Let's face it. Back in the day of the Nicklaus, Palmer and Trevino, media (as we know it today) was nascent at best. Yet the sport of golf was able to capture the imagination and excitement of viewers and readership. Both magazines and TV thrived on this sport because of rivalries, and the wonderment of the skills of these players of the time. The LPGA wasn't on the map.
Now it's 2006.
Mens golf is borderline exciting at best (it's not very fun to watch these guys hit driver/wedge/putt on EVERY hole). Money is generated not from passionate viewers, but rather from media that has found the many, many media-driven-avenues that technology has (and continues to have) found, and the ad dollars that are generated by the combo of old and new media.
Enter the LPGA.
With its load of bright new stars and far less baggage of controversies from the past, the LPGA is primed for a massive media moonshot. Why? Because of the fantastic personalities of these players, the rivalries of these young guns, and the desire for media to find the "next big thing".
Toward the end of last year, I increasingly found myself watching an LPGA event over a PGA event, and realized that I am not only more entertained, but I can also learn more from these ladys' shotmaking skills. They are more deliberate, and fundementally skilled than there counterparts, because they use every club in their bag.
In fact, I would recommend watching the girls over the boys if you are wanting to learn the correct way to swing a golf club.
My prediction.
The PGA will end up being a selectively-watched sport...people will only tune into the majors and select TPC events, while the LPGA will increasingly gain viewers year-over-year. The media follows the money, so within 10 years we will see a reversal of fortune in these two golf associations.
Thanks for reading, keep it in the short grass.
JFB
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