Hot Property

Doug Ferguson is covering the LPGA's first major of the year, and on behalf of his AP colleagues, gets a little revenge for this season's LPGA shenanigans.

But there is much work to be done if the LPGA Tour, as new commissioner Carolyn Bivens recently gushed, is really "one of the hottest properties in the sports world."

Of course, it's hard to take her seriously when Sorenstam's 2006 debut was shown on tape delay in the evening by The Golf Channel, which devoted its afternoon coverage to the Canadian Tour.

Now comes the first major championship of the year, and there is work to be done.

It takes away from the aura of a major when an Oscar Meyer "wienermobile" is parked between the putting green and the practice range. Equally rare at a major championship is when the top players have to play a pro-am for two days before Thursday's opening round.

The reasons why the LPGA Tour is riding a wave illustrates how far it has to go.

You go Doug! Oh and you thought the wienermobile couldn't be topped?

And there is Christina Kim, who speaks her mind, and sometimes she makes sense.

Sometimes she doesn't.

Asked about the world ranking in women's golf, which has been lampooned since the day it was published, Kim thought it should be based on more than performance.

"I think there should be opinion put into that," she said. "I think there should be other factors, not necessarily popularity, but if people, you know ... it's hard to describe. I think you have to have your heart and opinion put down on paper. And for that reason, I don't think it's ever going to be a truly successful means of ranking."

Key words: not necessarily popularity.

I mean, you know, it's like, you have to have your heart and opinion put down on paper.

You just can't make this stuff up.