Running 2024 golf thread

I was discussing this today at the range with a former LPGA touring pro. She was bemoaning the lack of excitement in womens' pro golf, which has never been deeper, particularly when several Americans contended at the recent Open. She noted that Nelly Korda is a fantastic golfer but refuses to do much to promote the tour, and has no apparent personality, anyway. If winning five tournaments in a row doesn't generate buzz, I said, I don't know what will (besides posing for the SI body issue or posting bikini shots on Insta). This person insisted there are good stories to be told in womens golf, if someone would just tell them.

It's just a another blip in the daily media hurricane.

 

Global Golf Post has a dedicated GGP Women's feed that tells a lot of those stories, but I don't know how mainstream GGP is outside of industry types.

I'm more invested in women's golf than most because the Solheim Cup will be in Virginia this year. Playing in a media preview event in July. Yes, I'm absolutely blowing off one of our tournament days to play RTJ, with the boss' blessing. It's the first round of a 65+ super senior event, so they won't particularly care if I'm not there.

 

Korda is obviously an incredible player. I don’t know anything about her personality or her interest in promoting the tour. Like Scheffler, she might suffer from being a bit boring and media-trained to not ever say anything interesting.

It might be reflective of where we’re at as a society that the biggest breakout story for women’s golf was Charley Hull signing autographs for kids with a lung dart hanging out of her mouth. And that she was funny about it when asked.

 

She seems to have no interest in talking to the media.

The Unknowable Nelly Korda: What does the superstar owe her sport? | Golf News and Tour Information | GolfDigest.com

 

It was 15 years ago, but the Women's Open at Saucon Valley was probably the easiest, most accessible event I covered. I got Mariajo Uribe, who was the U.S. Amateur champ in ’07, tied for 10th in the Women’s Open the next year as an amateur and was a two-time All-American at UCLA, as she was coming out of the scoring trailer and talked to her for about 15 minutes after the third round. She couldn’t have been nicer and more accommodating. She was in the top 25 going into Sunday before struggling in the final round, hasn’t had the career many thought, but I was able to write about her golf game that weekend and also how she helped underprivileged kids back in Columbia.

Players have to be willing to speak. If they’re just out there to play, make money and go home (which is totally their right) then there isn’t much the media can do.

 

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Here are the famous Scheffler police pants destroyed beyond repair

 

#NeverForget #RIPHeroPants

 

Well, as one of the daughters of former world-class tennis player Petr Korda, we shouldn't really be surprised.

I didn't remember Petr being a media darling - moreso for his treatment toward his own rackets - and his decision to retire following a disputed drug suspension makes one wonder if he thought the media didn't probe into it in his favor.

One of the sisters - wasn't it Jessica? - fired a caddie in the middle of a round. Nelly with not much personality from a media point of view. Shouldn't really be shocking.

And yes, this doesn't nothing to give the LPGA Tour a boost in the overall sports landscape. Not exactly handling this in the manner that predecessors such as Nancy Lopez, Annika Sorenstam, Lorena Ochoa or Stacy Lewis would have.

 

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