For the past 25 years, the PGA Tour has run a marketing campaign slogan aptly named, “These Guys are Good.” The PGA Tour and its advertising partners have done a great job marketing to both the serious and casual American golf fan, which allows media outlets to give the tour more exposure on a weekly basis.
Contrary to the PGA, the LPGA Tour marketed themselves as a worldwide game, and has flourished as the worldwide tour for women’s golf. As pioneers in this development, the LPGA Tour started an Asian swing; a little different than the West Coast and Florida swings on the PGA Tour. They also include a fifth major in France, and have introduced a new tournament in July called the International Crown.
In addition to being a more global tour, the LPGA does a wonderful job showcasing personalities that are mostly American players through social media, fan-based commercials, and junior golf programs run by LPGA players. Historically speaking, women golfers have received no respect and have always taken a backseat to the PGA Tour. I believe this phenomenon will disappear in the next two years.
The first realization that American fans will come to recognize is that the LPGA tour is showcasing more successful American female golfers for the first time in over a decade. American women have won more than 60% of the tournaments this year, and they have won all the major championships so far. Players like Stacy Lewis, Michelle Wie, Natalie Gulbis, Morgan Pressel, Paula Creamer, and Lexi Thompson are becoming household names on the Golf Channel, along with the NBC Sports Network.
Hawaii native Wie won the U.S. Women’s Open, Florida’s Thompson won the Kraft Nabisco Championship earlier this year, and Mo Martin played the best final hole in any male or female major championship in history a few weeks ago to win the Women’s British Open. Martin, a graduate of UCLA and southern California resident, won the tournament at Royal Birkdale in a remarkable finish. Teeing off on the par 5 18th hole, Martin was two shots behind. After hitting a perfect 240-yard drive, she played her 3 wood to the green, hitting the flagstick and finishing six feet from the pin. She made the eagle putt, winning by one shot. The last time three American women won majors in the same year was 1999.
The impact of the recent success of American women golfers will lead to growth in the overall game of golf. What’s crucial for the casual American golfer is that LPGA pros play a realistic game of golf that almost all amateur players can relate to. From a golf professional’s point of view, I believe that everyone should emulate an LPGA player’s swing, rather than a PGA player’s swing. The men’s game has become a bomber’s paradise, seeing how hard and far a player can hit a ball. It’s unrealistic for 99.9% of the golfing population to play a game they see the PGA Tour guys play.
What is realistic is watching how women play the game. The U.S. Women’s Open at Pinehurst played just over 6,600 yards. Wie averaged 258 yards off the tee. Those two numerical stats are what male amateur golfers should relate to: Playing shorter courses and swinging the driver to keep the ball in the fairway.
If you ever have the chance, make sure to catch an LPGA event. The best opportunity is when the tour visits Rancho Mirage, Carlsbad, and Phoenix in the spring.
The PGA Tour slogan is “These Guys are Good.” However, the LPGA slogan should be “These Girls are Better.”
