"Golf doesn't need one consistent face. No one questions the NFL. I don't know if they have one consistent face."
/Jill Painter catches up with LPGA Commish Mike Whan--a.k.a. the blog post killer--who not only didn't drop one brand reference and continues to come off as grounded and the total opposite of his predecessor. And that just doesn't work in the blogosphere!
"We're a $100 million business that's got 30 customers. It ain't that hard. If you want to have more customers, you've got to take care of the 30 you have. You don't spend more time talking to people who aren't in business with you than people who are. I tell my staff the top priority is the people we're in business with. If we take care of them, we'll have more customers. I'll probably start to spend more time on future business, but I'm glad I didn't jump to that."
The LPGA has been in a state of flux for years, just the like the state of the world's No. 1 player. Since Annika Sorenstam and Lorena Ochoa held that distinction, the game's No.1 player has been a rotating honor. Japan's Ai Miyazato, Cristie Kerr and Jiyai Shin were all at the top this season, and Shin finished No. 1.
"I like it, but it seems a lot of media people disagree," Whan said. "Maybe they're right. Golf doesn't need one consistent face. No one questions the NFL. I don't know if they have one consistent face. I have three boys, and one would say Drew Brees and another Peyton Manning and another Tom Brady. I'd say they're right. There's a lot of people to root for.
"Ai Miyazato walking down the street in Japan is like Michael Jordan walking down the street here. It's good for the game. The world has different faces."