Can Youth Revitalize Women's Golf?

LPGA golf superstars like Cristie Kerr have been playing as a professional longer than the ages of many of the hottest young golfers standing beside her on the tee box. With eighteen teenagers poised to make history at the 2013 U.S. Women's Open, can youth revitalize a sagging Tour?

Golf Channel's "State of the Game" Roundtable Discussion at the U.S. Women's Open asked Kerr, Annika Sorenstam and Mike Whan about the state of the Ladies' game and whether teenagers are prepared to take on this revitalization movement.

Cristie Kerr mentioned that sponsorships and resources are now more available to younger players. Add to that the numerous mental and swing coaches that accompany each player and "they are a lot more equipped to play professional golf as a young age."

Annika Sorenstam believes that the younger golfers "bring a lot to the game"; they are mature and hit the ball a long way.

Mike Whan explained that, although you might see more teens competing in this event, it is because it is a USGA event as opposed to an LPGA tournament. Strict guidelines have been put into place to ensure that the LPGA is accessible to youth players, "but we kind of draw a line between access to play and be a member, because with membership, comes a lot more responsibilities and these two know better than ever."

Advice from Annika? "Just have fun, enjoy. You have so many years ahead of you, don't rush it, because it's hard to be out there."

This week at Sebonack GC, Paula Creamer and Matt Lauer were on hand to participate in a golf clinic where over one-hundred youngsters attended, most of the kids from LPGA-USGA Girls Golf. Is this solid proof that the game is growing and moving forward for the youth of America? Jeanne-Marie Hamilton-Moore of the First Tee of Essex County said about Creamer after the golf clinic “She’s famous and she’s amazing, and I know that I can achieve that one day.”

It is inevitable that younger golfers will play a big role in the advancement of women's golf and, in my opinion, as long as teens are brought into the sport and moved along at the proper speed and with the right frame of mind, the game will continue to prosper.

photo credit: LPGA, Golfweek AP

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Golf Horoscope for 2013

Even though the foremost astrologers utilize the aspects of the planets and stars at a given moment, the future still remains unpredictable. Utilizing the past as a barometer, Golf for Beginners makes several predictions on the future of the game and some of its players in 2013.

1. Tiger Woods will win two golf tournaments this year and one major event. Based upon his past performance in the majors, the current number-two money leader in the world will win the PGA Championship...it's about time to collect another Wanamaker Trophy, isn't it? On his golf blog Woods said, "Looking ahead to next year, I'm just trying to win those big four tournaments."



2.The Rory McIlroy-Tiger Woods competition will continue to heat up and fans will see several final round close calls this season. McIlroy will easily win the Masters after remembering what he said after squandering a four-stroke lead at Augusta in 2012. "I'll get over it," said Rory, "it was a character-building day, put it that way. I'll come out stronger for it," and so he has with his major victory in 2012 at the PGA Championship.

3. The 2016 Anchoring Ban (belly putter) will force advocates such as Webb Simpson to change their putters and revise their putting strokes. Watch for new and unpredictable grips for belly-putter golfers and for new equipment on the golf course. Will we see Keegan Bradley trying out a new claw grip this season?



4. The LPGA future will further take root in Asia. American LPGA golfers will be asked to learn Korean and Mandarin to keep up with the further globalization of the Tour. Instead of "foreign" Tour players being penalized for not speaking English, ladies such as Cristie Kerr on the LPGA will brush up on Korean to follow the sponsors, "follow the money".

Could it be that, down the road, American LPGA golfers will be penalized for not speaking Korean?



5. Two female members will be allowed to join Muirfield's "Honorable Company of Edinburgh Golfers" (so one can play golf with the other without disturbing the men) with the Royal & Ancient Golf Club following suit after much ballyhoo.

Stay tuned for mystical Tarot predictions by Stacy Solomon throughout the 2013 golf season!

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LPGA Ambassadors on Olympic Golf Mission to Brazil

Three top golfers on the LPGA Tour have decided to become golf ambassadors in order to gain more interest in the sport and to insure future Olympic success.

Cristie Kerr, Suzann Pettersen and Meghan Francella are "on a mission" to Brazil to spread the word about the great golf the LPGA has to offer. The three ladies have committed to play in the HSBC LPGA Brazil Cup at the Itanhanga Golf Club in Rio De Janeiro on May 28/29 partly because golf will be featured in the 2016 Rio Games. The field will be made up of thirty golfers and event purse will be $720,000.


Another reason for Suzann's call to action is because Pettersen was part of the official delegation that successfully presented golf’s "case" to the IOC in Copenhagen sixteen months ago. She believes the HSBC LPGA Brazil Cup has a vital role in growing the popularity of golf in South America before it returns to the Olympic family for the first time since 1904.

Pettersen further said she wanted, "sports fans in Brazil to know who we are and how good we are and we need to build their desire to see us in five years’ time."

More golfers on both the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour should reach out worldwide to grow the game of golf. Greg Norman and Annika Sorenstam attend forums considering ways to attract newcomers and this grass roots approach of going out and gaining fans with the sole purpose of showcasing their talents will go a long way in promoting the sport.

Crisite Kerr said, “This is the biggest single opportunity that women’s golf has ever had! It’s not about who wins the gold medal in five years’ time; it’s about an opportunity to grow and expand the sport more than it has ever grown before"

"We," Kerr maintained, "as the current stars of women’s golf will absolutely kick ourselves if, in ten years time, we can’t look the new young professionals coming through in the eye and say we did everything we could to make being in the Olympics a success. That’s why we need to be in Rio now!”

 
credit: Getty Images

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Kerr's trophy larger but Watson has better payday with "dream performances"

Cristie Kerr's record-setting twelve stroke victory at the LPGA Championship left her in a dream-like state. Bubba Watson's teary-eyed acceptance of his first PGA Tour win at the Travelers Championship was exciting to boot as he was the last man standing in a three-man playoff.

Since I could not be at both events in the tri-state area, I chose the Travelers in order to meet-up at a "tweet-up" with Patricia Hannigan (aka golfgirl from Golf Girl Media). I can't wait to see the pictures she took and I'm sure she'll post them soon.

Here are pictures of Cristie Kerr, winner of the LPGA Championship and Bubba Watson, fellow left-handed golfer, victor at the Traveler's Championship and first-time winner on the PGA Tour.

Kerr aced the bigger trophy (and $337,500) but Bubba Watson walked off with the larger check ($1,080,000!)