Women’s professional golf - does anyone care?

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I can enjoy the top girls playing a game that I can just about relate to - but admit to not actually being that bothered or inclined to watch when the leaderboard is a procession of South Koreans and Thais battling it out. All just seems a bit samey...I enjoy it much more when Hall and Hull are involved - how insular of me...

 

[Jacko_G]

So Scotland with a financial power way less than England can consistently put on two top European Tour Events and also host events in other levels of golf yet you don't agree it's increased it's it's standing and investment.

The "pro am" is one of the richest events on the tour and is widely supported.


The Johnnie Walker ended when they sold Gleneagles, before that they consistently hosted the tournament at their own venue.

Fact is golf in England was dead, no sponsorship or care until Sky got "big guns" involved. Sadly looks like collapsing again which is sad.

The funny thing is I knew you'd be so insular that you couldn't see past the "England" thing. I also never once tried to paint Scotland as a shining example, you did. However it's shining a lot healthier and brighter this side of the border for the European Tour.

 

[Deleted member 18588]

So Scotland with a financial power way less than England can consistently put on two top European Tour Events and also host events in other levels of golf yet you don't agree it's increased it's it's standing and investment.

The "pro am" is one of the richest events on the tour and is widely supported.


The Johnnie Walker ended when they sold Gleneagles, before that they consistently hosted the tournament at their own venue.

Fact is golf in England was dead, no sponsorship or care until Sky got "big guns" involved. Sadly looks like collapsing again which is sad.

The funny thing is I knew you'd be so insular that you couldn't see past the "England" thing. I also never once tried to paint Scotland as a shining example, you did. However it's shining a lot healthier and brighter this side of the border for the European Tour.

Except that the money that makes the "pro-am" possible comes from a London based, Swiss owned company.

So doesn't really reflect any support from the Scottish golf authorities.

 

[Imurg]

Sadly, the answer to the original question....does anybody care?.....is a resounding Not Enough.
All I know is that I enjoyed watching Georgia win her Open just as much as Frankie winning his.

 

[Deleted member 16999]

Part of the issue with young female talented Golfers is the lure of College Golf in the US.
That is one area we certainly can’t compete against.
I’d like to see some of scholarship programme in the UK or Europe that could at least in competeing with the US Colleges.

 

[Wolf]

Well having read through 7 pages thought I might as well chuck in my 2 cents..

I always have a wry smile when I see people comparing men's golf to ladies golf. Imo it's the same sport in name only! I think comparing people that are physiologically predetermined by the gene pool be stronger then saying women can't hit it as far therefore its not as skilled as the men's game is laughable.

Men and women at top level could have the exact same swing mechanics but the guy is going to be longer, does this make him automatically a better player no.

We need get past this comparison stigma and take the ladies game for what it is and that is simply, the Ladies game of golf. They are exceptionally talented athletes that still knock it out a fair old way, that most on here would be out driven though that being said what with forum distances and penis measuring going on nobody would admit to being out driven by a 'girl' but that's just another sad state of male ego in sport and life. Though I'm happy to admit I might make the driving distance on ladies tour somewhere around middle of the pack as many hit it further than me.

The women's game imo is really enjoyable to watch, the way they strike it, the short games and game management are exceptional and I watch a lot of it as a result.

Where it falls down has very little to do with skill levels, or distance but more to do with bad management, terrible marketing and not doing enough to be in touch with bringing in new audiences. It needs someone to come in revamp the whole schedule and marketing strategies, I'd love a crack at that job I really would.

A simple suggestion to start with why has nobody thought about creating a WGC series for the women's game, top few on each money list world wide, LPGA, LET, Asia etc qualify and play it out, have one on each continent on recognised courses and automatically you bring in something different and LET can piggy back some exposure off the 2 bigger tours. Add in a world match play WGC that moves on a rotational basis around the continents. That's just a start point there so much more can be done.

But instead everyone gets wrapped up in comparing it instead of actually thinking of ways to improve it, and roll out the old it is what it is statement. Well it will always be that way if all do is compare instead of try to think of ways forward..

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

@shortgame

Once again, show me where I said my comments were fact? That is an opinion.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

So Scotland with a financial power way less than England can consistently put on two top European Tour Events and also host events in other levels of golf yet you don't agree it's increased it's it's standing and investment.

The "pro am" is one of the richest events on the tour and is widely supported.

The Pro Am is boosted by having lots of very rich celebrities willing to pay a lot of money to play the game , plus sponsorship from outside Scotland ,the Scottish Open is helped with it being just before the Open - move it two weeks after and it suffers

The Johnnie Walker ended when they sold Gleneagles, before that they consistently hosted the tournament at their own venue.

Fact is golf in England was dead, no sponsorship or care until Sky got "big guns" involved. Sadly looks like collapsing again which is sad.

The funny thing is I knew you'd be so insular that you couldn't see past the "England" thing. I also never once tried to paint Scotland as a shining example, you did. However it's shining a lot healthier and brighter this side of the border for the European Tour.

You were the one that singled out England

Fact is the biggest event on the European tour is held in England (plus two further events )- bigger than the Scottish events yet golf in England was /is dead and it’s healthy in Scotland ?!

As for insular - must have big mirrors around you.

 

[shortgame]

Once again, show me where I said my comments were fact? That is an opinion.

Ah that's good, acknowledging you may be wrong and it's not a fact 👍👍

 

[MendieGK]

The good news is that the OP doesn't care but 6 pages of debate (not just replying "no") suggest many do

I really didn’t want my post to seem negative. Honestly

All I’ve seen so far is people coming up with solutions without addressing the underlying problem with women’s professional sport in general - not enough people take enough interest for it to be a viable product

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

Ah that's good, acknowledging you may be wrong and it's not a fact 👍👍

I'm still waiting for you to point out where I stated facts. Or maybe you don't know the difference between a fact and a statement and an opinion?

 

[Deleted member 18588]

The women's game imo is really enjoyable to watch, the way they strike it, the short games and game management are exceptional and I watch a lot of it as a result.

Sorry but you are propagating a myth.

The top women golfers themselves admit that their short games and putting do not match up to their male counterparts.

Pushing these ideas will not help promote the women's game.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Sorry but you are propagating a myth.

The top women golfers themselves admit that their short games and putting do not match up to their male counterparts.

Pushing these ideas will not help promote the women's game.

The paragraph you quoted didn’t make any comparison to the men’s game though ?

They do strike the ball well , their short games are exceptional and it is enjoyable for some people but the part you quoted didn’t seem to be suggested it’s a match up to the Male players ?!

 

[Wolf]

Sorry but you are propagating a myth.

The top women golfers themselves admit that their short games and putting do not match up to their male counterparts.

Pushing these ideas will not help promote the women's game.

I'm not propogating anything so no need to apologise, I'm making a point that comparisons need to stop or did you not read the full post or are you another person stuck in the world of comparisons!

Even the small snippet you have chosen to quote simply states they're striking, short games and management are exceptional, which they are exceptional for women's golf not once there have I compared it to the male counterparts you just did that yourself and doing so with such a small portion of the overall point shows you've only read what you want to suit your point..

 

[Wolf]

The paragraph you quoted didn’t make any comparison to the men’s game though ?

They do strike the ball well , their short games are exceptional and it is enjoyable for some people but the part you quoted didn’t seem to be suggested it’s a match up to the Male players ?!

Full post wouldn't suit his point though would it...

They do everything exceptionally and needs no comparing at all

 

[jim8flog]

A simple suggestion to start with why has nobody thought about creating a WGC series for the women's game, top few on each money list world wide, LPGA, LET, Asia etc qualify and play it out, have one on each continent on recognised courses and automatically you bring in something different and LET can piggy back some exposure off the 2 bigger tours. Add in a world match play WGC that moves on a rotational basis around the continents. That's just a start point there so much more can be done.
QUOTE]

The LPGA already effectively have this. They are like the Mens European Tour they have tournaments all over the World, some of which are classed as WGC type Tournaments eg Evian, HSBC Singapore

 

[Wolf]

If that's the case then shows I don't yet know enough about the women's game, however out of interest does this incorporate other tours as Co sanctioned events Inclusive of LET or is it Just the Asia tour.. Surely something like this could be launched as an extra for all tours then

 

[Deleted member 18588]

Full post wouldn't suit his point though would it...

They do everything exceptionally and needs no comparing at all

My point is clear enough.

There is no support for the women's game in Europe as the vast majority of those likely to be interesting in watching golf prefer to watch the "best" and, in their eyes, the "best" are the men.

That perception won't be changed by suggesting that another product will be equally appealing to that same market when that other product is so close to the one that they prefer.

Men's professional sports are well established in the public's mind and women's equivalents, be they football, cricket or golf, need to establish their own niche in the market place.

This won't be made any easier by even being mentioned in the same conversation as men's sports. Nor will it be helped by spurious claims for the quality of the women's game.

 

[Wolf]

My point is clear enough.

There is no support for the women's game in Europe as the vast majority of those likely to be interesting in watching golf prefer to watch the "best" and, in their eyes, the "best" are the men.

That perception won't be changed by suggesting that another product will be equally appealing to that same market when that other product is so close to the one that they prefer.

Men's professional sports are well established in the public's mind and women's equivalents, be they football, cricket or golf, need to establish their own niche in the market place.

This won't be made any easier by even being mentioned in the same conversation as men's sports. Nor will it be helped by spurious claims for the quality of the women's game.

No your point isn't clear and was based on not even a third of my entire post.

By saying that they need establish their own niche you have actually agreed with my overall point that they need looking at on their own merit and promoting as such. I've not said they need to be equally appealing either, I've said they need better marketing as Ladies golf and recognising as ladies golf so again your point isn't clear at all, you took a snippet and used it to compare against the mens game l, not once did I compare it,. I pointed out it needs to be seperate and promoted better, I never even said it needs promoting to gain more male viewers, what it needs is promoting to get more younger ladies involved and as I've said comparisons need to stop.

But clearly you don't agree with me so fair enough.

 

[Grant85]

Agreed and if you also factor in that she is probably swinging out of her boots to achieve that distance compared to a guy who is only swinging at 90% then she is probably more likely to miss a few fairways as well.

I doubt there are many people on the PGA tour swinging at 90%.

I reckon everyone is giving it the full beans every day out there.

But a lever is a lever and if your arms are 3 inches longer than the average lady golfer, physics are in your favour.