1

LPGA Ladies Should Drop The “Caddie Check”

by Jeff Skinner

Amy Yang has the lead at the Kraft Nabisco Championship after a six under 66 on a perfect day to score in the desert.  Yang carded eight birdies and two bogeys to lead Lindsey Wright by a stroke with Yani Tseng only two shots back.

The Golf Channel supplied live coverage during two different sessions yesterday and they should be commended for their coverage.  The LPGA is one of the most fan friendly sports organizations anywhere in the world.  Each and every player knows that they have to go the extra mile when it comes to fan interaction and they do just that.  During the telecast there were plenty of pieces highlighting players and their lives both on and off the course.

The Golf Channel certainly showed a good cross section of all the players and I’d have to say it seems we get to see more golf shots during an LPGA telecast than we do during a CBS telecast of the PGA Tour.

One of the scenes we saw too much of was the players habit of relying on their caddies each time they setup to a shot.  I couldn’t keep track of all the women that wait for their caddie to approve their setup each time they approach a shot.  Paula Creamer and her man do it and even Yani Tseng was doing it.  I know that a player caddie relationship can be special but too many of these players rely on this ritual.

The “caddie check” move, no matter how quick, slows them down but more than that…doesn’t it indicate a lack of confidence and decisiveness by the golfers?  I am sure that Paula Creamer knows if she is aligned correctly but she has fallen into this “pre-shot routine” that includes her caddy standing behind her.  Paula isn’t the only offender; there are dozens of female golfers that do this.

The LPGA is trying to build its brand and demonstrate that they have a great product in a very crowded sports world.  It’s all about getting more fans to the course and to tune in to see their exceptional product.  They have an amazing product with many talented, attractive and interesting players but this habit makes the tour look like the minor leagues.

I am a big LPGA follower but this is one of the few problems I see with the tour on the course.  If the LPGA wants to carve out a more sizable niche in the sports landscape they should get the ladies to put an end to this annoying habit and go it alone just like every other golfer out there.  After all it is the golfers that we want to see not their bagmen.

 

Share

One Comment

  1. Amen. This is one of the big reasons I don’t watch LPGA. You never see PGA caddies standing behind a player and turning his shoulders to line up a shot. Just another reason the LPGA is losing sponsors and tournaments every year. Plus it’s becoming more and more like the Ladies Korean Golf Association. More Americans need to play better.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.