"Another week, another Carolyn Bivens controversy"

Jay Coffin writing in Golfweek:

This time, the LPGA commissioner bailed on a July 20 Tournament Owners Association meeting at the last moment, saying she was uncomfortable with the situation. Bivens made her decision moments before she was to board an airplane heading for Denver, and she told several other LPGA staff members they were not permitted to attend. One senior staffer was at the Denver airport when Bivens made the decision, and the staff member immediately returned to the tour's Daytona Beach, Fla., headquarters.

And this is nice...

"The performance of the TOA board over the last couple of weeks is beginning to cause some serious dissection," Bivens told Golfweek July 20.

Dissection?

"The only way the LPGA and TOA as a group can have a relationship is if it is based on trust. I don't feel as if there has been full disclosure."

Bivens had a 2,800-word speech prepared for the TOA meeting – a copy of which was obtained by Golfweek – where she planned to set the record straight by going point-by-point through "misconceptions or differences that have been reported." The subjects included Bivens' strategic plan, the 2007 schedule, new sanction fees, tour finances and the characterization of Bivens' relationship with the TOA.

Under the latter heading, Bivens wrote, "I have repeatedly left meetings and conversations with many of you feeling energized about our future together, and comfortable that I have shared the LPGA's goals and direction in detail. Yet I turn around and read articles that depict a much different picture. This sort of public outcry does not have the LPGA or its players as the primary focus. One can only conclude there are individual agendas at work.

And she even gets all Freudian on them.

"The passive-aggressive dealings of the TOA leadership are not healthy and are not in the best interests of the LPGA and anyone associated with our organization."

You go Carolyn! 

LPGA Leaving Las Vegas

Thanks to reader Noonan for this Kevin Iole story:

In a letter to volunteers, tournament manager Ava Kawana wrote that LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn V. Bivens doesn't think Las Vegas is a good market for the tour.

The Takefuji Classic took place at Las Vegas Country Club for four years beginning in 2003.

"I regret to inform you the new commissioner of the LPGA does not feel Las Vegas is a good market for the tour and we will not be continuing the tournament," Kawana wrote in her letter. "I hope that in the future, the LPGA will have a different view and we will be able to work together again."

Their Own Self-Interest

Ron Sirak has the latest on the LPGA-ShopRite spat in this week's Golf World, with this quote from the Commissioner.

Harrison says Bivens gave his date away while they were still negotiating with the LPGA Tour. Bivens denies that, and the level of acrimony is evident. "I have trouble with her credibility and I have trouble with her integrity," Harrison said.

"We would love to be able to work it out," noted Bivens, "but it hurts the overall product when people care only about their own self-interest."

Isn't "own self-interest" redundant?

Of course Bivens is only interested in dumping the ShopRite for a more lucrative event to increase her Tour's charitable donations. 

Hawkins On The Commissioners

John Hawkins in the latest Golf World:

In 2006 we've learned Carolyn Bivens and Tim Finchem share at least one common trait: a zeal for prioritizing revenue generation over the game's competitive welfare, then trying to disguise their corporate mentality by peddling it as progress.

And...

The FedEx Cup format has been panned both inside and outside the ropes, becoming the first playoff series to include more participants than are eligible for the regular season.

Coming off the controversial decision to forsake ABC/ESPN and sign for 15 years with an endemic network such as The Golf Channel, Finchem appears to have bartered his legacy to strengthen the tour's fiscal standing. He calls title-sponsor suits to the podium at news conferences, a practice that further reveals his transparent motives. He uses his own time at the microphone to embark on tangents about the tour's economic prowess, then fends off pertinent questions with his patented semantic splendor.

Another Feather In Bivens' Cap

I tell you, I am going to miss her. You can't make this stuff up!

Robert Thompson writes about Carolyn Bivens in Canada and here beyond belief comment to Lorne Rubenstein.

“Lorne, you are much better looking than you sounded on the phone yesterday,” Bivens said. Is it just me, or is this an unusual comment to make to a major newspaper writer in the midst of an interview?

