The number of Korean ladies in the LPGA Tour is a subject that could be a little sensitive. Let’s face it, there are a lot of them in the sport and although Korean dailies love to gush about how Koreans are dominating woman’s golf, they have not necessarily made the sport more popular in the nation that hosts a lot of the tournaments- the U.S.
To tackle this potentially politically incorrect subject pretty much head on is Jeffrey Slatton of the Arkansas Democratic Gazette. To start off, he titles the article with a very diffusing headline: “American golfers need to step up on LPGA Tour.”
Per the article:
The LPGA needs a wake-up call.
After watching a South Korean woman win for the third consecutive week on the LPGA Tour, something needs to change…. Attendance wasn’t good, and television ratings were awful….
The LPGA will point to timing as the reason television ratings were down. I’d point to the fact that the LPGA Tour’s American stars like Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Cristie Kerr and Natalie Gulbis were nowhere near the top of the leaderboard.
Until more players with more name recognition — and frankly more individual identity — get to the top, those ratings numbers aren’t going to improve.
Ah, so the LPGA needs players with, how shall we say? More “individual identity?” Jeff goes on to say that K. J. Choi, when asked what he thought about the LPGA Tour, responded by saying, “hard to keep track… too many Kims and Parks.”
However, in my opinion, he broaches the subject very nicely with a tremendous amount of tacit. Furthermore, it probably deserves to at least be addressed. As my mom once told me, if there are too many 한인 (Koreans) in 여자 골프 (woman’s golf) then 미국 사람 (American people) won’t have much 인기 (attachment/interest). I kinda have to agree.
In other news, the Korean ladies are getting ready for Olympic archery. When asked how come Korean female archers were so good, the ladies told Reuters:
Training is only part of the equation though and some of the Korean archers believe they have physiological, mental and spiritual traits that set them apart from the rest.
World record holder Yoon said Korean women were dextrous due to heightened sensitivity in their fingers, making them more adept at “feel” sports such as archery.
That theory may also go some way to explaining why South Korea continues to produce an abundance of top-class women golfers.
“Our sensitive fingertips, descended from our ancestors, and our spiritual strength and willingness to fight until the very end — they are the secrets,” Yoon said.
I don’t know. Kinda sounds like THIS explanation.
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{ 52 comments… read them below or add one }
I personally enjoy watching any golfers who are good. However, tv does take a lot away from the experience. And in that vein, I have a 6 a.m. desert course tee time tomorrow morning…
Korean women are helping the LPGA by being better looking than most of the non-Koreans. At least by being thinner.
The reason no one watches women’s sports is… no one watches women’s sports.
The Korean players lacking personality is what’s hurting. The problem isn’t “too many Kims and Parks” – the problem is they’re bland on tv.
Michelle Wie plays golf about as bad as I do, but at least she gave the tv folks something to talk about, aside from “pretty girl wins sports event.”
Collectivist Korea, Inc., — if you meet one Korean, you have met them all, is a slight exaggeration, but not by much. When the Koreans I know get together, they talk about two things: 1) their childrens’ education, and 2) their real estate transactions. Everything in South Korea seems to be related to these two issues, in one way or another.
Michelle Wie is the Anna Kournikova of golf. Nice to look at but not much else… and she will never win a tournament.
Enjoyed those comments on Korean archery. Six and a half year of running by a traditional Korean archery range up on Namsan mountain, and I am ashamed to confess that I never tried the sport. Regarding Korean golf, I once heard a comment that Koreans play golf like the (OK, Japanese) Samurai practiced sword strokes. Always seeking perfection in the stroke. Thus, when they got out on the real links (terribly expensive in Korea), they actually did pretty good. Perhaps its BS, but the theory sounded reasonable to me.
To be fair, it’s golf. For me personally, anything short of real-life Happy Gilmore is not going to convince me to tune into any golf tournament… And I didn’t even like Happy Gilmore that much.
@#4
Nice. Very nice. Just the reason why I frequent this blog less and less.
