Last April, I made the case that Tiger’s win at the Masters was – like him or not – good for the golf business due his charisma and ability to attract attention to the sport.
This past weekend, I saw something far more valuable to the future of our happy little game: The attack of the teenage mutant ninja amateurs.
During the Women’s U.S. Open at Denver’s fabulous Cherry Hills Country Club, the main storyline was not Annika’s quest for the “Soren-Slam.” It wasn’t about the sexuality of the players. It wasn’t even about the “Asian Invasion” of the ladies’ game that curmudgeons like the wrinkled yet-still-somehow-hot Jan Stephenson have decried in semiracist tones.
(Aside No. 1: What will – hopefully – soon be forgotten was that the ultimate winner was a previously unknown 23-year-old “Asian Invasion” Korean named Ju Kim who hit a dumb-luck chip-in on the 72nd hole to nudge out a victory. Personally, the Open trophy should go to her PR flack who said, “I know … let’s give her a cutesy-pie nickname to separate her from the rest of the Far Eastern pack. Gee, let’s call her something really creative … like ‘Birdie’!” But I digress…)
So, instead of the typical storylines, we were riveted to our TVs by the fact that not one, not two, not three, but four adorable pony-tailed amateurs were on the leader board. In addition to the telegenic 15-year-old Hawaiian, Michelle Wie, we were treated to unbelievable performances by Morgan Pressel (17), Brittany Lang (19) and Paige MacKenzie (19). All of these young ladies looked like they should be picking out new jeans at the Gap at the local mall instead of being in contention for the biggest prize in ladies’ golf. More notably, all of them either beat or tied the world’s best player: the aforementioned Ms. Sorenstam.
I loved Pressel, who instead of worrying about what to wear for the junior prom, was a fierce and emotional competitor. She told reporters repeatedly that, because the money wasn’t an issue for her, she was there to win. Period. It reminds me of what a young Tiger once told his father after finishing second in a junior competition: “Second place is for losers, Dad.”
(Aside No. 2: Maybe Bobby Jones has been reincarnated in the body of a kid from Boca Raton. But, yet again, I digress…)
The point of all of this is that this kind of national exposure is the best thing that can happen to our business. Long term, we need to balance our customership between men and women. Right now, it’s about 70 percent men and 30 percent women in terms of play and revenue. When we have “poster girls” like Michelle, Brittany, Morgan and Paige out there, they will surely inspire other Michelles, Brittanys, Morgans and Paiges. That bodes well for our future.
The attack of the teenage mutant ninja amateurs might be one of the best things that ever happened to us. The more pony-tailed, braces-wearing teen-aged girls who embrace golf instead of tennis, gymnastics or lacrosse, the better. We’re in a competition for what the marketing gurus call “mindset.” These young ladies will help all of us win that battle.
One final note: Like Pinehurst, Cherry Hills might have been the big winner this weekend, yielding nothing under par. The course looked fantastic and – always the best compliment of all – green speed or unfairness wasn’t an issue at a USGA championship.
(Aside No. 3: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but kudos to Johnny Miller for not once mentioning “grain” during the event and for repeatedly lauding superintendent Michael Burke and his staff for providing “perfect” conditions. This completely uncharacteristic behavior leads me to believe that Miller has been kidnapped by aliens and replaced by a clone who actually understands turf management. Or maybe he was just sauced.)
Till next time … PJ