If Tim Finchem said that to Christine Brennan, he'd be packing up his office.

Coffin On ShopRite

Golfweek's Jay Coffin on the ShopRite situation, which is making Tim Finchem's handling of Washington D.C. look graceful.

"The ShopRite folks have not signed a contract with the LPGA since 2001," Bivens said. "We wanted them to have the same date, and while we were negotiating with several other tournaments their date was not in play. Then, after their tournament was over, we had no indication they were going to re-sign. That's when the ShopRite date was pulled into play. We are hoping we can work something out."

ShopRite's last LPGA contract did expire in 2001, but that's the LPGA's fault, Harrison said. He contends that the event has been more than willing to sign on the dotted line for the past five years but the tour has constantly dragged its feet in expediting the process. Besides, in 21 years the ShopRite has given more than $12 million in charitable donations, with more than $1.8 going to charity last year, the highest of any LPGA event. Harrison believes those statistics entitle him to better communication from LPGA brass.

"For somebody who says they care about the LPGA, (threatening a lawsuit) is not consistent," Bivens said. "We've retained a terrific law firm, (which) has reviewed this. We wouldn't be putting the LPGA at risk if we weren't sure we have the right to do this."

Whether, or how, the situation is resolved will not diminish Harrison's distaste for Bivens.

"She has no integrity," he said. "None. And if the (LPGA) board (of directors) doesn't do something soon, the whole tour will have no integrity."

Shopping The ShopRite's Date

Michael McGarry on the LPGA's decision to give the ShopRite Classic's date away:

A South Carolina news conference today could escalate a feud between the ShopRite LPGA Classic and the LPGA.

The LPGA is expected to announce a new golf tournament at RiverTowne Country Club in Mount Pleasant, S.C., during the news conference.

Classic General Chairman Larry Harrison said Sunday night the LPGA wants the South Carolina tournament to be played the first weekend of June — the weekend the ShopRite Classic has been held the past two years.

Harrison said the Classic would sue the LPGA if its dates were given away.

“I feel like somebody punched us in the stomach,” Harrison said. “We were talking to them about a contract, and they were negotiating behind our backs with someone else. That didn't sit well with me.”

And just in case you weren't sure how ugly this was going to get:

Classic officials have had their differences with past LPGA commissioners and that is not unusual. Most LPGA tournaments at some time in their history have a dispute about dates with the LPGA. But this feud is above and beyond anything that has happened previously.

Harrison wants Bivens out as commissioner.

“It's mind boggling,” Harrison said, “why the LPGA board just doesn't cut its losses.”

Logan On Bivens

A few things worth noting in Joe Logan's analysis of the Bivens era:

Bivens also has developed chilly relations with many of the media that cover the LPGA, among them Dottie Pepper, the veteran LPGA player-turned-analyst for the Golf Channel.

"I started out as a fan of hers," Pepper said last week. "But she won't talk to me now. Unfortunately, it's Carolyn's way or the highway."

That approach always ends well for executives. And so smart to be rude to someone with both a column and a microphone. Or, as Carolyn would call, it, a multimedia platform. 

Even some of Bivens' early and ardent supporters within the player ranks, including Sorenstam and Juli Inkster, are beginning to waffle.

"I am quite concerned about some of the decisions and changes I have seen lately," Sorenstam said recently, breaking her silence to Golf World magazine. "I just wonder where we are headed."

And... 

To hear Bivens' critics tell it, she owes her rocky start to a style they liken to the proverbial bull in a china shop or, perhaps more apt around the family-oriented LPGA world, the lout who crashed the picnic.

"I think she came from a business that was pretty cutthroat," said Stephanie Hall, president of the TOA. "Where she came from, she was probably excellent. This may be a difficult transition for her."

Larry Harrison, general chairman of the ShopRite Classic, who is at odds with the LPGA over the future date of the Jersey Shore tournament, questions Bivens' integrity.

