A lot has been said about the state of the things within the LPGA and what needs to be done to build the strength and secure the survival for this prestigious woman’s sport. There are a lot of factors in play that could make 2010 ‘the year that made the difference’.

First, we have an entirely new leadership style at the helm of the LPGA with the new Commissioner, Michael Whan. He asserts a ‘listen, learn and then speak’ style of leading. That in its own right is a complete 360 from the Bivens era of ‘my way or the highway’ style that alienated almost everyone – most importantly the sponsors. If Whan does what he says he will do the LPGA will be in a much better staid with players, tournament owners, sponsors and fans.

Michelle Wie will most certainly play a role in the success of the tour, especially here on US soil. Having secured her first win, all eyes will be on her to repeat…over and over. We need the American players

to get to the top of the leaderboard and do it consistently! We need Paula Creamer to get healthy and play to herpotential. The new face on the scene is Q-School winner, Amada Blumenhurst. If she is able to parlay her collegiate prowess onto the pro scene we have the potential for a strong rivalry at the top. That is sorely missing for the US Players in specific and the Tour in general.

The strength of this year’s schedule has been the subject of much fodder in the media. The fact that things were looking much worse when Bivens was still at the helm is a point missed by most. Is the schedule as strong as it needs to be? Certainly not! But with a ‘glass half-full’ perspective, it is amazing what was done behind the scenes to regroup and rebuild. The job is no where near completed but it appears the right people are ‘on the job’ now!

Will Tiger’s absence help the LPGA? It most assuredly won’t hurt. There are many golf fans that only watch the PGA, including myself, to watch Tiger and to witness his amazing ability to pull-off shots most players don’t even think about. Does that mean those fans will flock to the LPGA? Probably not in droves but I suspect there will be quite a few that will.

Will the sponsorship dollars lost to Tiger flow over to the LPGA? Not necessarily but those are dollars that are open to bid at the moment. Only time will tell how all of this shakes out but the one thing for certain is that we, as fans of women’s golf, have to make sure we are supporting the women’s game in every manner possible.

If the game is to grow, the fan base has to grow AND get involved. Sponsors take notice of the availability of consumer dollars so it all starts with the fans. The product is there and it is getting stronger with players from all corners of the world. Spread the word! 2010 will be a very interesting year!

Thanks for visiting Ladies on the Tee golf blog at www.sherrytabb.com. Your comments are welcome and encouraged.

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