I searched and didn’t find anything, so mods, feel free to merge if I missed something.
I enjoyed the Mike Whan podcast(s). Particularly the recent one.
I liked his “explain to me the wallpaper on the ceiling thing”.
What I didn’t get was his idea that women should get or could get the same purse. It just doesn’t seem to track economically for me. He compared women’s golf to women’s tennis, but women’s tennis does pretty good three or four times a year (and those are the only events in which their purses are the same). If the LPGA got the same ratings as the men’s events, then you could make a case, maybe even easily, for the same size purse. But they don’t.
I mean, the women’s semi-equivalent of the Masters… peaked at a 0.29 and barely edged out the PGA Tour event that weekend, the Safeway.
I have a daughter. I’d love to see her gain equal rights across the board, but this isn’t about “rights” at all, it’s about economics and what people want to watch (and pay for). You can’t make people watch, and sponsors aren’t going to be able to put up the purse to match when they would be better off, in most cases, to spend the money where they’ll get the greatest return.
What am I missing here? Will we see more than five LPGA Tour events with purses the size of equivalent PGA Tour events within the next five years? 10? 20?
We will see five or more LPGA events with purses as large as equivalent PGA Tour events within the next…
Not wading into the above discussion about economics, but I will say that Mike Whan gives me the impression that he’s a leader that makes people want to run through the wall for him.
I’ve met one other person like that in my life and it was the best work environment I’ve ever been in.
No disagreement there, but CEOs of sponsoring companies have their own people to run through walls. They’re likely not running through walls for Mike Whan. Not unless it’s well worth it to their bottom line and/or provides other benefits (tangible or otherwise).
Why aren’t WNBA players playing for the same salaries? Economics. Why aren’t the NWHL players being awarded the same salaries? Economics. And on and on.
Thank you for sharing. That really pushes the discussion along.
I thought @Soly asked a good question and I liked his point about why they don’t have tournaments on other days of the week. I think that’s the first time I’d heard that response.
The LPGA’s never going to get PGA prize money presenting the product the same way as the PGA does. It’s just not going to happen, ever. Is the women’s game more relatable to the average golfer than the men’s game? Yes, absolutely. But look at when baseball was most popular - it was the steroids’ area. People want to watch Bryson hit the ball 400 yards. It might not be good for the game, but it is entertaining.
I’d really love whoever takes over for Whan to have the courage to challenge the way golf is broadcast. Do what Fox tried to do and innovate the product. Golf hasn’t really changed the format ever. It’s just Golf* now with 50% more ads and in-game FedEx bugs.
People will watch if they have something invested in the players, but golf suffers from having SO many players that it’s difficult to know who to root for, other than the superstars. Give me an All-Or-Nothing or Drive To Survive and let me get to know some players. And after you’ve done that, let me subscribe to a service that lets me pick who I want to follow. Bonus if the player is mic’d up and there’s no other commentary. I’d happily throw money at that.
If they keep doing things the same way, they will never catch up. They’d have to do something like cohost majors, similar to what Tennis does. I bet the future Women’s Masters is the first event to match the men’s purse
I’m interested to see what “two” events (IIRC) he hinted at that may be coming “soon” (2022?) that will do this co-hosting stuff. The economics of the sponsor obligation from an $8M to $25M (again IIRC) was eye opening.
Like others, I enjoyed the co-hosted even with the European Tour.
Agreed. Comparing women’s tennis ratings to women’s golf ratings isn’t apples to apples. Tennis plays the same venue and the broadcast window includes men’s and women’s matches for the most part. I’d love to see how women’s golf ratings would stack up if golf had a similar model.
If you’re an accountant and your gender plays no role in the job you’re doing, the money you’re earning for your company, etc. then they should absolutely be paid the same. Equal work for equal pay. Yes, absolutely.
But an unknown actor doesn’t command the same salary as… whoever the hot movie stars are these days. See above about the WNBA, NWHL, etc. Even women’s tennis doesn’t get the same purse… except a few times a year.
(Most) businesses are not just going to “treat women’s golf equitably” for the sake of doing it.
It’s a discussion. I’m looking to discuss solutions, issues/problems, misconceptions… whatever. I don’t think we’re going to see it nearly as soon as Mike Whan thinks, but hopefully, maybe some day we can get there.
Didn’t we just get rid of the guy who judged everything on ratings? The purse is based on what the sponsor(s) will contribute - which is only partially correlated to ratings. Follow the money as to why the purses aren’t the same.
They’re doing the exact same job. It’s the same skillset and requirements. The difference is gender and therefore perceived demand, which is propped up by a patriarchal system.
The businesses aren’t going to treat women’s golf equitably until the networks start doing it. Someone has to made a first step. It’s not the “product” it’s the platforms.
