I recently (and unintentionally) started a little Twitter beef between fans of the LPGA and people who don’t watch the ladies play.
My statement – “Sad to say this as a woman, but the LPGA isn’t NEARLY as appealing [as the PGA]. Can’t say I’ve watched even one full tourney” – sparked a back-and-forth between men and women alike, mostly in agreement with me. As people chimed in, I backed away and watched the conversation escalate, like a Twitter goddess observing the fruits of her labor in 140 characters.
But what’s the problem with the women’s game? The LPGA has great athletes, high-stakes tournaments, a Ryder Cup equivalent, and arguably better fashion. Still, the game is so unbelievably boring.
I’ve tried. Really, I have. I attempted to watch the Solheim Cup, but I was snoozing by the second group. Even their majors are a chore to sit through- they don’t sink as many putts, they don’t play with the same flair as the guys and they don’t elicit the same reaction from their crowds.
During the Twitter storm, someone suggested that a lack of drama fuels the lack of desire to watch. There’s no Tiger-like figure; there are arguments to be made for Inbee Park and others, but up to this point, we haven’t seen that kind of career dominance in the LPGA. There are no rivalries like Spieth and Day or even Woods and Mickelson. Even Mickelson, our lovable loser (who really isn’t a loser at all, with 42 PGA Tour wins) has had some of his best tournaments, only to lose. But we watched. And we rooted for him. Because when one of the best players in the world is the underdog, there’s no shortage of entertainment.
Some tweeters argued the obvious – people only watch the LPGA because the women are hot. Yeah, yeah, we get it, and even as a woman, I can tell you that my favorites are generally the prettier girls. But that’s not inherently my fault – those are the only girls anyone ever talks about. And since I don’t make a habit of watching their tournaments, those are the only girls I even recognize.
Lexi Thompson, for instance, is GORGEOUS and when she wins, every outlet from Golf Channel to ESPN picks it up, writes about it and analyzes her swing for days afterward, just as an excuse to publish photos of her. When Inbee Park wins, no one is surprised, but they forget about it by the next day.
I’m not offended by the bikini photo shoots or pretty faces on the LPGA. I’m fine with selling the game with sex appeal. We just need to make the women’s game more appealing outside of the mini skirts and use the men the same way we use Paula Creamer.
Think about it – you want your wife to watch the Masters with you? Show her Rory McIlroy’s Men’s Health feature. Or any picture of Adam Scott ever taken (seriously, Jason Dufner wasn’t kidding when he said Scott’s looks were distracting). Honestly, the men’s game is dripping with just as much sexy.
On the flip side, Michelle Wie is a waif of a girl and can outdrive most men. If we play up their talent and give them the same kind of coverage and hype we give the men, the ladies’ game might liven up.
With only a few notable exceptions (*cough* tennis *cough*), most sports are dominated by men both on the field as well as in the media. It’s natural for sports to appeal to men, and for men to be more interested in the skills of in male athletes. But I’m a female and the same is NOT true with me and female athletes.
I want to love it. I want to support the women who dedicate their lives to the sport. I want to be entertained by them in the same way I am by the PGA. But until the women start putting on a better show or we start marketing them better, I’ll just be over here, flipping to Say Yes to the Dress or something more entertaining when I find the LPGA on Golf Channel.
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