Twenty years ago, the LPGA looked a lot like it does today. Sponsors and tournaments were dropping off like flies. The Commissioner was being removed from duty. Players were unhappy. Then the organization made a winning move by replacing Bill Blue with Charles Mechem. He developed a good relationship with the players and the media, conciliated the sponsors, grew the tour with more events and ultimately got the LPGA back on track and thriving. We need a Charlie Mechem for 2009. Charlie’s still involved in the golf world to a fashion, though I doubt he could be lured back to his old post at this point.
I recently spent a day with Charlie – talking, eating, and of course, playing golf. He is a charming, amiable man with a gracious spirit. When my golf ball rolled off the fairway and wedged into a dicey lie in the plants, he casually kicked it out and humorously issued a “commissioner’s ruling.” I wouldn’t accept that with anyone else, but who am I to argue with the commish? I think you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t like this man.
I told the story of how he became commissioner and saved the LPGA in this article (starts on page 12) for Jackson Hole Golfer Magazine, an annual publication issued in a beautiful hard cover book as well as a glossy magazine.
With Carolyn Bivens on her way out, the LPGA needs to find someone who can pull off what Charlie did, and I suspect it won’t be easy. (Hey Charlie, how about filling in while they conduct their search?)
In his article on what went wrong with Bivens, Alan Shipnuck offers up Judy Rankin as a suggested replacement with the logic that she’s “basically a female Mechem.” Sounds good to me.
Photo from Golf.com (David Cannon/Getty Images). Perhaps If Ms. Bivens appeased all the sponsors like she must have with this homage to Ronald McDonald, she’d be in less trouble today.
After an imaginary journalist asked her how she felt about being used by the LPGA for the attention she brings to any event and milking another day of play out of her, Michelle Wie responded: “I was playing, like, really good out there, you know? I kind of, like, almost forgot how popular I am.”
Potential LPGA / PGA Partnership – About More than Combined Tourney
A few months ago, I posted a sort-of teaser about more to come regarding Tour players’ thoughts on having a combined PGA/LPGA event. Those conversations I mentioned did not happen. Players clammed up after there seemed to be some backlash against those in favor of the idea.
However, now it seems there may be more going on behind the scenes. Not just a combo tournament, it seems some higher-ups are tossing around plans/ideas that involve the PGA assuming responsibility for the LPGA Tour in at least some capacity. And now that someone with some serious clout is writing about it (see Ron Sirak’s Golf Digest article here), maybe players will be more likely to speak up as well. We shall see. What do you think of the idea(s)?
Next post.