"I had some differences with [Bivens predecessor] Ty Votaw, but everything was always out in the open, and I never doubted his credibility," Harrison said last week. "I have trouble with her. While the LPGA was talking to us about our contract, they were in negotiations with somebody else to take our date."

Market forces Larry, market forces. 

Bivens v. George

Vartan Kupelian paired up the LPGA and Champions Tours in a comparison story, primarily to see if Carolyn Bivens could outdule Rick George in the inane quote department. You be the judge.

"We don't compare ourselves to them at all because what we do is unique, the way we've positioned our tour, hitting a different group of people who are going to watch this," George said.

But that doesn't necessarily mean a single demographic.

"We're always trying to hit different demographics to grow our fan base," George said. "It's important for us to continue to look at different demographics it's not all geared to one segment of the population."

Demographics. Yawn. The Brand Lady offers slick analogies.

"We appeal to a totally different audience, different sponsors," Bivens said. "It's as different as the NBA and professional bowling."

Oh but this is may be her best.

Bivens compares the bumps off the course "to changing tires on a car going 100 miles an hour."

That's why she gets the big bucks.

We've heard this nonsense before, but it's still breathtaking.

Bivens' goal is to "monetize the success and interest" in the LPGA and making money often means rubbing people the wrong way.

"Somebody has to stand up and say, 'This is what we're doing and where we're going,' " she said.

"I didn't take the job for the money. I didn't take the job to be voted Miss Congeniality. I don't like the controlling person I read about -- it's not who I am."

And just to show he's in his own unique world too, George says...

"Our attendance continues to get better, not as much as we'd like but better," he said. "The sponsor base is stronger than it has been. We're in terrific shape and with an eye toward the end of the year when seven prominent PGA Tour players are coming out."

Coming out? Oh right, you mean...gotcha.

Kupelian spoils George's optimism pretty quickly.

That's not always the perception. Television images show small crowds more often than not, and exposure of the Champions Tour is well down the pecking order in newscasts and newspapers unless the over-50 set is in town. It's easy to reach the conclusion that the Champions Tour is floundering until someone stops to consider that the seniors are divvying up $52.7 million in prize money annually -- a veritable windfall of lottery proportions -- and sponsors continue to pony up.

"An endorsement of what we're doing is that we've had eight (contract) renewals in 10 months," George said. "And we anticipate more. The perception should be that the Champions Tour has really solidified its position and our opportunity now is to grow."

They're growing! And they're interacting...

"If you look at the Champions Tour today, the way our players go out of the way to interact and engage, is better than any sport, not just golf.

"We think we're one of the best business-to-business marketing opportunities in all our sports. We haven't lost focus of one of the integral pieces of our business -- interaction with sponsors' guests and clients and the fans who come out."

Hmmm...George wins with that last minute run that is sure to give Champions Tour players chest pains. 

Bivens: "I do speak in complete sentences"

John Branch of the New York Times weighs in on the struggles of Carolyn Bivens. Nothing new here except for brilliance from the commissioner:

 “I really don’t have three heads, I don’t have an eye in the middle of my forehead, and I do speak in complete sentences,” Bivens, the L.P.G.A. commissioner, said in a telephone interview Friday from the organization’s headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Branch drops this mini-bombshell, but leaves it up to someone else to explore what the Brand Lady has in mind.

Even re-evaluating the majors is on her mind.

“If a fairy godmother dropped down tomorrow, what would be the criteria for a major?” Bivens said.

Thanks to readers Noonan and John for sending the link to this. 

IM'ing With The Commissioners II

Well my NSA sources have scored with another IM chat between Tim Finchem and Carolyn Bivens. As with the first of these IM exchanges obtained, the more recent chat provides a wonderful opportunity to better understand two of golf's most powerful leaders.

DaBrandLady: tim are you there?

twfPGATour©: Yes Carolyn. Hello.

DaBrandLady: how things?

twfPGATour©: Fine, though we hit a bit of a rough patch with some of the media reports lately on the 2007 platform shifts.

