Ladies In the Red

Everyone has different opinions on different issues, its part of what makes life interesting.

But this time I seem to out on a limb by myself.

Over the weekend SKY announced that from March they will be showing LPGA highlights. As of yet no announcement of a schedule but any coverage is better than none.

Since the demise of the Golf Channel UK live coverage of the LPGA has been limited to 2 or 3 tournaments a year, which is still more we get of the LET.

Now while I look forward to LPGA highlights I am seriously concerned what impact this may have on the LET.

My feelings on the appalling quality of the LET TV production are well documented so I will just leave that as read.

But where will SKY put LET highlights now?

In the past I have been accused of being anti LET, I am not, I simply want to see the LET get stronger as a tour, the growth of ladies golf in Europe depends largely on having a successful Ladies tour.

Professional golfers need tournaments to play in, tournaments need sponsors, sponsors need media exposure. it’s a simple equation.

When you look at the LPGA the players realised leadership was leading them down a dead end and player power got a change in leadership.

They appointed a business person with no LPGA links, Mike Whan, now 2 years down the line new, and old for that, tournaments are appearing. But not only in the USA, Whan knows to succeed the LPGA has to be recognised globally.

The Evian has always been a major in Europe, now thanks to Whan it is a world major. This year the Australian Open became a tri sanctioned event, it also saw many LPGA players play in both the Australian Masters and the New Zealand Womens Open. Will next year see both these tournaments as tri sanctioned events? You never know.

By my calculations there where 16 European based LET players out of 156 in the Australian Open, basically 10% of a tri sanctioned event.

Hypothetically if you currently sponsor an LET event and are trying to break into the American market and the LPGA approach you about making it a co sanctioned event what would you do ?? It may cost you double your purse but you get TV exposure in the States, a stronger field and now coverage on SKY in the UK ??

As Laura Davies said if you take part in an event with a 200,000 euro purse you need a top 5 place to make a profit. With 85 tournament wins Laura know what she is talking about.

But Laura did quantify that by saying players that use a caddy, is it not a sad state of affairs when you see professional players taking part in a professional tournament, pulling their own clubs? But given low purses & lack of exposure of players for sponsors would not every one of us do the same ?

Many players are being forced into taking “real” jobs as they simply cant afford to play on the LET full time!

This is not an attack on those that run the LET its an appeal to waken up & smell the coffee.

Look at the huge success of the Solheim Cup, where is the spring board effect?

Seriously where ??

I genuinely fear for the long term future of the LET, lets hope I am not the only one.