Women’s professional golf - does anyone care?

[MendieGK]

Been wanting to post this for a while but was concerned it would come across as sexist - I don’t mean it to

There’s a lot of coverage at the moment about the Demise of the women’s European tour etc and campaigns to support it.

However, surely the fact there aren’t any sponsors, people willing to put money into it proves that unfortunately most people simply do not care about it?

For me proof is in the numbers - people don’t watch - so sponsors won’t sponsor.

It’s a sad reality, but it is what it is...

 

[Kellfire]

Like it or not, the quality is a step down from the men’s game and at the pinnacle of a sport you shouldn’t feel you’re watching an inferior standard. It’s the same problem in women’s football. At its highest level it is clearly very skilful but it lacks something - for me it’s the pace and physical lift and the fact the goalkeepers are almost pointless at times.

The men’s European tour always seems on the verge of breaking down so I’m not sure how a women’s Euro tour can thrive.

 

[Pathetic Shark]

I had to cover last year's British Ladies Open. What a waste of four days that was. Who cares which Korean wins when there are about 10 of them in the top 15. They all play the same, there are no characters in the game and hence no real story. At least this year we had an English winner.

At least the women golfers don't carry on bitching about prize money and equality like the moron female tennis players do. And at least the sport isn't rammed down our throats like the BBC do with women's football and cricket.

As Alan Partridge would have described it "Monkey Tennis".

 

[need_my_wedge]

I wouldn't say that I care per se, but if it's on, I quite enjoy watching it. I think maybe there's a stigma around men watching women's sport, assuming at the same level as the men. It probably isn't, but I went to the Women's Open at Woburn a couple of years back, there was some exceptional golf played out there at times. It was still impressive to see, and miles above any golf that I can dream of.

 

[Imurg]

People don't watch because they can't watch so the sponsors think nobody wants to watch - the classic vicious circle.
I've been to a couple of Women's events down the years and they were as good as going to Men's ones.
Ok, the standard may not be as high but it's more realistic for the vast majority of male players.
Ultimately, is it out fault that the LET is foundering?
We don't make the noises to the likes of Sky, who would cover it, and the big corporations who would sponsor it..
They don't think it's worth putting money in because nobody wants to watch it.
I don't think the standard is much lower than the LPGA - plenty of coverage and events over there...
I can't believe that there aren't enough people in Europe who want to watch the LET. There has to be a way to revive it, there is a way - I don't know what it is though.
Someone needs to take the reins and bully the sponsors into digging into their pockets.
I think it would be a shake if the LET dies.

 

[patricks148]

pure and simple .... market forces

personally for me i have very little interest, even watching mens golf on TV TBH, when ever i have seen it its is dull, slow and the standard some times looks like watching the monthly medal

 

[jim8flog]

I am somebody who likes watching golf but there in lies the problem.

Even if there is a highlights programme of a LET event of just one hour at least half of the programme does not show any golf.

 

[Grant85]

Been wanting to post this for a while but was concerned it would come across as sexist - I don’t mean it to

There’s a lot of coverage at the moment about the Demise of the women’s European tour etc and campaigns to support it.

However, surely the fact there aren’t any sponsors, people willing to put money into it proves that unfortunately most people simply do not care about it?

For me proof is in the numbers - people don’t watch - so sponsors won’t sponsor.

It’s a sad reality, but it is what it is...

I think golf in general is suffering from a lack of air time, especially in the UK. There used be maybe half a dozen tournaments on terrestrial TV each summer (inlcuding ladies British Open) and while Sky do a great job of covering the events that they cover, the casual viewer is not going to stumble upon the Sky Sports golf channel and get engrossed in the Farmers Insurance or the Made in Denmark... sadly now not even the Open or the Masters perhaps.

