The LPGA’s Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions featured a thrilling playoff conclusion, a final group featuring three of the brightest young American stars, and a somewhat rare Sunday coverage window on network NBC.
It was up against an NFL conference title game, sure, but that’s still an incredible opportunity for the women’s game to be featured, especially with the men’s tournament ending in the later window. It’s rare that women’s golf has the stage to itself within the sport, and you couldn’t ask for a more appealing setup.
Except for this: the Tournament of Champions, a 25-player field featuring only women who won events last season on the LPGA Tour, is a pro-am. And while men’s events like the annual Pebble Beach Pro-Am are cutting out the amateurs and celebrity golfers that populate it each year, the LPGA event did not.
That meant in addition to the 25 LPGA champs, there was a field of 52 celebs. 50 were men. That meant during a prime window for women’s golf coverage, two hours on NBC, viewers were treated to nearly as many shots from men who aren’t professionals as they were some of the best women’s players in the world.
Here’s the breakdown from one viewer, who deserves all the credit in the world for this slog catalogue:
The remaining % of air time left over was filler, celebrity interviews, celebrity bios and accomplishments, & just general BS that adds nothing to the broadcast.
No one wants to watch Aaron Hicks miss a bogey putt & then cut to an important putt half way to the hole, Frustrating— Mark Leitch (@LeitchGolf87) January 25, 2021
That’s absolutely brutal, and aside from friends and relatives of former tennis pro Mardy Fish, no one seemed to enjoy it:
First, a compliment—at least we get to see every shot by Kang & Korda^2. As they’re the final group, that’s basically a minimum requirement though. Not much credit granted. Of course, we have to sit through a MASSIVE commercial load to do so.
— Big Randy (@BigRandyNLU) January 24, 2021
Instead, insultingly, it’s a steady stream of “celebrities”, mixed in with Mike Flaskey. The telecast is so far below the minimum standard of any week-to-week PGA event on NBC. These are precious network appearances for the LPGA, but this broadcast product is totally unbecoming.
— Big Randy (@BigRandyNLU) January 24, 2021
Mike Flaskey, by the way: CEO of tournament sponsor Diamond Resorts. At least he had a good time!
Couldn’t ask for a better Sunday #DiamondLPGA partner than my good friend @coleswindell! We had a blast out there and even hit some birdies along the way. #BOOM #StayVacationed pic.twitter.com/8n6TkVN8JM
— Mike Flaskey (@TheVacationDR) January 24, 2021
Back to viewer complaints/critiques:
https://twitter.com/beavers_zach/status/1353463409879232512
I swear it was good viewing until it got on NBC. Missed opportunity in the opening. pic.twitter.com/Z7SOMS4fov
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) January 24, 2021
And our 3 young marketable American @LPGA golfers who are battling for the title are walking down 18…….. now let’s here from mediocre at best former tennis pro Mardy Fish about his net 65. Good work NBC.
— Ryan Leach (@Leach24) January 24, 2021
https://twitter.com/beavers_zach/status/1353463409879232512
There’s plenty more out there, too. This probably sums it up best:
To put a fine point on this @lpga coverage from @NBCSports and @GolfChannel—not only is this coverage transparently, laughably substandard to any normal PGA event, but the LPGA *pays* NBC for the trouble. I wonder if it comes with a satisfaction guarantee?cc: @mollysolomon_gc
— Big Randy (@BigRandyNLU) January 24, 2021
Again, this was despite the event itself featuring three hugely talented, hugely popular young American women playing in the final group. Of course, about that: there were plenty of stretches during the final round (again, of a real tournament) where they were forced to wait on the group ahead of them. That group: Josh Scobee, Aaron Hicks, and Mardy Fish.
As Will Knights of The Fried Egg pointed out (with an illustrative screenshot), the final group waited nearly fifteen minutes to tee off on the thirteenth hole. Think about that! These are actual pros competing, and they’re standing around while male athletes from other sports hack it around.
I mean this is a joke https://t.co/UTsVqdFot7 pic.twitter.com/i58P87e64v
— Will Knights (@willknightsTFE) January 24, 2021
A similar scene happened on the 18th hole, which also featured a DJ blaring music for some reason:
@NoLayingUp the scene on the 18th at Diamond Resorts is absurd. What is happening? Leaders waiting to tee off while “celebrities” grind over 4 footers and Michael Jackson blares through the speakers. Awful
— broc (@three_putts) January 24, 2021
Again, that’s a tournament issue, not an NBC issue, but when NBC is eagerly showing the male ams, what does that say? It really was a shame, because the golf itself was awesome. Nelly Korda shot a final round 64, best in the group, but came up two shots shy of catching her sister Jessica and Danielle Kang who finished tied. On the first playoff hole, Jessica Korda did this:
What a way to WIN. 🏆 @Thejessicakorda claims her sixth LPGA title at the 2021 #DiamondLPGA. 👏 pic.twitter.com/4dGhjBF97h
— LPGA (@LPGA) January 24, 2021
That’s a hell of a finish.
It would have been nice if viewers hadn’t had to work so hard to get to it. Remember this if the ratings come out low, because it’s not an indictment on the product of women’s golf, or how marketable their stars are. It’s instead a justified indictment of the presentation; this was essentially treated as a men’s celebrity golf tournament for a huge portion of the broadcast, and that should be unacceptable.
