There's Going to Be an LPGA Tour Summit

by Ryan Ballengee on Apr 20, 2009 5:21 PM EDT

Jon Show is reporting that the LPGA Tour is having its first player summit in seven years just prior to the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill in the first full week of May. And it's mandatory.

So, what happens at an LPGA Tour summit?

The first night of the summit, LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens and special guest Billie Jean King will address the 100 or so players expected to attend. LPGA board Chairwoman Dawn Hudson and board President Michelle Ellis are also scheduled to speak.

The following day, a group of sports industry executives and retired athletes will help lead sessions designed to build awareness about the tour’s history and plans.

Gary Stevenson, who consults the LPGA on various initiatives as principal of Wasserman Media Group, will make a presentation on the business of sports and golf. Giff Breed, managing director of golf for Octagon, and Tim Marrin, who helps manage Procter & Gamble’s title sponsorship of Octagon’s LPGA event in Arkansas, will address the economics of running a tournament and the players’ role in its success.

David Higdon, the LPGA’s new chief communications officer; Page Thompson, president of Golf Channel; and retired golfer Val Skinner will discuss the tour’s strategy for public relations, the Internet and television. Retired LPGA stars Nancy Lopez and Judy Rankin will speak about the need for players to increase their interaction with fans and sponsors.

That's quite a lineup of speakers and topics. The LPGA Tour has tried to teach rookies about the Tour's history in recent years. I think that's a great idea to get players to able to appreciate how the Tour has arrived at this point.

Maybe we'll get a quick shout out from David and Val about the Internet strategy. Probably not.

But, in case that I do, I'd like to preemptively say back:

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Comments

Why do I get the feeling...

…that there will be a lot of yawning and empty seats at this thing ? Come on – Billie Jean King on what…“looking forward to years as an angry lesbian” ? Val Skinner on a strategy for public relations ?? Seriously ? She’s a snooze-fest during broadcasts.

These types of seminar settings are horribly boring. There is no way that a 5-15 minute presentation can do more than present infomercial depth information and a sales pitch. I’ve seen too many of these things to believe that anything of substance will come of it – but they’ll be able to say that they talked about a lot of…stuff.

These women are golfers – they have managers who take care of endorsements. They want to practice, play, and do the things they have to do to make the sponsors and fans happy and want to see more women’s golf.

"this ball will fit in that fairway"

by courtgolf on Apr 20, 2009 6:08 PM EDT reply actions

I...am...shocked!

I had no idea Billie Jean King was angry!

"Golf is a game whose aim is to hit a very small ball into a even smaller hole, with weapons singularly ill-designed for the purpose." - Winston Churchill

by turnover on Apr 20, 2009 8:02 PM EDT up reply actions