However... all is not lost. There is still a big market for the womans game in North America and Asia and there is still a career to be had for those who want to make the sacrifices, take a few risks and compete with the best Americans and Koreans. Sure, there won't be as many in all likelihood, but definitely a few will make it. The big difference is that those who want to make it will have to commit. There will be no... oh well I'll go and play half a dozen tournaments each summer and see how I get on and I can pick up my main job again in the winter. You will have to go all in, relocate and play on the Symetra tour and give it your best shot for 2 or 3 years. Sure, it will take massive financial sacrifices and maybe some just won't be able to manage it, or won't want to try, but it's still a possibility.

Compare this to mens football. Some countries barely have a professional football league and it is basically accepted that if you are a decent footballer in most countries other than the 10 or 12 European leagues, your main objective is to move to Europe as this is where the best clubs are, the most money and the most competitive environment to ply your trade. Players are now well advised to move continents as teenagers to stand the best chance of developing and making the most of any career opportunities.

Yes - you could be very disheartened with the state of the LET, or you could just accept that it is what it is, there's not much that any individual player can do (especially those trying to make their way in the game) and you can go where the opportunities are.

 

[Jamesbrown]

I barely watch any golf, I make an effort for majors or the Ryder Cup but usually fall asleep. It’s boring. It’s only good when your playing it or there in person.
Perhaps if they got the women in bikinis it’d get me interested.

 

[Grant85]

I barely watch any golf, I make an effort for majors or the Ryder Cup but usually fall asleep. It’s boring. It’s only good when your playing it or there in person.
Perhaps if they got the women in bikinis it’d get me interested.

Sometimes it's best not to comment, rather than out yourself as ignorant and sexist.

 

[shortgame]

First issue is that sadly not a lot of ladies watch or support ladies golf!

I quite enjoy it and the standard doesn't deter me from watching as it does from football.

It is vicious circle though as said above

 

[Grant85]

With regards to TV, I think they could co-ordinate things in the states a bit better. For example, if a mens event is in Florida then have a ladies event in California... and vice versa.

Ok, so the mens event is not going to change their schedule to accommodate ladies TV time, but you still have a 3 hour time difference to play with so wouldn't be impossible to have each event's 'back 9' on different time schedules that fans could realistically tune into both.

Maybe they do this already, but it's just that Sky only show the majors - of which I believe the ladies play 3 US majors.

I'd also like to see the men take a stance with Augusta and say if you aren't going to have a ladies US Masters, then we are taking the mens event elsewhere. It would happen overnight if enough big guys got behind it. As it is, journalists are afraid to say anything like that because with Augusta, you are either IN or you are OUT and no one wants to be OUT.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I think you can apply this to a number of sports, yes womens football, rugby etc along with a host of Olympic sports, especially winter Olympics. 2012 gave people in the UK false expectations that being good at a sport enabled you to give up your job and be paid to play it full time. All rational economics were forgotten. Men play those sports professionally, therefore women can. Switzerland has professional Luge people therefore we must have, expand on and on.

Sport has to pay its way, all sport. If your product doesn't attract enough attention then sadly you have to go back to amateur status. No one has a right to be paid to do what is effectively a hobby, including golf.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

With regards to TV, I think they could co-ordinate things in the states a bit better. For example, if a mens event is in Florida then have a ladies event in California... and vice versa.

Ok, so the mens event is not going to change their schedule to accommodate ladies TV time, but you still have a 3 hour time difference to play with so wouldn't be impossible to have each event's 'back 9' on different time schedules that fans could realistically tune into both.

Maybe they do this already, but it's just that Sky only show the majors - of which I believe the ladies play 3 US majors.

I'd also like to see the men take a stance with Augusta and say if you aren't going to have a ladies US Masters, then we are taking the mens event elsewhere. It would happen overnight if enough big guys got behind it. As it is, journalists are afraid to say anything like that because with Augusta, you are either IN or you are OUT and no one wants to be OUT.

The Ladies Tour in the US have just announced an $80million prize fund for next year, their best ever, why should they care about scheduling or the LET? Fact is, the LET need to learn from their counterparts in the US.
Why have men got to do all this “fighting” for women’s golf? What about all the guys who fail to qualify for the respective tours or talented male golfers with no sponsorship!

