Discussion Boards

    Bookmark and Share
Search | Login

Tour Talk - LPGA popularity a few years ago    Back to Topics  Page: 1 of 3     
From: browser2920 (1 of 27)   10/31/2009 10:59:44 PM
To:
With the talk about how the LPGA can't be popular in the US with all the asian winners, it got me wondering. Was the LPGA really more popular in earlier years? I didn't follow it much years ago, but I don't recall seeing women's tournaments much on TV before the Golf Channel. And even though Annika was the "female Tiger Woods" I don't remember seeing her on TV in ads or anything. Did American's really care about the LPGA before, and now it's dropped (other than because of the economy) or was it always really just a niche that few really followed?

Reply  Report  Ignore  

From: GoneToGolf (2 of 27)   10/31/2009 11:25:28 PM
To: browser2920 In response to Post 1
I think it is more that you just didn't have the interest in LPGA. LPGA was on TV, Annika was making commercials.

LPGA was on other than TGC quite a bit.

Reply  Report  Ignore  

From: KENJ8 aka DONJOE72 (3 of 27)   11/1/2009 4:00:29 AM
To: browser2920 In response to Post 1
It seems to me more people are talking about it now, even the the talk is centered around why Americans are not winning more. Maybe a healthy "rivalry" has gotten it more attention.

Reply  Report  Ignore  

From: The_American_People (4 of 27)   11/2/2009 8:26:14 AM
To: browser2920 In response to Post 1
"Was the LPGA really more popular in earlier years?"

I took a look at the 1999 LPGA schedule, there were 34 tournaments in the U.S.A.

In 2009 there are 17 tournaments in the U.S.A. Maybe even fewer in 2010.

I think that is a pretty good measure of the LPGA popularity.

Reply  Report  Ignore  

From: Mercutio (5 of 27)   11/2/2009 9:26:12 AM
To: browser2920 In response to Post 1
It's the full emergence of the Asians that has some in a lather.

Reply  Report  Ignore  

From: oiler69 (6 of 27)   11/2/2009 12:56:45 PM
To: browser2920 In response to Post 1
The LPGA has never been much of a draw. Annika, who was a cute caucasion, did a few commercials (Calloway and NetJets). The reality of the LPGA is that it is a product that has a niche in the golf market. It never has been nor will ever be more than that. By and large, excepting the 12 or 15 that are on this board...no one cares.

Reply  Report  Ignore  

From: ichir0 (7 of 27)   11/2/2009 2:05:48 PM
To: browser2920 In response to Post 1
I think it was a lot more popular, and it takes personalities to do it. I'm thinking back to when Nancy Lopez was winning successive tournaments, making the cover of Sports Illustrated (before the decline of print media), and drawing fans to tournaments with her engaging smile and personality. It's unfortunate, but despite being super players, nice, and polite, Annika and Ochoa just don't exhibit the charisma that Nancy did. Just give me a Nancy in her prime, and the LPGA will bounce back. I don't even think it has to be an American player--just one that dominates and has that likeability/marketability quotient.
Edited 11/2/2009 2:32:00 PM by ichir0

Reply  Report  Ignore  

From: bobo2k1 (8 of 27)   11/2/2009 2:20:28 PM
To: browser2920 In response to Post 1
If you think about it, it's kind of surprising that the LPGA was ever very popular. Other than the Olympics, or gymnastics or ice skating once or twice a year, who watches any women's sport other than diehard fans (not that there's anything wrong with that).

The WNBA isn't exactly packing them in. I don't even know if there is a women's baseball or soccer league any more. And I haven't watched women's wrestling since GLOW folded (my favorite tag team was the Housewives, who entered the ring wearing bathrobes and shower caps, and hit their opponents with frying pans and rolling pins).

Reply  Report  Ignore  

From: guanlan (9 of 27)   11/2/2009 2:26:09 PM
To: ichir0 In response to Post 7
Probably, the LPGA needs:

* a young American to elevate her game
* she should be tall
* she should be relatively attractive
* she should have a nice figure
* she should have a good personality
* she should have a good education
* she should have a good marketing team
* she should be given high level exposure
* she should be long off the tee
* she should have a bit of an "edge"
* she should be somewhat controversial
* she could even be of Korean ancestry

Anyone know anybody who can meet that criteria?

GRW



Reply  Report  Ignore  

From: bad_erc (10 of 27)   11/2/2009 2:33:00 PM
To: guanlan In response to Post 9
Vicky Hurst.

http://www.lpga.com/player_results.aspx?id=18536

Reply  Report  Ignore  

   Page: 1 of 3     

Go to post: 1-10  11-20  21-27  
Back to Topics