having no say in what the LPGA does, i'd like to nominate Ty Votaw as the man for the interim job. goal #1 for Ty is to find a replacement fast.

with Yahoo! being a tech company & all, there has to be a way for them to IP Block poster #2 & everyone else like it

Marsha Evans brings great leadership to right the ship...Annika brings a great face to the interim project...Nancy Lopez becoming the commissioner is the best idea I've heard so far from the blogs.

Who really knows if Bivens is to blame for the tour's dwindling popularity and narrowing scope in women's golf & sport. She helmed more than her share of messes, but I couldn't imagine a worse time for her resignation / firing.
Votaw would be perfect because he was Bivens predecessor and knows the organization and players well, and has their respect & loyalty. But even if they find a solid interim head, then a someone permanent, their problems are enormous.
Granted we all hated the English only policy, but we're kidding ourselves if we deny there's some truth behind it. Because of the depth and talent of the Korean players and how many are winning, non-Korean audiences are still finding it hard to connect with these very talented players. It is awful to admit but I cannot discern some of the Korean players from each other. As I peruse leader boards and read articles, I'm constantly looking up player bios to remember which Korean is which. Call me a racist, but if the American audience can't tell the players apart, then how can we can be interested or care who wins.
They should also start looking at the shrinking LPGA schedule as a benefit to the tour. Rather than have a schedule spread out over 10 / 11 months where two or three star players show up each week, fewer events promise stronger, more competitive fields which is better for sponsors (who all want Ochoa, Creamer & WIe in their fields) and the fans too. The LPGA should have 25 events, make them the best, the strongest events possible, and allow their players to compete abroad in Japan, Korea, Europe etc. the rest of the year if they choose.

they do not play above the rim - good but boring

Good points Matt. I agree.

Dude, you aren't allowed to use words like "trenchant" in a blog -- I doubt any of your readers knows what it means. Dumb it down a little Matt.

I watched the LPGA new conference pertaining to the change in leadership on the Golf Channel today. That news
conference may reflect deeper problems within the LPGA. Simply put, the conference was a "professional joke". The LPGA's Director ( I use that term lightly) of Communications could not handle a news conference for kindergardeners, much less a conference of this magnitude.
Anybody can read a teleprompter and the handling and questions by the Director of Communications to the
various people on the phone and on the panel were really not revelent to the subject matter. Why would this guy ask Annika about golf at the Olympics when we are dealing with a change in the executive leadership of the LPGA?
The part time Commish could start by sending this guy out the door behind Bivens. He must have been a butt kisser to Bivens to hang on this long. We really only got some answers when Rich Learner took over the interview process.
Hire Donald Trump to "fire" everybody at headquarters and lets get on to some solving of the problems at the LPGA.

trenchant–
.
adjective
.
incisive or keen, as language or a person; caustic; cutting: trenchant wit.
.
vigorous; effective; energetic: a trenchant policy of political reform.
.
clearly or sharply defined; clear-cut; distinct.

The John Deer was a snooze-fest this year, I thought the women's open was a great show all the way down to the last shot. To bad a couple of key names were missing though.

The LPGA turned an American tour dominated by American players into a "world tour" dominated by Korean players. Who is responsible for this awful decision?

Matt , I am guessing most american male golfers would agree with you. The audience that the LPGA has to win back is the American male golfer, sorry to say that means more Natalie, Paula, Lorena, Kriste, Andrews, McPherson, Wie etc. as opposed to 10 Kim's, 5 Park's , 5 Lee's and 4 Choi's to keep track of.

to # 12, its the lpga not the usalpga. you have non americans on the pga tour, don't here anyone complaining unless tiger isn't playing. get a life you moron

#12 is right, but just didn't say it in a nice way.
What it really comes down to is the similar names. I can watch the LPGA and enjoy the good golf no matter who is swinging the club. I would just like the players to have names that seperate them from each other. It's very confusing.
The flood of Korean/Asian players who are taking over the LPGA tour is something that's become a negative because it's become very hard for a casual fan to figure out who is who anymore. It's a problem nobody could see coming and I don't know how the heck you fix it.
If I was commish the first thing I would have to do is suggest to all the players that they find a way for the fans to know exactly who they are. Maybe by establishing a way of dressing that sticks out from everybody else? Having a golf bag that really lets you know that's her, she's the one with that great bag.
Once the fans figure out who everybody is, then they will get behind them. The sponsors will also get behind certain players who are trying extra harder to become known.
Personally I just think Bivens got a bit of a raw deal. The whole tour was blindsided by this issue. Which she really saw coming and tried to address it. So she was on it, but didn't come up with a very good solution.

LPGA golf is boring, but so is the PGA tour. No personalities. People with sleep disorders should watch golf and fall fast asleep.

LPGA is in big trouble when their #1 draw, Michelle Wie, was not in the Open. ESPN paid all that money to cover a major where the most interesting stories were a futures tour player and a 14 year old. They need a bailout

The USGA is why Michelle was not in the Open.

Good for the LPGA to boot out Ms. Bivens and give Marsha Evans as an interim commissioner
to work out some serious issues for the time being !
Hopefully, she can find some tournaments for next year ( 2010). That is VERY IMPORTANT !
Secondly, the number of the Koreans ( exactly 27 of them in the 2009 USGA Open ! )
should be pared down and take more of the AMERICANS from the FUTURE Tour and
make them automatic ROOKIES ! I am getting tired of the Koreans frankly , despite the fact
that several of them are very good golfers. But a disproportionate number of them is bound to
feel unsettling ! WE SHOULD URGE and ENCOURAGE MORE AMERICANS to play on
the LPGA Tour ! Witness the wonderful JEAN REYNOLDS in the recent USGA Open !
She is like a " shining beacon " and hopefully she can blow the bell for all newcomers
from the Future Tour.

