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Welcome to the Shag Bag, where the GolfChannel.com team and Golf Channel talent will regularly file thoughts and opinions from around the world of golf.

16LPGA's Torrey Pines event loses sponsor

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profileIconREX HOGGARD, Senior Writer, GolfChannel.com
 Posted 10/02/2009, 1:45 PM EST

Amid a rash of positive sponsorship news on the LPGA front, GolfChannel.com learned via a memo from acting commissioner Marty Evans that the circuit will lose Samsung as the title sponsor of its World Championship held last month at Torrey Pines.

According to the memo the tour was “surprised” to learn of Samsung’s intentions early Oct. 2 because, “all indications during tournament week were to the contrary.”

IMG Golf, which owns the event, is optimistic they will find a replacement sponsor before next year’s event, which was won this year by Na Yeon Choi.

“Samsung was a terrific title sponsor of this event for 15 years, which is an incredible run,” Jon Wagner, the senior vice president of IMG Golf, told the Sports Business Journal. “This tournament is one of the gems of the LPGA Tour schedule and we will begin actively talking to new potential title sponsors as the World Championship heads into its 30th year of play.”

 

2
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All user comments

  1. harleyrod2007

    harleyrod2007 Said on 10/04/2009, at 4:39 PM EST

    “egrove.agreed..it pathetic when one of South Korea's largest, if not the largest, corporations stops sponsoring women's golf. Sounds like they won't chase good money after bad. IOW...Samsung, "The American audience has given us their answer and we have responded in kind". Let's learn something from the South Koreans and do a little protectionism ourselves. I'll bet the audiences equivilent to the Solheim will watch every week...SIGN ME UP..”

  2. egrove

    egrove Said on 10/04/2009, at 1:53 PM EST

    “Patch...You said dont blame the Asian players. What should we blame for the decline in Viewers and Sponsors. Maybe its the color of the grass, or the shape of the ball.....cmon. Its pretty simple. Viewers and fans arent showing any interest in following a bunch of Players that they dont know, dont recognize, and dont speak English. There is a lot of interest in the Ladies game, as shown at the Solheim. Big audiences, and some renewed interest from Sponsors. Hell, even Samsung wont throw money at a Tour dominated by their own players.”

  3. harleyrod2007

    harleyrod2007 Said on 10/04/2009, at 1:41 PM EST

    “Patch..another racial slur at the American women about being outworked like it is a sociatial product one which Asian have a better work ethic. Also you post they don't whine, piss, moan and groan; but they don't express themselves verbally period. Noone knows how they feel or what they think. That's the problem which you and others overlook. If you think Americans want to watch robots we can visit one of the South Korean automotive plants in America. But not on the golf course and not on American Television..That's the problem.. ”

  4. Patchez

    Patchez Said on 10/04/2009, at 11:13 AM EST

    “Pure and simple. The LPGA needs to provide a more entertaining product. A better product will bring in more fans, which will in turn bring in new, and keep old sponsors. We can't blame to Asian players for dominating the sport. They work harder so they can play better. They don't whine, piss, moan, and groan about things. They stay focused on their own playability. Patch”

  5. egrove

    egrove Said on 10/03/2009, at 11:16 PM EST

    “We can dance arount the problem all we want. At the end of the day its too many Asian winners = too few sponsors. The Samsung thing just adds to the perception that a lot of us have. Dont know the solution, maybe separate tours for Europe, Asia, and No.America.”

  6. harleyrod2007

    harleyrod2007 Said on 10/03/2009, at 9:16 PM EST

    “If Samsung can do this; why shouldn't there be a limit to the number of foreign players allowed to play on the LPGA? It seems it is a survival of the fittest.. What's superficial about this entire soap opera is the open practice of racism, protectionism, nationalism and xenophobia throughout South Korea. ”

  7. harleyrod2007

    harleyrod2007 Said on 10/03/2009, at 8:36 PM EST

    “You mean to say they have no loyalty except to the almighty "American dollar"? And all along I thought they sponsored the tour to support their own South Korean girls..Naive of me..”

  8. egrove

    egrove Said on 10/03/2009, at 6:57 PM EST

    “harleyrod2007...you are dreaming in Technicolor. Samsung isnt going to shift their money to the Korean Tour. They just simply recognized that nobody was watching the LPGA anymore with its endless list of faceless winners.”

  9. harleyrod2007

    harleyrod2007 Said on 10/03/2009, at 6:26 PM EST

    “Early 1900s as Japan began to occupy Korea they forced Koreans to speak Japanese. This and the attrocities of WWII has lingered between the two Asian powers. I wonder if the pressure on the South Korean girls to speak English may be bringing back horrific memories and be playing a role in the decision by Samsung. MY wife's mother to this day holds anamosity against the US for the Nuclear bombings of WWII. The Samsung reason why will be very interesting. Maybe Samsung will sponsor a KLPGA with prize monies equal to what are now being paid on the LPGA...They can surely afford such an endevor.”

  10. egrove

    egrove Said on 10/03/2009, at 12:54 PM EST

    “Another way of looking at this is, if Korean sponsors wont support their players, how can we expect US companies to step up?”

  11. Schlomos

    Schlomos Said on 10/03/2009, at 12:47 PM EST

    “This is ridiculous. I thought the only hope for LPGA survival was more Korean sponsors. Cannot comprehend.”

  12. transponding

    transponding Said on 10/03/2009, at 9:47 AM EST

    “One could call this Schamschung renege a schlippery schlope.

    Regards, Inga”

  13. What Me Worry? ( A.E.Neuman)

    What Me Worry? ( A.E.Neuman) Said on 10/03/2009, at 9:45 AM EST

    “We will not watch ladies golf when we see that Koreans are dominating the leader board. You can not tell them apart. They have no personalities and are a detriment to the LPGA. ”

  14. egrove

    egrove Said on 10/03/2009, at 8:42 AM EST

    “I guess Samsung figure the Korean Golfers are doing a good enough job expatriating US money, and they dont need the support of large Korean Corporations.”

  15. harleyrod2007

    harleyrod2007 Said on 10/02/2009, at 7:45 PM EST

    “Can you imagine Alexis Thompson and the young American girls dreaming of one day playing on the KLPGA, as it has become the premier ladies tour? Would they be welcomed with open arms?”

  16. harleyrod2007

    harleyrod2007 Said on 10/02/2009, at 7:35 PM EST

    “SAMSUNG, SOUTH KOREAN Corp. drops out of LPGA...this goes beyond scope of understand..People posted on this blog about Samsung and the loyalty to South Korean girls..I am shocked to think they would "orphan" them. Samsung may want to put more dollars into the KLPGA and perhaps make it as financially rewarding as the LPGA. They may have second thoughts about all of their young girls leaving home to "chase their dreams" in America. I see a "soap opera" on the horizon. ”

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