Is the LPGA in Worse Shape Than We Know?

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 12, 2009 4:26 PM EDT Comment 5 comments

Over at Geoff Shackelford's site, he shares what one of his readers sent him of news from the LPGA Tour. The reader said that the LPGA Tour's long time VP of Communication, Connie Wilson, has been let go effective immediately.

Last week, Golfweek's Beth Ann Baldry announced that Deputy Commissioner Libba Galloway's position had been cut as well as part of a series of job cuts. Shackelford's report conflicts Baldry's about when the termination is effective - end of year or immediately.

Regardless, the Baldry piece says that Acting Commissioner Marty Evans is making the cuts now so that her successor - definitely not Donna Orender - won't have to do the deed.

That seems logical, but certainly speaks to the financial troubles facing the LPGA Tour. With the downsizing of a schedule in 2008 schedule that featured 34 events, to an announced 2009 schedule with 31 events, to an actual schedule of 27 events, it was clear that a downsizing was required on the staffing side too.

But, to do this immediately and not wait for the new commissioner to come in and shape their own staff strikes me as being much more than a benevolent act that Marty Evans is undertaking of behalf of the Tour's next commish.

This is an act undertaken, too, because of what is required by the Tour's current financial situation. The Tour is bringing in money on 27 events with some of its biggest non-major events not being played this year - or returning next year. In other words, it's tough to staff for 27 events like you have 34. It's even more difficult when the 27 that the Tour did have this year are not the biggest 27. It gets even tougher when knowing that the Michelob event will be gone and that Samsung is out as a tournament sponsor.

For all of the positive things that are coming out of Marty Evans' temporary reign at the helm of the LPGA Tour, there is an equal stream of bad news. Evans did what she had to do in order to keep Wegmans, State Farm, and the Farr from dying. But, she inevitably lost the bigger sponsors whose business models do not jive with sponsoring women's golf right now.

It begs the question, though: with all of the bad news that we've seen from the LPGA Tour this season (and some good, too), was the elimination of these positions a reflection of the past godawful twelve months of business or somewhat in anticipation of what is to come in the next twelve?

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I completely disagree with the assessment that the LPGA is in the kind of serious trouble a few people are trying to make them out to be in. They have been on a decline for a few years, and in a serious sprial the last year and a half. Streamlining and cutting a few positions is not a bad thing – but these articles make it sound like these long employees of the tour were the reason they were as successful as they had been in years past. Nonsense. It’s not wise to draw conclusions based on the letter of an outgoing employee.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 12, 2009 4:39 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

I don’t think I’m purporting that at all. I mean, I’ve worked with Connie on a few things and she was always nice to me. But that’s about all I have on her. There’s no connection here between the quality of the work of these people and the cuts. In business, there rarely is.

What I’m wondering is if the firings are a result of going from 34 to 31 to 27 to the mid-twenties next year (likely, but they fired a ton o’ people in January too) or because they don’t expect mid-twenties next year?

Email me any comments or questions at ryan@thegolfnewsnet.com.

by Ryan Ballengee on Oct 12, 2009 4:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Ah – so if someone’s nice – they should never be fired ?

If they need to cut back – they need to cut back. If they don’t have enough business to keep paying people – they have to cut back to a level they can afford. The LPGA isn’t flush with cash like the PGA Tour. You know this.

If they were building the tour, not digging out of a really big hole, they wouldn’t be firing people.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Oct 12, 2009 4:55 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs