Great stars vs. great golf

By John Harvey | The Virginia Gazette
May 7, 2008

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JAMES CITY - Would you rather watch a great athlete or a great tournament?

Depends on the event

The Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill this week has given golf fans a mix of both over the years, making it one of the most anticipated events on the LPGA Tour. Unlike the men’s PGA event held in Williamsburg, all the stars are here for what they players dub the tour’s “Fifth Major.”

Hall of Famers like Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Juli Inkster, and young stars like Lorena Ochoa, Natalie Gulbis, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel,and Suzann Pettersen have been regulars at the Ultra here since 2003. This year 49 of the top 50 money winners will tee up Thursday.

All that star power has been closely noticed by network executives at ESPN, which is providing daily coverage.

Jim Spence, a former senior vice president for ABC Sports in the mid-1980s, likes the niche the event has carved.

“I think the LPGA Tour is a real attractive entitty,” he said in an interview. “Based on the number of top lady players out there — Annika, Ochoa and Creamer —there are a lot of positive elements.”

Spence spent more than 25 years at ABC, producing a variety of events including the British Open. He now teaches the course “Television Sports Today” for the Christopher Wren Association.

A golf enthusiast, Spence has been impressed with the balance of power that the LPGA Tour offers.

“On the men’s tour, unless you have a relative unknown in the hunt on the final day, not many people are going to watch it,” he said. “In my view, as a fan, I find the ladies to be of much greater interest.”

But is balance better than a blowout? “I always felt it was better to have a competitive situation, even though the blowout may involve the major stars,” he said.

With one exception.

“Tiger seems to transend traditional wisdom, generally speaking. “I would rather have a competitive event, with guys on the Back 9 in a bunch on Sunday and hopefully have a star or two among that bunch.”

Ochoa is the closest thing the LPGA Tour has to Tiger Woods right now. The 25-year-old Mexican phenom has won five of seven events this season. That included four in a row, snapped last week by finishing fifth at the SemGroup Championships in Oklahoma.

“As phenonmenal as Lorena Ochoa has been playing, it would be better for ESPN to have a competitive situation on a Sunday afternoon,” Spence said. “Lorena has been compared to Tiger in terms of her accomplishments. I don’t think she’s reached that [level]. Tiger is in the Mohammad Ali- Michael Jordan category.”

One reason for that is the relative parity on the LPGA Tour. Established superstars like Sorenstam, Creamer and Ochoa are a threat to win every week.

Last year Pettersen notched her first win here in Williamsburg and finished with five victories and ranked No.2 behind Ochoa.

Then there’s the Michelle Wie factor. The lanky teenage sensation raised eyebrows when she came to Williamsburg in 2004, drawing larger gallaries than Sorenstam. Yet she has never won a LPGA tournament, hampered by a wrist injury as well as a fixation on competing against the men.

“She’s still [has] a strong curoristy factor,” Spence said. “I’m going out to Kingsmill on Thursday, I’m going to follow her on the range. She’s still a draw, there’s no question.”

He’s got that right. The Michelob Ultra Open continues to gain popularity, even though Sorenstam, with career 71 victories, has never finished higher than sixth.

Spence expects another great tournament. “These ladies really can play,” he said. “They seem to be nice and friendly, and I think the LPGA Tour is on an ascending plane.”

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Copyright © 2008, The Virginia Gazette

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