I don’t know which is funnier, some of the posts here or some nobody from the Arkansas Democratic Gazette attempting to be a self-appointed expert on LPGA. Didn’t realize the Northwest Arkansas was a hotbed of LPGA either? I can tell you it’s not the lack of fan interests in any of the “majors,” let alone tournaments in Hawaii to realize the tens of thousands of spectators flocking to see these “Korean” golfers. You’ll be lucky enough to find entrance into these tournaments in Hawaii.
Where was he when a foreigner by the name, Annika Sorenstram won all those tournaments? Sorenstram was a consummate professional who rarely showed emotion on & off the course. Yet, you are criticizing these Korean golfers for showing no emotion? Have you even golfed to know what you’re talking about? Or, Lorena Ochoa, a Mexican, who won 3 or 4 tournaments just this year alone?
As far as Michelle Wie, she still has lots of time to make an impact in the LPGA. As an 18 year old freshman at Stanford, she should concentrate in the collegiate rank for a while. Her problems are parents who micro-manage every aspect of her life.
If these ladies had a body and personality like Michelle Wie, that be would better for TV ratings… Ya? Remember PGA was always boring (in TV) until Tiger Woods came along.
The Reuters guy forgot to mention pool…
http://www.billiardsmagazines......-team.html
… and they are far better looking, on average.
http://www.dragonpromotions.co.....yuram.html
http://www.wpba.com/cms/?pid=1000976
9 ball or snooker competition is no where to be seen in US TV..ESPN now broadcast Bowling games in “outdoor”. What’s up with that?
When Koreans excel at something… it is the same for all manner of people. Because they practice practice practice. Like David Beckham, staying behind after training when a youth to practice more free kicks, and went to the park on his own and kicked a ball all afternoon.
Koreans do the same… Only thing is, there is often a dominating parent forcing them. Same rules apply to Hwang. However he would have studied his arse off and been smart. Being natural adept (co-ordinated) also applies to the cream of the crop.
Just like that kid crying in class because his mum wants him to get better grades…the small sports fraternity (speed skating, archery, golf) have mums (and dads) screaming for more accuracy or a faster lap.
@12
Perhaps so but that does not explain why the men (save one) suck (relative to the results and quantity of the women). KA’s not included here either.
I really don’t think the fans care much about where the golfer is from (using the men as an example) but the women are just so… damn… boring.
They certainly take a lot (money) out but put nothing back in. With a little effort they could not only be a part of the leaderboard every Sunday, but could also be fan favorites.
I doubt it will happen.
I think they need more aussie golfers in the game:
http://www.golftoday.co.uk/new.....endar.html
I’m currently dating the top LPGA designer in Korea. Just thought I’d throw that out there.
Is she hot?
“Our sensitive fingertips, descended from our ancestors, and our spiritual strength and willingness to fight until the very end — they are the secrets,” Yoon said.
I can’t help but have a need for a traditional Korean “massage with happy ending” right about now.
It’s golf for Xrist’s sake.
# 17,
You don’t actually believe that Korean women have special “physiological” abilities, do you?
When it comes to stuff like that, they have to learn and practice just like everyone else…
Koreans are extremely adept with their fingers. Hasn’t anyone noticed how they can spin their pens so deftly? It seems to me they do this more than they use chopsticks, thus obviously the root of their finger-skills…
This is very interesting… I guess that is why I don’t like watching long distance running and marathons in the Olympics… There are too many Africans… If they had more Americans in it… I am sure it would be more exciting.
# 20,
They can spin pens on their fingers well cause studying is boring and mind numbing so they have to do something or else they’ll go crazy. I can’t spin a pen on my fingers, but I don’t like studying and never studied that hard. My sister studied like a banshee and spins a pen pretty damn well.
I’ll watch golf if Tiger is playing, thats when ratings are huge and you can expect an intense playoff. But since he’s out the rest of the season I probably may only watch the PGA Championship. As far as ladies Golf is concerend, its pretty much not on the radar at the moment.
I think Brian’s headline captures it all, even if it could do without the “probably”:
http://briandeutsch.blogspot.c.....chery.html
I love to play golf but it is not much of a spectator sport IMO. My father, (who also watches sport fishing
would certainly disagree.
I think many women’s professional sports have difficulty attracting the same attention as do the men’s because often spectators feel they want to see the game played at its highest level, believing in general, male professional sports are of a higher caliber than their female counter-parts.
Of course this is not always true. I personally would rather watch some women’s professional sports… tennis for one, because the rallies tend to be longer, with more maneuvering where-as the men seem to power the points out a little more.
It is a bit unfortunate that too many people think of women’s sports in terms of how attractive the athletes are… Certainly sex sells, but does anyone really watch racing model pool, or do they watch racing models? You don’t often hear people complain about the attractiveness of male athletes in the same tone. Where would rugby, football or hockey be if that were the case.
I find many of my Korean students have a lot of patience with repetitive tasks. It seems (and sorry for the generalization, I will simply talk about my students in general)they have a great deal of tolerance for what I would soon find intolerably mundane. I am trying to avoid value judgments, and will not speculate as to why this seems to be true, but I can see where this would be beneficial when it comes to practicing fine motor movements and developing strong muscle memory.
Natural talent/genetics aside, practice makes perfect but you have to have the right disposition/attitude for the right sport in order to motivate yourself to do what is required to excell. Hard to expect someone to have that disposition, enough to achieve a level of excellence, yet expect them to lay that dispostion aside so that they appear more entertaining.
Yet somehow, you have to give the people what they want if you want them to support your profession.
That said, sometimes I find it refreshing to see restraint and discipline in athletes… A little humility gains respect. The grandstanding, bravido and showboating of some professional athletes has actually driven me from watching their sport.
Different strokes for different folks.
Its quite simple really,
Korean women like to look at themselves in the mirror.
Go to any of the driving ranges here and most of the stations have a mirror for you to watch yourself as you swing the club.
Korean Woman + Golf Club + Mirror = hours of practice and a very low handicap!
# 24,
Given Brian’s title, I’m glad there isn’t a trackback…
I think it’s dull because you can’t get the idea out of your head that these women were forced to practice like some pre-teen piano-lessons victim. Even if it’s not true. If asians who are parented into it start taking over more and more sports (or instruments in classical music for example), there’s a real negative feeling to the whole thing. It’s another achievement by another highly competitive , well-trained, not-necessarily-in-love-with-the-activity … what? What word is there that you can use?
I say good for them.
I hope they don’t link it to kimchi making like before.
Specificity hypothesis is something they should read up on before they make such stupid claims again.
One of the reasons Korean female golfers are doing so well is that some of their parents took them out of school at a young age, took them to the Philippines, paid to have them registered in Philippine schools that they do not attend, and make them practice golf twelve hours a day, seven days a week. Anyway, this was the routine of the middle-school girl I tutored in English in the Philippines. (English was the only subject they allowed her to study because they expected her to be playing golf in the US.) The girl also told me that her parents would not allow her to have friends. She told me that her only friend was her cousin, who would come to the Philippines during school vacations to work on his golf game.
Therefore, these girls may be good golfers, but I would guess that many are probably emotionally scared and socially inept.
My impression of these golfers is that they take the winnings, but they give very little back to the organization. Community events, clinics, promotional LPGA events, spokes woman, role model to the locals…. No English or can’t be bothered. This is the real issue, that they live in a Korean bubble and don’t relate to what is feeding them and all their parasitic relatives.
hahaha… mystical fingers… I think a lot of mysticism has always been part of Korean archery… I think before they start shooting they always say “Hwal baeumnida” or something. Maybe the Dangun’s minister of the four winds guides the arrows.
# 29 & 30,
I think you guys hit the nail on the head. Korea is creating colorless / personality-less golf terminators. Sure, there is a thing to say about hard work, practice, dedication, sportsmanship, etc.
However, many of these Korean golf terminators can’t connect with the people in the sport. Part of it is language I understand, however you’d think that some of these parents would mix a few hours of English lessons for these kids in addition to the 12 hours of golf lessons they pay for.
So you have insular Korean golf terminators hitting the links and appearing on ESPN 2, not giving interviews, not holding golf clinics for the little girls, not taking the time to talk to the fans, etc. They are hurting the sport. Through their sins of ones of ommission, they are giving the appearence that they care for no one but themselves. This is likely not true, but fair or not, perceptions breed reality in popular opinion.
