Lexi Thompson’s NBC complaints elevate larger LPGA questions

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The Bitter Finish not often appears to be like fairly in golf. However at the very least for many, The Bitter Finish appears to be like the identical: A stroll up the 18th fairway on the season-ending event, an opportunity to wave the followers off one final time, a remaining putt and a last-ever ovation.

On Sunday on the CME Group Tour Championship, this was the reason for frustration for retiring star Lexi Thompson. In what might very nicely be her remaining LPGA occasion — at the very least her final as a full-time participant — she wished the prospect to ship her profession off within the conventional approach, to see the 18th gap the way in which she had seemingly spent the higher a part of the final a number of months envisioning. However when she left the course on Saturday night and acquired the next day’s tee instances, she confronted an odd bit of reports. So as to match the LPGA’s broadcast window with NBC, the tour determined to cut up the weekend tee packing containers, sending half of Sunday’s 60 gamers off on the primary tee field, and half off on the tenth.

On condition that Thompson discovered herself within the backside half of Sunday’s area, the information meant her skilled profession would finish in a harumph. The ninth inexperienced, not the 18th, would welcome her last-ever ovation, and fewer followers can be there to witness all of it.

PRETTY SAD

“Fairly unhappy once you’re at -4 within the season-ending occasion, which may simply be the final CME of your profession and also you gained’t even end on #18 as a result of they determine to double tee on the ultimate day resulting from TV protection window,” Lexi posted in an IG story on Saturday night, voicing her displeasure. “Bummed I gained’t be capable to embrace all of the unbelievable followers on 18 tomorrow as I end. Hopeful some will probably be on the market on #9. However simply know I’m grateful for you all.”

SOP

The submit raised eyebrows virtually instantly within the LPGA world, however not for the explanations one might need thought. For one factor, the LPGA has lengthy maintained the follow of splitting tees on event Saturday and Sundays within the fall — a operate partially pushed by glacial tempo of play, dwindling daylight, and broadcast home windows that the LPGA would do nicely to finish its occasions inside. For one more, Thompson’s end on the ninth inexperienced on the CME Group Tour Championship would occur solely about 30 yards from the 18th inexperienced amphitheater, giving followers ample entry to maneuver from one web site to the opposite to ship Thompson off correctly. And for a 3rd factor, Thompson solely completed on the ninth as a result of her 54-hole rating of 4 underneath was greater than 10 pictures off the lead.

In different phrases, Thompson’s complaints might need been substantiated (cut up Sunday tees are nonetheless uncommon on the PGA Tour), and she or he might need been rightfully emotional in regards to the finish of her skilled profession, however her criticism was leaving out plenty of related context.

OTHER ANGER

The CME Group Tour Championship’s Saturday broadcast additionally got here underneath hearth final week from throughout the LPGA tent, when CME Group CEO Terry Duffy voiced his displeasure with Golf Channel’s determination to broadcast the event’s third spherical on tape delay.

“That’s bulls**t, isn’t it?” he mentioned in a gathering with reporters earlier than the beginning of the event, including he hoped LPGA commissioner Molly Marcoux Samaan would “make that not be the case.”

Duffy is not any stranger to criticizing the LPGA. His firm is without doubt one of the tour’s largest benefactors, however that didn’t cease him from calling out a lackluster exhibiting from LPGA stars finally yr’s CME Group Tour Championship dinner. This yr, the subject was TV rights, an space Duffy hoped — as many golf followers do — that widespread sense would ultimately prevail.

“I’d hope that individuals would acknowledge that if you happen to’re going to proceed to construct ladies’s sports activities, you must give them the identical billing as males,” he mentioned. “Cease — cease — the nonsense of claiming that, nicely, we’ve to point out a males’s event as a result of they’re the lads.”

REWIND

A fast refresher: Networks and golf excursions set broadcast schedules, or home windows, collectively. It advantages all events when probably the most dramatic moments at tournaments are televised, so networks will usually work to verify occasions are accomplished throughout the broadcast window.

Sunday on the CME Group Tour Championship had added broadcast significance to each events. NBC was airing the motion, a nationwide community with viewership usually 10x that of the Golf Channel, and the LPGA had an out-time within the early night, with an all-important Sunday Evening Soccer broadcast set to start because the NFL’s 4 p.m. video games concluded.

This stuff collectively contributed to NBC setting a 4 p.m. finish time to the CME Tour Championship telecast, which contributed to the LPGA’s determination to separate the Saturday and Sunday tee packing containers, which contributed to Thompson’s frustration.

WHY

The larger query going through the LPGA/NBC debate, although, is why? Tempo of play and TV publicity have ballooned into rising points on the LPGA, and Thompson’s frustration underlined the methods the 2 issues usually dovetail.

On one hand, the tee time determination confirmed the LPGA working in favor of TV publicity, working to make sure a compelling broadcast stuffed the airwaves throughout one of many uncommon moments of nationwide publicity. On the opposite, although, it confirmed the extent tempo of play points have an effect on the week-to-week product of the LPGA, on this occasion casting doubt that 20 threesomes {of professional} golfers may full their rounds between dawn and 4 p.m.

DOES IT *REALLY* MATTER

In most situations, no: The LPGA gained’t run into many points working in the very best pursuits of TV companions. However on the identical time, failure to handle the underlying points going through the tour’s telecasts virtually actually undermines the LPGA product. Simply final week, Charley Hull outlined her “ruthless” slow-play resolution to cheers from some throughout the ladies’s recreation — “In case you get three unhealthy timings, it’s a tee shot penalty. You probably have three [penalties], you lose your Tour card.”

Is such a dramatic step essential to rectify the issue of six-hour rounds on the LPGA? Maybe not. However working from the present place to appease the enjoying class has stored purses rising at the price of discontent amongst almost all people else. A rising ladies’s recreation appears to be the purpose of broadcasters, sponsors and gamers alike, however too usually these events have failed to fulfill even a number of the decrease thresholds for enhancing leisure worth and viewer curiosity.

It appears it’s previous time for any person to stipulate an answer.

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