DaBrandLady: yeah i saw some of the brand hits you’ve taken. does the market research indicate any concerns?

twfPGATour©: No, all good there. Everyone is very pleased about our new alignment with BMW, the fans in particular are excited to interact with such a positive brand.

twfPGATour©: And all of my Vice Presidents are excited that they might get employee pricing on the new 7 series.

DaBrandLady: that’s wonderful. it's such a great brand.

DaBrandLady: and what about Washington D.C., we’re doing some benchmarking on a possible event there…

twfPGATour©: Solid demos, tricky permitting issues when you are trying to rebrand a golf course. Thomas Boswell is a bit of a pain, too.

DaBrandLady: speaking of rebranding, as part of the many exciting initiatives we are embarking on, i think we have something you will love

twfPGATour©: Oh?

DaBrandLady: i been reading that you love cooking

twfPGATour©:  Oh don’t believe everything Greg Norman and Sean Murphy say

DaBrandLady: not that kind of cooking silly! i meant food cooking, you know like on The Food Channel

twfPGATour©: Oh right, of course.

DaBrandLady: I was hoping you would buy some copies our new LPGA and Canyon Ranch branded cookbook

DaBrandLady: we’re leveraging the equity of both brands for charity!!!!!

twfPGATour©: That’s great Carolyn. Good for you. You know giving back is the heart of the PGA TOUR(C)

twfPGATour©: Just send a couple dozen copies over and I’ll give them out to policy boards for Christmas

DaBrandLady: oh, that's such an old demo, can’t you skew a little younger?

twfPGATour©: You know I’m always trying.

DaBrandLady: the pga tour should consider its own book cooking

DaBrandLady: I mean, book on cooking

twfPGATour©: You mean harnessing some of our young, athletic and young players?

DaBrandLady: like villegas! if i were you’d, I get him to the oscars after parties next year

twfPGATour©: Huh?

DaBrandLady: didn’t you hear about our oscars night branding?

twfPGATour©: Oh yes, yes, great idea, I’ll note that. Uh Carolyn, while I have you here...

DaBrandLady: Yes Tim?

twfPGATour©: These points standings and playoffs you have…

DaBrandLady: yes?

twfPGATour©: It’s connecting with the fans, right?

DaBrandLady: oh absolutely, you should see the hits we are getting on the desktop wallpaper download

twfPGATour©: Wallpaper?

DaBrandLady: yes, check it out:  LPGA Desktop Wallpaper

DaBrandLady: the 12-24 year olds love it. i use karrie webb in her nabisco robe for my computer desktop.

twfPGATour©: Oh I’ll check it out. Is there one for Brittany Lincicome?

DaBrandLady: oh tim, you identify with her can-do attitude, don’t you?

twfPGATour©: Yep, she’s a fighter. And I think I’m going to have to be one of this points thing doesn’t work out.

DaBrandLady: it’ll work out great tim, I know it. trust me, I have good instincts on these things

twfPGATour©: Thanks Carolyn, it’s reassuring to hear that from you.

DaBrandLady: anytime tim.

twfPGATour©: Well, goodnight Carolyn, give my best to…to...

DaBrandLady: he says hi back too! night!

Sirak On LPGA Resignations

Golf World's Ron Sirak delves a bit deeper into the mysterious resignations of three key LPGA officials and seems close to having an answer as to what happened. Thanks to reader LPGA Fan for the heads up.

The final straw prompting the resignations was the tour's alleged attempt to set a benchmark sanctioning fee of $500,000 for a new tournament that wants to be added to the schedule. According to sources both inside and outside the LPGA, Bivens authorized the negotiation and then denied knowledge of it when the sponsor objected to the price tag. Asked about these allegations, the LPGA said through a spokesperson: "The LPGA is not shopping the LPGA Championship, and it is not seeking a $500,000 sanction fee for any event."

