As I write this I’d love nothing more than to be able to glance up at the best women golfers in the world in it’s top event, the (Women’s) United States Open Golf Tournament which for the first time in women’s golf history is being held at iconic Pebble Beach. And it’s nowhere to be found on TV today, even though out on the east coast where I am I know play was underway in the second round and could have been on TV before 11am eastern time. I can guarantee you if it was the men’s U.S. Open live coverage would have been and would be on. 18 hole coverage. Golf Channel’s “Live From the U.S. Open” (they do the same for the other three men’s majors) would have been on all this time too.
We had ONE hour of Live From the U.S. Open earlier this afternoon. Only one freaking hour.
If you’re not a golf fan, as with the Masters you owe it to yourself to at least mute the sound and do other things, sometimes glancing up at the TV just to take in the beauty of Pebble Beach. It’s often described (in conjunction with Cypress Point golf links) as the most spectacular meeting of land and sea on planet earth. It truly is breathtaking. And for golfers, few wouldn’t have Pebble Beach on their bucket list of the five course they would play if given the chance. It’s that beautiful. And special. And a lot of golf history has been made there. It was sooooo cool that the USGA started working with iconic courses known for great men’s golf moments to get top women’s events played on these epic venues.
And Pebble? Every year there’s the ATT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am each spring. When I grew up Bing Crosby was the host. He’d envisioned what became known as “the clambake” and as I said, because of the celebrities that took part (fought for the chance to do so in fact) even non-golfers watched. Even the celebrity amateurs provided memorable moments every year, not all of them great golf shots. Comedians joking. Sports figures and actors getting personal with the crowds. And there was that moment when Jack Lemon scorched everyone’s ears due to someone being slow on the delay button. (It actually was a f**king piece of sh*t shot)
But the star was and always is the course. And as I said it has provided a number of golf’s most memorable moments. So the best women golfers in the world being able to hold the USGA’s flagship event (for both men and women) there? This week is unique in golf history.
And it’s not on TV today.
It was yesterday afternoon and well into the night. But not today and since it’s the second round and the cut will be made many of the players won’t be seen. That’s truly a shame because some of Women’s golf greats have teed it up this week, and for three of them it’s goodbye to competitive golf, or in the case of one at least the U.S. Open. One you’ll have never heard of but most people, even non golfers have heard of Michelle Wei West and Annika Sorenstam. Neither would have played this week at all, except for the fact THIS year Pebble Beach is the venue. It’s always bittersweet to see an athlete past their prime make a final appearance and given how tough Pebble plays when set up for a major championship (much tougher than the annual spring event) the second round will be it.
Like Jack Nicklaus who played his final U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, and only because it was Pebble Beach did he show up instead of saying farewell to the even a couple of years before when they walk off the 18th green it will be for the last time at our National Championship. They deserve, and in fact given their contributions to the game (and they will continue to contribute in ways other than playing) they have earned the same treatment iconic male golfers have gotten when playing in a final Masters, U.S. Open (British) Open or PGA. Coverage of them throughout their rounds even if they aren’t playing any better than Nicklaus, or Palmer, or other greats in their final rounds at majors. They deserved the same yesterday as well.
ALL the women competing this week deserve better coverage than what is being given!
THE top event of the year. On one THE top, and most spectacularly beautiful venues. What did we get this morning? Six hours of the DP Tour (the European men’s tour) just like would happen back when it was the European Tour. Hour after hour of watching guys who we are unlikely to EVER see on a leaderboard in a PGA tour (still the world’s best) much less a Major or a Ryder Cup. Their best chance of appearing on TV will be as a member of the gallery. But god forbid we should miss a single shot of these guys!
Meanwhile, the best women golfers are hard at work in the toughest test in golf (the U.S. Open’s trademark) and history is being made because it’s being held where it is for the first time. There can be only one first time for something.
And we are denied the chance to see it on our TV screens. WTF?
