Stewart Cink Floats to the Top of the Jug

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Stewart Cink, who has largely been left out of most of the "best players to never win a major" discussions got it done today at Turnberry. As much as some may think that he was handed the claret jug by a fading Tom Watson - my take is a little different.

When Cink drained his putt on #18 during regulation,I had a funny feeling. I turned to she who gets her way, and said "There's your winner - I have a funny feeling that he just did something that will result in him winning his first major". She looked at me like I was crazy, and began to debate me vigorously ....ok, actually she just continued her "golf nap" while I prattled on....but I am pretty sure that my dogs got what I was saying. As I watched Watson miss the par putt on #18 which would have won it for him, I was certain that Cink would close the deal in the playoff.

Hats off (and a little sunscreen for the noggin') to Stewart Cink - he played well and was at his best when it counted the most. He is a kind and deserving winner, and was a gentleman all week long - something ALL golfers can be proud of.

Us Southern boys gotta stick together,ya know...

Calling All Golf Equipment Companies - Can we show the LPGA a Little Love ?

As I was watching the US Women's Open last week, I was reminded of something that I have been very curious about for a while. I watched many of the players, and even looked back at some video of earlier events, and the evidence was staring me in the face like a hungry wolf....and I could no longer ignore it.

Equpiment manufacturers practically IGNORE LPGA players from a "staff player" perspective. Rather than try to argue my point however, I will let the facts speak for themself. I put together this chart which shows the major equipment companies (TM,Titleist,Ping,Callaway,etc) and a list of their LPGA STAFF players (players who are sponsored by the equipment companies). Don't confuse this list with one which shows which players USE which company's gear - this shows who actually has LPGA players as sponsored "Staff" players. Check it out (no, I don't expect to make any friends with this list by the way...)

Equipment Company	Staff Players
Titleist / Cobra	None
TaylorMade	Creamer,Gulbis
Callaway	V. Hurst, Lindley,Gal,Pressel,Ueda
Cleveland	Blasberg
Adams	Lang,Leon,Lincicome,Tseng,Wright,Loudon
Ping	Delasin,Friberg,Hjorth,P.Hurst,Koch,Nordqvist, Ochoa,J.Park,Stahle,Stanford,Steinhauer,Ward,I.K.Kim
Nike	Blumenherst,McKenzie,G. Park, Pettersen,Wie,Simon

Now,compare this list of 33 LPGA players with the PGA Staff players for just ONE of the companies above....interesting,huh. Rather than try to draw any conclusions from this (other than Ping really supports the LPGA), I think it is much more meaningful to use this in a positive manner. As more and more women are playing golf at the amateur level, these companies are seeing more opportunities to sell them product. In a time of difficulty for the LPGA, wouldn't it be great to see several of these companies step up and show some strong support for the LPGA ? Perhaps one of them could sponsor an event that's looking for a one ? Or how about committing to sponsor at least 5 LPGA players ? Maybe a 2 year sponsorship deal for the top 5 qualifiers from the Duramed Tour ? There is a lot that these companies can do to help support the LPGA even more thasn they already do, and there could not be a better time for them to step up.

Dear LPGA - One word of Advice: "ANNIKA"

Now that the Wicked Witch of the LPGA has had a complete meltdown been vanquished to parts unknown, the LPGA should not waste time in making a strong,decisive move to fill the role of Commissioner. I know they have named an "interim commissioner" to fill the immediate void, but I am hoping that they will see the obvious, and act in a suitably prompt manner to name a full time replacement.

Considering all of the uncertainty, unrest, confusion, chaos, angry sponsors, disillusioned fans, and a decidedly risky road to recovery, there is one clear choice for the Commissioner's position - Annika Sorenstam. The LPGA has made a small move toward Annika, naming her as an advisor to the Board of Directors - a role which she has publicly embraced already. This baby step, however, needs to be followed up by a full court press to convince Annika that she is one person who can stabilize and restore the LPGA to some semblance of it's recent self.

Here are just 5 reasons that this makes sense:

1. Annika is still the most recognizable name in women's golf - both in the US and abroad - something KEY to the LPGA's resurrection.
2. She brings the credibility of a player, the business savvy of a businessperson, and the grace of someone who truly understands the women's game - all important attributes I wrote about earlier on this blog when I called for a replacement.
3. She has the admiration and respect of the players, the sponsors, the manufacturers, and the fans - this is something that cannot be underestimated. When she speaks, everyone involved in women's golf listens.
4. She has the backbone to call things like she sees them, and the wisdom to know when to leave a burning pile of crap alone and let it flame out - both characteristics that she demonstrated repeatedly while on tour. This ability to know when to fight and when to walk away will present a marked contrast to the previous regime - another important factor in convincing people that a REAL change has occurred.
5. She has the "juice" necessary to get the equipment manufacturers more involved in and supportive of the LPGA (ever notice that Titleist and Cobra have ZERO women golfers as "staff players" - WTF ???)