That denial will ring hollow if the LPGA Championship ends up in Virginia or South Carolina, for example. And the players will pay a steep price if McDonald's -- a generous and supportive LPGA tournament sponsor for 26 years, the last 13 of the LPGA Championship, the tour's flagship event -- takes its Big Macs and goes home. What happened that day at Bulle Rock may be in the past. But it is not over.

Yasuda: Bivens Making More Friends

Thanks to reader LPGA Fan for this Gene Yasuda Golfweek story that makes me think Carolyn Bivens will have a hard time making it past Thanksgiving. 

But during the Wegmans LPGA tournament in Rochester, N.Y., it became evident Bivens' style is causing problems of substance. So much that the tour's most important constituents – tournament owners – publicly have joined the fray.

During a June 20-21 board meeting of the LPGA Tournament Owners Association at the Wegmans, directors expressed dissatisfaction with Bivens' take-it-or-leave-it approach. Their complaints signal the most serious challenge yet to Bivens' administration and give credibility to industry whispers that her tenure may be short-lived.
 
But Bivens dismissed notions that her employment was at risk and assailed what she says is a vocal minority that's attacking her only to "protect the status quo."

"The band of TOA has decided it's all or nothing. . . That's why they sought out the media." Bivens said. "It's been difficult to sit back and read that I'm out here pissing off a bunch of people. Any change threatens some people.

Isn't it wonderful that she's so media savvy!? What branding.

However, at least a dozen tournaments are in various stages of contract renewal. Should events sever ties with the tour, some players, miffed by the reduced opportunities to cash paychecks, could break ranks and seek Bivens' ouster.
 
According to Stephanie Hall, the TOA's president, directors devoted their entire session – 10 hours over two days – reviewing the commissioner's leadership since she took office in September. Most revealing, Hall said the group focused on how it "can help move the needle off the administrational hiccups" and restore "the essence of partnership that's been lost."

Ouch!

Bivens said she is not worried about losing her job because she's doing exactly what her bosses want her to do. 

"The (LPGA Board of Directors) is 200 percent behind me," she said. "The staff and the commissioner are executing a direction that has been staked out by the board."

The staff that's left, anyway. And hey, at least she didn't use 110%!

But Bivens said she has made concessions – including the sanctioning fee adjustments for existing events – and added that "you have to move when the market allows you to move."

That's life in a free market.

"You've got a clash of old world and new, and you've got others who are saying, 'Don't you appreciate I've been here for 20 years when nobody else was here?' Absolutely we do," Bivens said. "But do you not charge market value for a product because somebody has been around for 20 years? That's really what we're talking about."

Of course, we knew that.

Hall declined to identify the events, but her breakdown makes clear that nearly 38 percent of the LPGA calendar potentially is in jeopardy.

Hey, it's not like it's 40%.

In addition, she insisted Bivens' critics were unaware of the strategic initiatives the commissioner is crafting behind the scenes.

"You're going to hear a lot of positive things over the next couple of months," Donofrio said.
 
But owners are tiring of that refrain.
 
"It seems every time we meet, we're being asked, 'Give us another six weeks,' " Hall said. "Or we're being told, 'We've got some great things happening.' It's been a year, and time is running out as far as patience."
 
It is becoming increasingly apparent Bivens needs to work faster if she's to earn positive reviews from more of her constituents – and, perhaps, keep her job.
 
"In all fairness to the commissioner, our owners have certainly discussed the complexities of being in her shoes . . ." Hall wrote in another e-mail. "Many have concurred with the intent of some of her initiatives, however, the means to those particular ends is what they would likely do differently."

Yep, Thanksgiving, that's your over-under. 

More Bivens Wit And Wisdom

Sal Maiorana offers a Q&A with Carolyn Bivens in advance of the Rochester tournament.

Q: How has the transition to your new job gone?

"The transition has gone surprisingly well.

Yep, swimmingly.

