HSBC Women's Champions, then move on to the follwing countries in this order, consecutively: Thailand, Malaysia, S. Korea, Japan, China, Australia, and then Mexico. On a calendar it would read like this:

January: HSBC Women's Champions
Honda PTT LPGA Thailand
Malaysia
S. Korea

February: Japan
China
Australia
Mexico

That's 8 consecutive events played in countries where fan interest is much greater than it would be in the U.S. opposite, NFL Playoffs and the Superbowl.

Then starting the first week of March the tour would debut it's U.S. schedule in Phoenix, then Tucson, then Las Vegas, then at La Costa the week before the Nabisco. It would read like so:

March: Phoenix
Tucson
Las Vegas
Kia Classic presented by J Golf

Then the KNC would be followed the Tres Marias event in morelia, Mexico the week of the Masters, then followed by the start of the southern swing.

April: KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP
Tres Marias Championship in Morelia
Miami
Orlando
LPGA Headquaters

May: Mobile
Montgomery
Atlanta
Sybase Matchplay Championship

June: Shoprite LPGA Classic
LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP
State Farm Classic
Wegmans LPGA
Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic

July: U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN
Chicago
Boston
New York Proper

August: Evian Masters
RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN
CN Canadian Women's Open
P@G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship

Spetember: Safeway Classic
Seattle
Pebble Beach
CVS Pharmacy LPGA Challenge

October: Hawaii
Hawaii
China
S. Korea

November: Japan
Acapulco
Lorena Ochoa Invitational
Tour Championship

In closing, i know that getting this type of schedule would be difficult, but hey can't we all dream? This would leave only 5 off weeks, but compared to what the schedule is now, i think it would be a vast improvement. It's the best of both worlds; the tour gets the international exposure it needs, while holding events in the U.S. during times when the tour will most likely get maximum exposure. It isn't perfect, but what does everyone think? The final tally reads like this: 46 official events
29 events in the U.S. (including Tour Championship)
17 international events

So what does everyone think?

xman5 · 02-23-2010, 08:05 AM

Yeah we would all like that, except you have a schedule of a lot of things that do not exist. And they don't exist because they can not get sponsors at this time.

It will come back, though slowly. There are some good signs with the new leadership.

WHat I would have done now would be to move the 2 Feb events to March to eliminate the gap. There shoul be no weather issue with that. Also I would try to make those events full field. I would also charter a flight for all and consolidate travel. This shoul help the players save some money. I know it is standard to have the players be on there own, but every little bit helps. Not everyone is a millionaire.

golfnut · 02-23-2010, 01:39 PM

As i said xman the schedule i put up is fictional, the sponsorship would have to be found, etc, etc. But hey, we can all dream, can't we? What would your ideal schedule look like?

xman5 · 02-23-2010, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by golfnut

What would your ideal schedule look like?

I'll go with yours, that way I don't have to think too much.

MarinePaul · 02-23-2010, 04:30 PM

It would be nice if the schedule looked similar, but that may take several years. I do like the way the LPGA is headed under the new regime, but it going to take some time to get a full schedule.

golfnut · 02-23-2010, 04:38 PM

Maybe not as long as you might think MP, at least for the international part of the schedule. The U.S. portion may take a bit longer but i think in 3-5 years the schedule could look very much like this, if that is the direction the tour wants to go in. I think we have all had enough of the less is more philosophy. It served it's purpose, but it's gotten out of hand, don't you think?

MarinePaul · 02-23-2010, 07:38 PM

I never bought in to Votaw's philosophy on that, actually. And Bivens damned nearly made it "nothing is more" in the way she handled negotiations. I'm hoping that this regime will bring some sanity to the LPGA. It's long overdue.

golfnut · 02-23-2010, 08:23 PM

From about 2002-2004 i thought Votaw's plan was right. But after that, the schedule should have started expanding. It got to 34 in 2008, then the great recession hit, and well, you know, we sit at 25 now. Though we may end up with 1 or 2 more for this year. I think 2011 will have at least 32 events, maybe even as high as 35, though much of that may come through international expansion.