Thus, in my opinion, I don’t know if a lot of Koreans winning golf tournaments will really add to Korea’s prestige (if you will) if they can’t be as approachable and/or personable as Koreans like Grace Park and K.J. Choi. It may actually be more hurtful at the end of the day if the perception is that these golf terminators win, get their money and do little else.
gbevers, i assume the same thing. but the thing is, I think that’s probably true of parents of any aspiring athlete… Like parents of figure skaters, gymnasts… I’ve seen American parents going real hardcore for wrestling, football, basketball…
Park Ji Sung’s dad made him drink frog extract. I think he turned out alright.
I think that frog extract horribily disfigured his face…
You gotta admit… dude is fugly.
I like K.J. Choi quite a bit.
Nothing wrong with having so many Korean golfers in the LPGA. They got there because they earned their way.
What’s a golf terminator?
I swear to God if I hear one more douchebag yell, “get in the hole”, on a shot of more than fifty feet I’m going to find some way to get a gun!
A “terminator” in sports is someone with ice-water in their veins. Robert Horry comes to mind. They don’t seem to be affected by wilting pressure.
Think about a four foot right breaking putt. It’s damn near a gimme and you’ll make it 9 out of 10 times. Now take that same putt and say you have a wager of a couple “G” when you only have forty bucks in your pocket. Suddenly that putt appears to be on a tilted billiards table.
Terminators are mindless and emotionless. They don’t think when the pressure makes everyone else think too much. They practice so much that they can rely on muscle memory.
“frog extract” What is that?
#15
What is a LPGA designer?
# 37,
What about when a douchebag yells “break right, break right!” on the swing off the tee in a par five hole?
siddartha, you ever seen how they brew hanyak for days and days? Think same except inside the mystery brew, there is a frog…. brr……
Ability is one thing . . but can they entertain? WTF?!?!?
eh, Korean, lets not forget that the mongols overan Korea and through a intense breding program wipped blue blooded koreans out! What remains are mongolians! Check a mongol out and a korean, same same. Check a japanese, chinese, or other asian, not same, mongol and korean same same. As for the fingers, well, their fingers were very friendly when I was there, cost me some money, but special skills, no different than other girls.
40+ comments follow but none ring truer.
I do like that women’s beach volleyball, though. Wish they had a channel dedicated to that.
46. yeah, if TSN started a sister channel called TNA, and ran nothing but beach volleyball, women’s tennis, racing girl pool (http://expatjane.blogspot.com/.....llard.html) and those weird Japanese game shows where they degrade women for prize money. (http://www.mypartypost.com/wat....._Game_Show — it’s competitive, so it counts!), I bet their ratings would do OK.
It’d kind of miss the point of women’s sports, though.
Who cares where they come from….what matters most is the beauty of free market competition where the best get to the top….at the end of the day, all the Korean golfers deserve to be there irrespective of their nationality because they made it the to major leagues of the LPGA…yeah, they may lack some colorful personalities, etc. but the LPGA has been doing just fine compared to ten years ago and will continue to exist…congratulations to all of them for making it on tour and being consistently at the top.
I recall that old rug-muncher Beth Daniels was chided for suggesting the Koreans have their own league so that they would stay away from the LPGA.
I personally wouldn’t push all the blame on the parents, I think that in a good number of cases a lot of the kids initiate the I’m-gonna-be-#1 thing and that the parents simply are making sure they stick to their word and see some fruits from the effort and money put in. Hell, I’d do the same if my runt started whining to me about buying’em a set of overpriced clubs (though I envision myself in a hammock + a six pack, poking away with an extending cattle prod).
arthjm,
Have you been raised by Asian parents before?
Think Joy Luck Club… Waverly’s chess and Jing-Mei’s piano. Yeah they were into it, but the parents (particularly the moms) were manic about it.
# 17 and # 24,
Well… upon further reflection, what Yoon said does sorta sound like a cheesy slogan to a cheap Asian massage parlor, if one’s mindset happen to dwell there…
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