I read an article this week talking about how the women’s game should be booming in popularity but isn’t. Yes, Americans have a hard time getting excited about great players from Asia, not all of whom speak English. But some can and they are delightful. And there are plenty of American and European stars, you know WHITE women who are among the world’s best. And a blonde & blue Canadian who’s at the top. It’s not like there isn’t top level talent who are marketable if given exposure. The writer of the article places the blame everywhere but where I am doing so.
If even when premier women’s events are hidden away and not televised, and instead golf/sports fans are fed a diet of no-name folks who will always be no-name golfers how are top women golfers to become household names like so many of their male counterparts?
It’s sexism. Plain and simple. Oh, I saw a “Live From” broadcast earlier in the week where the executives wore their arms out patting themselves on the back over record purses (payouts) and the again record one for this year. But what is NOT happening is getting tournaments on TV enough. Especially golf’s TOP event.
Something is very wrong with my TV picture today. Yes, there will be more coverage aired on NBC this weekend. Still not enough. And it’s damned near criminal that unlike if this were a men’s major there hasn’t been TV coverage pretty much since play began this morning. Or yesterday for that matter.
And that some tremendous women golfers will play their last U.S. Open with only the galleries present able to witness it.
UPDATE: FYI, you can watch on USA Network from 6-11pm eastern time today, and from 3-9pm on NBC Saturday and Sunday. Yes, there is (and had been) extra coverage on “Peacock” but like many, I can’t afford more than pretty basic cable TV. As is too often the case these days, network executives give a loud F**K OFF LOSER to those of us who have to work at it to make ends meet month to month. But again, if this were the MEN’S event we’d have had coverage on regular cable satellite channels much, if not most of the day. And don’t talk to me about streaming. A freaking laptop or even normal sized computer monitor doesn’t cut it! Not for seeing the shot-tracer work, or the overhead view from a blimp that can follow a ball in flight, and of course it takes a large screen to be able to appreciate the beauty of some venues. Pebble Beach in particular.
Women’s sport has always been shortchanged, but articles like this will help their cause.
Golf is not a real sport. Never has been. Watching women doing it does not make it any more of a sport.
I would be curious to know your definition of sport.
Personally, I’ve always had the opinion that if you get paid, it’s not ‘sport’ but a business.
“Golf is a good walk, ruined” Oscar Wilde.
Rich Republican men do not like women very much. They prefer children regardless of sex and teen age girls and boys. Full-fledged women make their egos suffer. Don’t expect much from Republicans other than lying bullsh*t. They are good at that. “Golf is the only game in which a white man can dress like a black pimp and get away with it.” – Robin Williams t takes as much talent for a woman to knock around a golf ball as it does a man. The name of the game for sport in America is money. Old that old stuff about sportsmanship and camaraderie is dead. I guess capitalists do not feel they can make enough money off of women. Eat the billionaires. Put them out of our misery.
MBS and Saudis bought golf and they absolutely will not allow women!
It is being talked about as a done deal but maybe not. It’s closer to a Letter of Intent than an actual contract given the number of details to be worked out. There’s also a lot of bitter feelings between players who stuck with the PGA and LIV types who want to be accepted back. Like right now and with full privileges including even Ryder Cup participation. Their “We grabbed the money, screwed you guys and the game but not only should we be forgiven but you guys should WELCOME us back with open arms. Oh – not that we won’t still play at the tour events they claim they will continue to have!”
Congress, including even some GOPers are looking hard and talking about calling in everyone for a little chat (Hearing!) about anti-trust issues that are clearly an issue. And keep in mind how swiftly and secretly this deal got done and who Monahan had doing the heavy lifting – to good friends he’d put into positions of power with the PGA who are long-established high powered financial types who will each make a fortune in commissions off the deal. Anyone who doesn’t think a well-disguised and HUGE payout was made to Monahan is kidding themsevles. Momentum is strong and enough details might get worked and out fast enough too but the game is in a fragile place because it could all come unglued if even/when a final agreement is reached and ratified by the players.