PAC RIM · 02-23-2010, 09:48 PM

Hmmmmm? More events on the other tours turf that most of their respective tour players would never qualify for.

Every tour is into protecting their members, so they will not complain much about a novelty event now and again, but turning over a good portion of their tours/purses will create one hell of a cat fight, with their nails fully deployed.

Personally I would like to see more Open Major Championships on the other tours around the World, with amateurs and professionals in the field. Use the Rolex rankings for Professionals and establish one for Amateurs to round out the fields.

Play well consistently and it pays off.

golfnut · 02-23-2010, 10:38 PM

Actually PAC RIM, I agree up to a point. Most of the best play most of the time on the LPGA Tour, so i don't think that being on different tour's turf would be much of a problem. The LPGA is so much stronger against it's counterparts than the PGA Tour is against their's i really don't think it would be a problem. What i do agree on is more colloabrative international events. I would like to see an international federation of LPGA Tours similar to that of their male counterparts. I would like to see something similar to WGC events, execpt i would call them international championship series events, or ICS for short. I'd like to see 6 events, one on each continent and contested using a match play format, a stableford scoring format, a stroke play format, a round robin format and a scramble format, culminating in a 90 hole stroke play event from champions from the previous year from the five major tours. Peg purses at $2 million per event and i think it would do wonders. The other tours would get international publicity the likes which they don't normally get, and would also help to unify women's golf in a way that their male counterparts have yet to accomplish.

02-22-2010, 10:22 PM	#1
golfnut Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mandeville, Louisiana Posts: 484	What the LPGA schedule would look like if i was commissioner I'm sure we all have probably asked ourselves this question, what would i do if i were in charge of something? In this case, for me, what would the LPGA schedule look like if i were commissioner. Well after giving it a lot of thought this is what i came up with. The official schedule would start the first full week of january with the HSBC Women's Champions, then move on to the follwing countries in this order, consecutively: Thailand, Malaysia, S. Korea, Japan, China, Australia, and then Mexico. On a calendar it would read like this: January: HSBC Women's Champions Honda PTT LPGA Thailand Malaysia S. Korea February: Japan China Australia Mexico That's 8 consecutive events played in countries where fan interest is much greater than it would be in the U.S. opposite, NFL Playoffs and the Superbowl. Then starting the first week of March the tour would debut it's U.S. schedule in Phoenix, then Tucson, then Las Vegas, then at La Costa the week before the Nabisco. It would read like so: March: Phoenix Tucson Las Vegas Kia Classic presented by J Golf Then the KNC would be followed the Tres Marias event in morelia, Mexico the week of the Masters, then followed by the start of the southern swing. April: KRAFT NABISCO CHAMPIONSHIP Tres Marias Championship in Morelia Miami Orlando LPGA Headquaters May: Mobile Montgomery Atlanta Sybase Matchplay Championship June: Shoprite LPGA Classic LPGA CHAMPIONSHIP State Farm Classic Wegmans LPGA Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic July: U.S. WOMEN'S OPEN Chicago Boston New York Proper August: Evian Masters RICOH WOMEN'S BRITISH OPEN CN Canadian Women's Open P@G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship Spetember: Safeway Classic Seattle Pebble Beach CVS Pharmacy LPGA Challenge October: Hawaii Hawaii China S. Korea November: Japan Acapulco Lorena Ochoa Invitational Tour Championship In closing, i know that getting this type of schedule would be difficult, but hey can't we all dream? This would leave only 5 off weeks, but compared to what the schedule is now, i think it would be a vast improvement. It's the best of both worlds; the tour gets the international exposure it needs, while holding events in the U.S. during times when the tour will most likely get maximum exposure. It isn't perfect, but what does everyone think? The final tally reads like this: 46 official events 29 events in the U.S. (including Tour Championship) 17 international events So what does everyone think?