 

[Grant85]

I think you can apply this to a number of sports, yes womens football, rugby etc along with a host of Olympic sports, especially winter Olympics. 2012 gave people in the UK false expectations that being good at a sport enabled you to give up your job and be paid to play it full time. All rational economics were forgotten. Men play those sports professionally, therefore women can. Switzerland has professional Luge people therefore we must have, expand on and on.

Sport has to pay its way, all sport. If your product doesn't attract enough attention then sadly you have to go back to amateur status. No one has a right to be paid to do what is effectively a hobby, including golf.

Yes - ultimately if a woman is going to be good at a sport, it had better be Tennis, Athletics or Golf - because it's likely that a career in any other sport is likely to mean financial sacrifice compared with having a 'normal' job.

The whole equal prize money at Wimbledon argument is a bit of a false economy. Sure, some 'eras' the woman's game is extremely popular and more interesting than the men's game, but this is not always the case - and certainly hasn't been in the Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray era.

And why would woman only want 'equal' prize money. Men have been getting more money for years, why limit ambition to just equality?

In my view, it would be fairer for prize money to be based on the average of the prize money for the 10 or 12 biggest tour events.

This would make it far more important for the WTA to really drive the best deal for players at all tournaments, not just at Wimbledon. And would also mean there was no limit on the potential for them to earn more than men at Wimbledon.

As it is, if we go into an era where the the current crop of top men are all past it, and the womans game becomes a much bigger draw again... they are limited to equal prize money.

 

[Grant85]

The Ladies Tour in the US have just announced an $80million prize fund for next year, their best ever, why should they care about scheduling or the LET? Fact is, the LET need to learn from their counterparts in the US.
Why have men got to do all this “fighting” for women’s golf? What about all the guys who fail to qualify for the respective tours or talented male golfers with no sponsorship!

I'm not saying the LET will care about scheduling, I'm already looking at the potential for the Ladies US tour to compete for TV time. Especially if there are going to be more top Europeans playing on it, then perhaps a UK broadcaster will pick up more of it. But they are going to struggle going head to head with the US PGA tour, on a Sunday evening especially.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

I'm not saying the LET will care about scheduling, I'm already looking at the potential for the Ladies US tour to compete for TV time. Especially if there are going to be more top Europeans playing on it, then perhaps a UK broadcaster will pick up more of it. But they are going to struggle going head to head with the US PGA tour, on a Sunday evening especially.

But again, why should the US Ladies Tour care about the LET, they’ll have our best players and will be earning more with US Broadcasters showing the Golf at US Prime time than trying to get a few quid off a European Broadcaster.
The LET needs to sort itself out rather than rely on others.

 

[AmandaJR]

Yeah I care about Women's professional golf. Less so than the Men's but then I get less opportunity to watch Women's golf and learn more about the players/develop favourites.

I think golf on TV can be dull as dishwater (whoever is playing) so, in the main, only likely to appeal to those that play the game. The numbers there are greater for Men v Women. Sadly if anyone wants to see sexism in action on a regular basis then just rock up to your local member's golf club...

On here we've seen it too and the usual comments - female golfers are considered rubbish and slow. What the hell are we thinking clogging up the course when the men are playing.

As long as that opinion prevails then it's going to be a hard slog to develop the professional game for women.

 

[Grant85]

But again, why should the US Ladies Tour care about the LET, they’ll have our best players and will be earning more with US Broadcasters showing the Golf at US Prime time than trying to get a few quid off a European Broadcaster.
The LET needs to sort itself out rather than rely on others.

I'm not saying anything about the LET scheduling anything. All my scheduling points are about the Ladies US tour and that simply avoiding a schedule clash with the mens US Tour is surely going to be good the Ladies US Tour.

And if they can garner a UK / European audience with the likes of Georgia Hall, Charley Hull etc. out there, then that's only going to improve their sponsorship opportunities and assist with them getting a UK broadcaster on board.

 

[shortgame]

Sadly if anyone wants to see sexism in action on a regular basis then just rock up to your local member's golf club...

Not necessarily...