The players have been very supportive, we have a very good staff,

what's left of them...

and I would say we as an organization are very healthy. The challenges as we move forward are to be able to capitalize on all the interest and the buzz around the LPGA and to convert that into something that turns into a business success for the women."

Q: You came into a pretty good situation, thanks to the highly successful tenure of your predecessor, Ty Votaw. How do you maintain that?

"Ty gave us the foundation with the Five Points of Celebrity and Fans First, which actually makes it possible for us to move beyond that. We will never lose those two initiatives, which means with every rookie class we will go back and reteach and reinforce that, but we'll move on from that to being a real international organization.

I bet you can't wait to find out what that means...

That brings with it a whole different set of issues when you talk about the fact that we own the hospitality marketplace, if you want to say that's our marketing point of differentiation.

Ah, now I get it!

We are an international organization, and it means international players have to at least have a handle on conversational English to be able to interact with pro-am partners and do defending champion media days. It means that the U.S. and European players have to at least have conversational Japanese and South Korean skills when we're playing there. We'll take the Five Points of Celebrity and the Fans First and make that international."

Oh yeah, I can see Natalie Gulbis taking Korean classes!

Q: What are some of the key initiatives that you have targeted to put your fingerprints on the organization?

"I want to continue to enhance the marketing ownerships that the LPGA has on hospitality.

Marketing ownerships?

If a company wants to entertain its very best clients or its very best prospective clients, I want them to know that there's no better way to do that than to host them at an LPGA tournament and have their customers participate in a pro-am. There are a lot of different ways you can go about that. I also think there's a very unique opportunity to market these women in ways that no one ever thought of.

These Girls Rock! 

Q: With the Women's British Open on shaky ground, is there any chance that the Rochester tournament could replace it as the LPGA's fourth major championship?

"I think that right now the LPGA, the players, the organization itself is changing so much, I certainly would never say never about anything. When we go through and benchmark best of class, whether it's tournaments and how they're run, how volunteers are trained, Rochester continues to rank in the top and epitomizes best of class."

We're benchmarking!

Q: Where do you stand on the issue of Michelle Wie and her future on the LPGA Tour?

"Michelle, with the guidance of her family, has decided to turn professional and to not belong to any tour, and frankly I think that's a good thing.

Oh just super for the LPGA!

A few years ago women didn't have a choice to make a living at golf. Because there have been pioneers who have come before Michelle, including Annika (Sorenstam), who made her way into a men's event, and a number of others going back to Babe Didrikson who did that. I would never close off doors, I think it's fine to do it a different way.

Plus, closing off doors can get you in trouble with the fire marshal.

She can play six tournaments through exemptions and two majors, and I have no doubt that's what she'll do. And I will say, and I have said before, that Michelle is going to have to win just as the other stars have. Just being almost good enough isn't good enough,

Uh...forget it...

and the world builds stars and the world tears down stars. Michelle is one of the most talented and most charismatic young women that you will ever meet, and I think we're very fortunate to have her playing women's golf."

Q: With the restructuring of the PGA Tour's television contracts, where does the LPGA fit into the mix?

"Our contracts with ESPN and The Golf Channel were just renewed last year and they have four more years. What we're looking at with the new talent that's coming in, we may choose some different distribution outlets. Now what do I mean by that?

Oh, do tell.

Because of the fans that follow Morgan (Pressel), Paula (Creamer), Christina (Kim) and Natalie (Gulbis), they consume media from different distribution channels than the fans did for Nancy Lopez, Jane Blalock and some of the others. Very few of them are going to sit down and watch two hours of coverage on Thursday and Friday. They may TiVo it, and watch it in about 40 minutes. It also means pushing scores through a cell phone, or through a Webcast. Those things have become much more important. I would say that no sports organization can rely on the traditional media to do all of their marketing, and you'll see us take a very holistic approach at the kinds of marketing and the forms that it takes and the distribution channels that we use over the next few years."

Consuming media and marketing holistically. Calling Whole Foods!

What are your thoughts on becoming the LPGA's first female commissioner?

