Rush to judgment
The latest of the recreational golfers to expose themselves on the Golf Channel’s swing makeover show featuring Hank Haney is radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh, who is given to ego massaging even bombastic words not to mention behavior, makes a stark contrast with the self-effacing Haney.
Showing what star-power can do, the season opener of the “Haney Project” on Tuesday was the most watched premier episode to date delivering a 0.3 household rating and 310,000 average total viewers; neither of which will make anybody connected with “Dancing with the Stars” to lay await nights.
Sports fans are looking forward to Limbaugh’s friends George Brett, Alex Rodriguez, Olympian Michael Phelps and even announcer Al Michaels making appearances along with PGA Tourster Pat Perez. For the rest of us, actress Catherine Zeta-Jones also will be on.
LPGA—not playing for pay
With only 26 events—half in the U.S. —on the 2011 schedule which does not start until February 17 in Thailand and won’t open in the U.S. until March 18, the LPGA is fighting for relevance in the minds of golf fans. The double or triple whammy caused by problems in the economy, corporate restructuring and lack of a player with fabled Nancy Lopez-charisma has set the ladies circuit back at least to the 1960’s.
Looking for solutions Commissioner Michael Whan created an innovative tournament idea for the women who make their living playing golf…let’s play for no money, i.e., for the glory (and maybe pro shop credit) just as though it were an amateur event. Instead the purse will go to the LPGA Foundation which needs the money to run its programs and thus was born the RR Donnelley (“Official Print Provider of the LPGA) LPGA Founders Cup at Wildfire GC in Phoenix.
Certainly a noble charitable idea and in different times probably unnecessary but when you have one of the Tour’s stars teeing it up on a men’s mini-tour because she didn’t have any other place to compete as Brittany Lincicome did in a Hooter’s Tour stop this week you get the idea of how bad things are for the LPGA. Incidentally Brittany missed the cut with 74-77-151 T-81.
Better than infomercials
The Golf Channel’s 7-9 am “Morning Drive” show hosted by Erik Kuselias and Gary Marshall with appearnaces by Holly Sonders is now a couple of weeks old. This unoffensive blend of golf news with other sports like the NFL is commendable for two reasons.
First it’s new and innovative which in itself is refreshing and secondly though Marshall is less forceful than Kuselias they work smoothly though Kuselias does have the tendency to take over discussions. And, it sure is better than informericals but it’s questionable there is enough audience at that time of day to keep “Morning Drive” permenantly on the road.
About Ed Travis
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- LPGA Tour golfers await release of 2011 tournament schedule
- Antigua Named Official Golf Apparel Licensee for 2011 U.S. Solheim Cup Team
