Word: lpga
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...first for a major sports body, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tour will require players to speak English by 2009 or face suspension. Among the circuit's 121 foreign golfers from 26 nations--45 from South Korea alone--many back the policy, which the LPGA said would appeal to sponsors and fans and is "not meant to be punitive...
Bivens' next controversial move was to push for heftier service fees at LPGA events. She upped the price to tournament owners sevenfold, charging them as much as $100,000 across a three-year period instead of the $15,000 they had been paying. She reasoned that the LPGA had substantially increased its value by offering better service and exposure. Besides, tournament fees had not increased in 10 years. The dispute ended with only two tournaments dropping off the LPGA roster--in part because of scheduling conflicts--and new ones quickly filled the void. "It's a difficult job to please...
...players dominating, the arrival of the Williams sisters spawned a Tiger Woods effect, heightening global competition. Today, Asia is the fastest-growing sector in TV, with women's golf in Japan garnering double the ratings of the men. That's one reason Honda is the sponsor of the LPGA's new Thailand tournament...
...take advantage of the improving climate, the LPGA is trying to get more control of its destiny. Bivens has upgraded tournament courses and involved the LPGA in the television production of events. In addition to the Solheim Cup, a team competition in which top Europeans take on top Americans, the LPGA owns and operates the year-end ADT Championship. There it can control the fan experience, like having more player interaction, and set broadcast agendas with a focus on player vignettes. By running tournaments, as opposed to licensing them, the LPGA earns money from ticket sales, food and merchandise...
Bivens' approach has not been bogey-free. Since her arrival, seven members of her senior staff have resigned or been fired, including three top executives who walked the same day. Her relationship with the press has been rocky at best. To protect the LPGA's content, Bivens distributed press credentials that tried to limit the use of photos by media organizations. Some refused to sign up. One result: the 2006 Fields Open in Hawaii was virtually blacked out by the media. The differences have since been worked out, but Bivens hasn't really budged. She says she's standing firm...