Will the LPGA join forces with the PGA?

posted by Women in Sport International
Wednesday, March 16, 2011 at 7:11pm EDT

A blog that addresses the tough questions in sport that are important to women and girls.

There has been talk that the LPGA tour is considering joining forces with the PGA tour. Ron Sirak of Golf Digest reported on March 15 that there have been "whispered" conversations about the PGA Tour assuming management of the LPGA, if not ownership. Sirak believes that this arrangement would be best for the long term financial stability of the LPGA tour. He notes that this year there are only 24 events on the LPGA schedule, the lowest number since 1971 where there were only 21 tournaments.

I disagree.

Although the prospect of the LPGA and the PGA Tours joining forces may seem to make some financial sense on the surface, I am not convinced that the arrangement would be in the best interest of the female golfers. The talks surrounding the two tours "joining forces" are not discussing the scenario as if it would be a partnership. This would clearly be a takeover of the LPGA by the PGA, with the PGA (and therefore the male golfers that the PGA represents) having the last say in major decisions. Will women's tournament's still exist and be broadcasted on their own? Or, as Ron Sirak suggests, will the women golfers simply be added to novelty events where men and women compete on the same course at the same time?

Furthermore, if TV broadcasters are signing one deal with the PGA tour that will cover the broadcasting rights of both the PGA and LPGA tour, and the PGA tour clearly has events far more often, what will happen to the women's tournament when there is a men's tournament on at the same time? I understand that currently the LPGA and PGA tour both have similar deals with the golf channel which results in many of the women's tournaments being tape-delayed, but joining forces with the PGA tour will not solve this problem.

Ron Sirak says that the female golfers in their 40s and 50s, who resisted joining the PGA before because of fears that the LPGA would suffer in the shadow of the mens game, likely will not feel the same way today. I disagree and think that all LPGA players should be concerned about being taken over by the PGA tour. What do you think??

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Will the LPGA join forces with the PGA?

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