I will stop at 5 in the interest of brevity, but I could easily write another 10 or 15 reasons. Oh, and one other thing - She actually understands the game, plays the game, and SHE SHOT A FREAKING 59 !!!!!

Oh, in case you were wondering about the photo above, That's Annika too - bet I fooled you !

Bivens Must Go...

"Let the Eat Cake - from Denny's !"

If the title of this post sounds straight to the point, well, I make no apologies - it IS exactly the point that I am making. I've read several opinions throughout the blogosphere that the LPGA Commissioner "should not be blamed for the current situation", and that she "has made a number of good business decisions". Those comments would be laughable if they were not so sad.

I suppose it has become commonplace in our society to NOT hold people who are in positions of authority RESPONSIBLE for their actions and the ultimate success of the organization which they are paid to lead.

Here are the (abbreviated) facts, plain and simple:

1. Bivens took office amid a whirlwind of change at the LPGA.
2. She quickly sent everyone a message that there was "a new sherriff in town", and let everyone know that things would operate according to her rules.
3. She made numerous staff changes, cutting loose several long time members of the LPGA team.
4. She took a very hardline with sponsors and tournament organizers, again setting the tone that it was "her way or the highway".
5. Since she took the helm, the LPGA has flat out struggled.
6. Even in these times of crisis, she is virtually INVISIBLE (and has been for the last year).
7. The LPGA is losing events at an alarming rate.
8. She clearly lacks the confidence of the players.

After considering these facts, I invite anyone to explain to me exactly how Bivens is NOT responsible for the situation that she has led the LPGA into. I know it's much more fashionable to blame something or someone else (Bush, Obama, the economy, bloggers, Perez Hilton, a vast right wing conspiracy, etc.) - but, please wake up and smell the napalm...Bivens has created this situation, and the only way out is to cut her loose. When leaders fail to lead, they should be replaced...not excused for the consequences of their actions.

How does the LPGA Right the Ship ?

Folks, there is smoke belching from the engine room of the good ship LPGA - and the Captain of the ship is nowhere to be found. Although I have long been a huge fan of the ladies tour (see one of my first posts here), and was slow to acknowledge the early naysayers, there is no denying now that there are serious problems afoot. To wit:

• Multiple events cancelled in 2009
• No sponsor for one of the LPGA major events
• Confusing (and worsening) TV Coverage schedule
• A 2010 schedule that is melting faster than the wicked witch in a monsoon
• Seeming lack of identity / presence in the U.S.

Not making things any easier is the fact that the most marketable / talented U.S. players (Creamer,Kerr,Pressel,Gulbis, Wie (yes,I really wrote that),Lewis, etc ) have not been winning much lately - as recently as this weekend, Morgan Pressel lost in a playoff. Couple that with a flood of players from the Far East (and don't call me racist,ok - this is just a fact) and you have an organization sorely lacking a marketable identity in the eyes of U.S. consumers.

The latest news (and perhaps this is a sign of better times ahead) is that the players have (finally) grown tired of the (lack of) leadership from Commissioner Carolyn Bivens. I've been fervently wishing for a change here, and maybe change is a comin'. Sports Illustrated reported yesterday that a meeting was held last week in Sylvania,OH (home of the Jamie Farr Classic) in which the players wrote to LPGA President Michelle Ellisthey had "lost faith in Bivens' leadership and policies". For the sake of the LPGA, let's all hope this is true. Bivens mismanagement, poor decisions, and total lack of a strong presence in a time of crisis is laughable - the game and the LPGA deserves so much better than this.

The sad part to of this to me is that on an amateur level, interest in the ladies game appears stronger than ever. More quality female players are out there, better equipment is available for them,and female golfers are more welcome than ever on the links. Couple that with some awesome young talent on both the LPGA and Duramed Futures tour, and you can see why this is so frustrating. Rather than roll around in our own misery here at BCC, however, we have decided to prescribe a cure for the LPGA. Here are our 5 suggestions:

BUSHWOOD'S "CURE FOR PAIN" FOR THE LPGA

1. Fire Carolyn Bivens immediately - she has placed your livelihood in a death spiral.
2. Form an Executive Oversight committee to redefine your business model. This would be made up of Players (male and female, current and past pros), Golf Equipment Execs, and Sponsor Execs. This committee should first seek to understand what each group can contribute and what each group needs to participate - thus defining your business model and the skill set needed for your Commissioner.
3. Hire a Commissioner who can create a Strategic Plan for the business model - one who appreciates and understands all three perspectives (players, manufacturers, and sponsors).
4. Accept the fact that the game is globalizing, and make that a strength - not a liability.
5. Develop a plan to market the players and the game more effectively - The "These Girls Rock" campaign was, I thought, pretty good - but it simply died on the vine and had no sustainability.

These are pretty basic business turnaround fundamentals, and clearly something that the players deserve and should have expected to receive from the beginning. Bushwood has long been an LPGA supporter, and we will redouble our efforts here to back them...I can only hope that things improve fast for all of the talented players of the LPGA...