NAPLES, Fla. – Many were writing the LPGA tour's obituary in 2011.
Quick, get rewrite.
Continuing its upward trend and broadening its reach, the LPGA tour announced Friday a robust schedule for the 2014 season, one in which will feature 32 official events as well as the inaugural International Crown event, a team competition between eight countries that will be held outside Baltimore.
In 2011, there were just 23 events.
"It's an exciting time," commissioner Michael Whan said at the season-ending CME Group Titleholders at the Tiburon Golf Club. "People were way too premature with an obituary. We knew we had an outstanding product and if you can't sell this product, shame on you.
"We're returning value and that's why we're growing," added Whan, who became commissioner in 2010 when there were 24 events. "I think the schedule is solid, but by no means are we done. It can get better."
Everything is better involving the tour's mission statement, as well, including more events on the schedule, increased purses available, higher audience expansion globally and expanded television coverage.
The tour will go from 28 events in 2013 to 32 plus the International Crown; purses will rise from $48.8 million to $56.3 million; and televised tournaments will go from 27 to 32. In 2014, more than 350 hours of television LPGA tour golf will be aired, with 90% of that time going live. Two years ago 70% of the televised coverage was tape-delayed.
Further good news: domestic events rise from 14 to 18, and the season will kick off in January for the first time in 13 years at the Pure Silk Bahamas Classic. New events will be held in San Francisco, China and Michigan. Another event, in Alabama, returns to the schedule.
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Among the highlights of the tour's five major championships will be the U.S. Women's Open held the week after the men's U.S. Open, with both tournaments conducted at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina.
Hall of Famer Karrie Webb, who counts seven majors among her 39 titles in an 18-year career on the LPGA tour, has had a front-row seat to the inside workings the past three seasons of the LPGA tour as a member of the LPGA Board of Directors.
"I've seen everything (LPGA team) has done, and the increase in tournaments is a reflection of what Mike and his team has done," Webb said. "Obviously everyone out here playing the game has done a lot, too, but we couldn't do it without the job they have.
"Going from 24 tournaments to any number in the 30s in such a short amount of time is an incredible achievement. We still have room for improvement. But to be where we are and still adding tournaments domestically is a great sign."
Angela Stanford, a five-time winner in her 13 years on the LPGA tour, agreed.
"It's night and day," she said about the difference in the schedule. "Players have more opportunities to play and fans have more opportunities to see us. It means everything to our product.
"(Whan) came in with a lot of energy and people liked that. It was just a matter of time. I've always believed in our product and we just needed somebody to sell it the right way."
CME Group, the world's largest futures exchange company, was sold on the LPGA a few years back when the company added a pro-am to its schedule of events for its annual conference involving its worldwide clients, bringing in 20 LPGA tour players. Now CME Group sponsors the season-ending CME Group Titleholders, which offers the richest first-place check – $700,000 – in women's golf.
"Everybody found that the pro-am was such a great success they decided that we should elaborate and expand and grow our brand even though we are a 170-year old firm," said Terry Duffy, executive director and president of CME Group. "We are in 150 countries today. We're a very diverse company and what better fit is there for us than the LPGA.
"The value we get out of our relationship is almost priceless. Once you get around these young ladies, you see they know how to be very customer friendly. My clients walk away with such a smile on their faces after they see what the LPGA all about, you can't put a price on that. When we joined this tour, they had 23 events. They will be north of 30 next year. To me that is an incredible amount of success. This game is growing for the women as well as the men. The LPGA is the most diverse tour in the world and that's a great fit for companies like ours."
Kia Motors came aboard in 2012. Kia is the official car of the LPGA tour and Kia sponsors year-end performance awards and the Kia Classic in California.
"You can't put a dollar amount to what we get out of our relationship with the LPGA," said Percy Vaughn, executive director of Kia Motors America. "Our cars get out and are exposed. Kia is still a brand that you have to feel, touch and smell, and the consumer can see our product on the LPGA tour. That exposure is great.
"The tour is definitely growing. They are represented by 125 countries. It is a win-win for both organizations. We saw a trend that the popularity started to pick up for the LPGA and it was the right timing for us to come to the LPGA."
2014 LPGA Schedule
Jan. 23-26: Pure Silk Bahamas Classic, Atlantis, Ocean Club Golf Course, Paradise Island, Bahamas
Feb. 13-16: ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open, Victoria Golf Club, Melbourne
Feb. 20-23: Honda LPGA Thailand Chon Buri, Thailand
Feb. 27-March 2: HSBC Women's Champions, Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore
March 20-23: LPGA Founders Cup, Wildfire Golf Club, Phoenix
March 27-30: Kia Classic, Aviara Golf Club, Carlsbad
April 3-6: Kraft Nabisco Championship, Mission Hills CC, Dinah Shore Course, Rancho Mirage, Calif.
April 16-19: LPGA Lotte Championship, Ko Olina Golf Club, Oahu, Hawaii
April 24-27: *Swinging Skirts, Lake Merced Golf Club, Daly City, Calif.
May 1-4: North Texas LPGA Shootout, Las Colinas CC, Irving, Texas
May 15-18: Kingsmill Championship, Kingsmill Resort, Williamsburg, Va.
May 22-25: Mobile Bay LPGA Classic, RTJ Golf Trail, Magnolia Grove, The Crossings, Mobile, Ala.
May 30-June 1: ShopRite LPGA Classic, Stockton Seaview Hotel and Golf Club, Bay Course, Galloway, N.J.
June 5-8: Manulife Financial LPGA Classic, Grey Silo Golf Course, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
June 19-22: U.S. Women's Open, Pinehurst No. 2, Pinehurst, N.C.
June 26-29: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Pinnacle, CC, Rogers, Ark.
July 10-13: Ricoh Women's British Open Royal Birkdale, Southport, England
July 17-20: Marathon Classic, Highland Meadows Golf Club, Sylvania, Ohio
July 21-27: *International Crown, Caves Valley, Owings Mills, Md.
Aug. 7-10: *Meijer LPGA Classic, Blythefield CC, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Aug. 14-17: Wegmans LPGA Championship, Monroe GC, Pittsford, N.Y.
Aug. 21-24: Canadian Pacific Women's Open, London Hunt & CC, London, Ontario, Canada
Aug. 28-31: Portland Classic, Columbia Edgewater, Portland, Ore.
Sept. 11-14: The Evian Championship, Evian Masters Golf Club, Evian-les-Bains, France
Sept. 18-21: *Alabama Classic, RTJ Capitol Hill, Senator Course, Prattville, Ala.
Oct. 2-5: Reignwood Pine Valley LPGA Classic, Pine Valley Golf Club, Beijing, China
Oct. 9-12: Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur G&CC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Oct. 16-19: KEB Hana Bank Championship, Sky 72 Golf Club, Incheon, Korea
Oct. 23-26: Taiwan Championship, Sunrise G&CC, Taiwan
Oct. 30-Nov. 2: *New event, China, TBD
Nov. 6-9: Mizuno, Japan, Kintetsu Kashikojima, Mie, Japan
Nov. 13-16: Lorena Ochoa Invitational, TBD, Mexico
Nov. 20-23: CME Group Titleholders, Tiburon Golf Club, Naples, Fla.
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