"The responsibility, I feel, is to the organization and to the players. As they went through the search process and as I went through the interview process we did not talk about that, and I can't imagine any business organization would talk about whether they wanted a man or a woman. If you're not looking for the skill set that you need and outlining what has to happen with the organizations, what are the goals and objectives, then it doesn't make any difference. Nobody is going to measure up. I've been asked what it feels like to be the first female commissioner. I don't know what it feels like to be a male commissioner so I don't really know.

Hey, at least she's honest. 

IM'ing With The Commissioners

Now that the NSA has figured out that my calls to Pakistan were all Dell support related, they've been feeding me all sorts of goodies. The latest is this Sunday night instant message exchange between the PGA Tour's Tim Finchem and the LPGA's Carolyn Bivens after the thrilling LPGA Championship finish.

twfPGATOUR©: You there Carolyn?

DaBrandLady: yes tim, just back from the trophy ceremony!

DaBrandLady: does these girls rock or what!?

DaBrandLady: and didn’t I look good next to Ronald McDonald!?!?!?! :)

twfPGATOUR©: Yes, great product today. What a shot by Se Ri.

twfPGATOUR©: Say, did you see any of the telecast?

DaBrandLady:  just a bit when I was doing some brand positioning work in the McDonald’s chalet.

DaBrandLady:  but we’ll be doing a full contextual and brand consistency white paper on the telecast this week to ensure that the brand promise was obtained. why do you ask?

twfPGATOUR©: I was wondering if there was a strike of the graphics personnel or other elements of the production staff?

twfPGATOUR©: Don’t get me wrong, the product was strong, but it just seemed to lack things like a leaderboard more than every 15 minutes or so.

DaBrandLady: that’s just Golf Channel’s effort to not interfere with our product.

DaBrandLady:  the minimalist production values make each player on the screen the real focus of the viewer, adding value for our players and player sponsors.

twfPGATOUR©: I see.

DaBrandLady: well I think they accomplished what was called for within their business model in terms of graphics and production budget, but I’ll check with Deb, wait, no with…well I’m sure someone is left in the office to help out.

twfPGATOUR©: About that, I don’t know how you do it? I have 81 Vice Presidents and I can’t imagine what I’d do if I had mass resignations like you have had.

twfPGATOUR©: Not that there’s anything wrong with spending more time with your family and pursuing other opportunities.

DaBrandLady: no, nothing wrong at all.

DaBrandLady: look, given the LPGA's incredible mix of talent, diversity and personalities, now is the time to take this organization to new heights. While we change the business model in order to better monatize our success, fans can continue to expect the very best in women's professional golf. We're committed to collaborating with all of our key constituents to create a stronger LPGA.

twfPGATOUR©: Did you just copy and paste that from your press release?

DaBrandLady: oh tim, that’s why you are going to make $28.5 million over the next four years. nothing gets by you!

twfPGATOUR©: Well, thanks. Say, anything you can pass along about TGC’s production concepts would really help as we begin a 15-year journey with them.

twfPGATOUR©: Not that I’m concerned or anything, it’s just that well…I’m always looking out for my product.

DaBrandLady: as am i! that’s why you and me are so good at what we do!!!!!

twfPGATOUR©: Congrats again on the strong positioning today.

DaBrandLady: thanks you too…great job with vijay’s win today. he's a little out of the prime demo but a solid brand.

DaBrandLady: that reminds me, do you have a contact at the villages?

twfPGATOUR©: You're not planning to retire?

DaBrandLady: oh no, i'll be in this job for decades. i just wanted to talk to them about buying some time.

twfPGATOUR©: they’ve been good partners for us in this transition year.

DaBrandLady: i know, that’s why i want their number.

twfPGATOUR©: I’ll have someone look into that for you.

DaBrandLady: thanks! gotta run, tgc's replay of the trophy ceremony starts soon and there's a bar down the street that actually carries it!

twfPGATOUR©: Give my best to...

DaBrandLady: he says hi back! bye!