The U.S. version of the LPGA is DONE !!! next year, this tour will have less than 10 tournaments within the North American Continent (2 more will drop before next year). After the horrible JOB this Tour has done introducing Foreign Players into the mix, they still DON'T get it. When the Euro's came over to the PGA Tour, that Tour had the players go through a battery of 'introductory' sessions on what IS expected over here in the 'states. It is OBVIOUS that the LPGA was so dimm-witted that they did not even consider that the Asian players would make an impact. Intead they gambled (and LOST) that the young Americans would dominate the leaderboards. That gamble was so obvious that we are seeing it's results today. The Asian that won the U.S. Open could not even express herself and the translator was taking GIANT freedom with what she said and what he was told to say. There no doubt that this Tour sealed it's fate 2 years ago and it is a SAD DAY because I absolutely love to watch the LPGA on TV or in person but I am heartbroken that it is all going away.

Having had a tournament at my home course in 2007 and 2008 I can say that the golf the ladies play is very enjoyable to watch. I do not just mean the physical beauty of the players. They were very approachable by the fans and seemed to be enjoying themselves more than their PGA counterparts. We did lose the tournament this year due to financial reasons, but maybe it will be back in Charleston, SC soon. Hopefully we future will be better for the LPGA as I would rather go to an LPGA tounament that most PGA tournaments.

Listen to what you guys are saying. This is hilarious. You are trying to put blame on the failure of the tour based on the racial demographics of the current competitors. Wow!!! No one can explain why the Asian women have been outperforming, at least compared to the men's tour. BUT, be clear about one thing. They got there by beating out the others, fair and square. So with that, let's talk about why the LPGA is failing. Let's look back in history... Was the LPGA EVER successful at one point?? I mean, I remember back before the Asian invasion, the LPGA was suffering and people blamed it on lack of talent, personality, charisma, at God forbid "sex appeal". Gotta admit some of the players back then were pretty grotesque, overweight, and rather manly with legs that kick down trees. So, the only thing that's changed is that those burly players have been replaced by these little boy looking Asians. So this is NOT a racial issue. It wasn't the ugly players' fault back then and it's the Asian non English speaking players today. The bottom line is that the LPGA sucked back then and it sux now. There's nothing exciting about watching little girls hit a 5 iron 150 yards. The ones that can really hit it far and are hot simply cannot compete (Lincicome, Wie, etc.), so there's nothing to draw the crowd. It's just reality. The LPGA management couldn't make it work back then, and they cannot do it now. No matter how you slice it or dressed it up, it simply is NOT that exciting!!! bottom line. If we want more excitement or to draw a bigger crowd, then we need more 300 yard drives, hitting out of 5 inch deep roughs, and putting on ice like green and players that are hot that can compete week in and week out. And shoot a low score!!! Then guys will be impressed. (I say guys b/c the majority of golf fans are guys, correct?? not to be sexist or leave out the lady fans)
I'll tell you one thing. The avg American sports fan really never like the LPGA. Again, what's the draw??? Guys will watch women's tennis when the players are hot, but that's it. Who watches the WNBA, and what happened to WMLS?? But one thing for sure, the LPGA has gained a LOT of fans over the world, esp. in Asia. So maybe the LPGA should get a clue and find a way to market the product better. And look in the mirror when trying to pass the blame. Sometimes, it's staring you right in the face.
IMHO...

Jan Stephenson saw it coming back in 2003. There will be a minimum of 14 events played in the continental US.
Don't be surprised to actually see Donald Trump step in. He doesn't need the money, but would love the challenge and the attention.
Maybe, like tennis the lpga will become international, too bad. Like tennis the 'average' US viewer will watch as long as the Williams sisters, Maris Sharpova (Non US) or Andy Roddick are in the mix.
After all is said and done, golf, like TV shows or movies, is entertainment. So, "Frankly Young Choy, I don't give a damn."

There's no excuse for the American women to be constantly beaten by the Koreans, Japanese and even Australians. The winning score at the U.S. Open was even par! That no one could get there given that there are munincipal courses with greens that fast is a little irritating and puzzling, to say the least. Anyway, I think it's just a phase. There are some great, young American girls who will win their share in the coming years. Wie is going to win very soon (she's still very young and only playing part-time). But the days of the U.S. dominating golf, male or female, are over because too many people worldwide are playing now.
As for appearances, I think the Asian girls are pretty to look at and at least look feminine. Give me 3 Kims and 4 Lis any day over a Laura Davies or some other overweight masculine woman. Even Kristie Kerr (sp?) has the look around her mid-section of someone not really trying to stay in shape. And she totally choked on Sunday being the only one on the final page of the leaderboard that shot over part. Pitiful performance. I thought Li's translator did a great job of making her personable. She just needs to take her sunglasses off when in front of a camera. All athletes need to do that, actually. It is crazy and financially stupid to do it.

I was so disappointed that Michelle Wie was not invited to the USALPGA. If Michelle was given the chance, should have attracted so many followers. I hope the interim commissioner/ LPGA will look into this and correct Ms. Bivens’ shortsightedness and extreme lack of leadership. I personally believe that the LPGA can be saved and the savior will be no one other than Michelle Wie. Watch and see! God bless you Michelle!