tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1198629951037494295.post8332178582204634203..comments2023-11-22T03:32:31.513-05:00Comments on Mostly Harmless: Reflections on the 2011 LPGA ScheduleThe Constructivisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07242149985581771922noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1198629951037494295.post-71903134344813283272011-01-07T17:11:31.356-05:002011-01-07T17:11:31.356-05:00Good points, Mike!Good points, Mike!The Constructivisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07242149985581771922noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1198629951037494295.post-73276291641873457042011-01-07T16:52:04.510-05:002011-01-07T16:52:04.510-05:00I like that characterization of me as "intrig...I like that characterization of me as "intrigued" with the Founders Cup. I'd say that's an accurate take, and it's primarily because (as I mentioned in my post) Michael Whan indicated that the players had been talking about this for half a year and were all onboard.<br /><br />All-in-all, I think you summed it up best when you said "the LPGA figured out how to make some lemonade out of lemons" with this year's schedule. This recession (or whatever you want to call it) has had some serious repercussions all the way through the economy, and I think it's unrealistic to expect everything to just "bounce back" in a year or so. The LPGA approach shows some creative thinking when they just don't have much to work with.<br /><br />The Founders Cup is clearly an attempt to make the US girls golf program more competitive with other programs around the world. Those programs have government backing, we don't... but that also gives us more freedom in what we decide to do. The Founders Cup strikes me as a creative approach to the problem. Like I said in a comment on my post, even if the Founders Cup runs for only one year, the girls golf program is instantly doubled in size. That's impressive to me!<br /><br />All the other changes are largely tweaks -- you can't just make wholesale changes in the schedule when you have sponsors to satisfy -- but they appear to be well-thought-out tweaks. They left room for the Farr to return and they left room for new sponsors -- without having extended runs that might cause some players to sit out tournaments to rest. The gaps leave room for maybe 5 or 6 new tournaments before they need to consider crowded schedules.<br /><br />Best of all, it simply shows that the LPGA is willing to try some new things. Should some of these ideas -- like the Founders Cup -- prove to be successful, they may even start being viewed as innovators. They'll certainly garner some attention... and right now the LPGA can needs all of that they can get.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11719298227225074496noreply@blogger.com