02-23-2010, 08:05 AM	#2
xman5 Contest Statistician Join Date: May 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 3,904	Yeah we would all like that, except you have a schedule of a lot of things that do not exist. And they don't exist because they can not get sponsors at this time. It will come back, though slowly. There are some good signs with the new leadership. WHat I would have done now would be to move the 2 Feb events to March to eliminate the gap. There shoul be no weather issue with that. Also I would try to make those events full field. I would also charter a flight for all and consolidate travel. This shoul help the players save some money. I know it is standard to have the players be on there own, but every little bit helps. Not everyone is a millionaire. Last edited by xman5; 02-23-2010 at 08:10 AM.

02-23-2010, 02:50 PM	#4
xman5 Contest Statistician Join Date: May 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 3,904	Originally Posted by golfnut What would your ideal schedule look like? I'll go with yours, that way I don't have to think too much.

02-23-2010, 04:30 PM	#5
MarinePaul Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Warren, Ohio Posts: 8,003	It would be nice if the schedule looked similar, but that may take several years. I do like the way the LPGA is headed under the new regime, but it going to take some time to get a full schedule. __________________ Happiness isn't getting what you want, it's wanting what you have.

02-23-2010, 04:38 PM	#6
golfnut Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mandeville, Louisiana Posts: 484	Maybe not as long as you might think MP, at least for the international part of the schedule. The U.S. portion may take a bit longer but i think in 3-5 years the schedule could look very much like this, if that is the direction the tour wants to go in. I think we have all had enough of the less is more philosophy. It served it's purpose, but it's gotten out of hand, don't you think? Last edited by golfnut; 02-23-2010 at 08:24 PM.

02-23-2010, 01:39 PM	#3
golfnut Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mandeville, Louisiana Posts: 484	As i said xman the schedule i put up is fictional, the sponsorship would have to be found, etc, etc. But hey, we can all dream, can't we? What would your ideal schedule look like?

02-23-2010, 07:38 PM	#7
MarinePaul Moderator Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Warren, Ohio Posts: 8,003	I never bought in to Votaw's philosophy on that, actually. And Bivens damned nearly made it "nothing is more" in the way she handled negotiations. I'm hoping that this regime will bring some sanity to the LPGA. It's long overdue. __________________ Happiness isn't getting what you want, it's wanting what you have.

02-23-2010, 08:23 PM	#8
golfnut Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mandeville, Louisiana Posts: 484	From about 2002-2004 i thought Votaw's plan was right. But after that, the schedule should have started expanding. It got to 34 in 2008, then the great recession hit, and well, you know, we sit at 25 now. Though we may end up with 1 or 2 more for this year. I think 2011 will have at least 32 events, maybe even as high as 35, though much of that may come through international expansion.

02-23-2010, 09:48 PM	#9
PAC RIM Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 520 Images: 1	Hmmmmm? More events on the other tours turf that most of their respective tour players would never qualify for. Every tour is into protecting their members, so they will not complain much about a novelty event now and again, but turning over a good portion of their tours/purses will create one hell of a cat fight, with their nails fully deployed. Personally I would like to see more Open Major Championships on the other tours around the World, with amateurs and professionals in the field. Use the Rolex rankings for Professionals and establish one for Amateurs to round out the fields. Play well consistently and it pays off.

02-23-2010, 10:38 PM	#10
golfnut Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Mandeville, Louisiana Posts: 484	Actually PAC RIM, I agree up to a point. Most of the best play most of the time on the LPGA Tour, so i don't think that being on different tour's turf would be much of a problem. The LPGA is so much stronger against it's counterparts than the PGA Tour is against their's i really don't think it would be a problem. What i do agree on is more colloabrative international events. I would like to see an international federation of LPGA Tours similar to that of their male counterparts. I would like to see something similar to WGC events, execpt i would call them international championship series events, or ICS for short. I'd like to see 6 events, one on each continent and contested using a match play format, a stableford scoring format, a stroke play format, a round robin format and a scramble format, culminating in a 90 hole stroke play event from champions from the previous year from the five major tours. Peg purses at $2 million per event and i think it would do wonders. The other tours would get international publicity the likes which they don't normally get, and would also help to unify women's golf in a way that their male counterparts have yet to accomplish.

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