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Leagues and Governing Bodies

THE RITTS OF PASSAGE: DEPARTING COMMISSIONER'S TERM EXAMINED

          The departure of LPGA Commissioner Jim Ritts is "in
     reality ... a good move for both Ritts and the LPGA,"
     according to Tim Rosaforte of GOLF WORLD, who writes that
     the "flashy outfits, frenetic pace and gratuitous manner" of
     Ritts "rubbed many people the wrong way, and when it came to
     addressing key issues, few did a better job of deflecting,
     deferring or demurring."  Rosaforte: "Ritts made the mistake
     of alienating a group of upper-echelon players who wanted
     fewer events, bigger purses, smaller fields and tougher
     courses."  In a sidebar, LPGA player Helen Alfredsson wrote
     a critical op-ed on Ritts, saying he "sugarcoated
     everything" (GOLF WORLD, 2/12). In Boston, Jim McCabe wrote
     that "rating Ritts's job performance is a muddled task," as
     he "kept his distance and, in fact, probably ruffled
     feathers by not catering to the stars" (BOSTON GLOBE, 2/13).
          THE TY IS NOW: Meanwhile, incoming Commissioner Ty
     Votaw said that he will focus on getting more events on TV,
     increasing purse sizes and expanding internationally (Ft.
     Lauderdale SUN-SENTINEL, 2/13).  GOLF WORLD's "The Bunker"
     credits the selection of Votaw and notes that "the only
     knock on Votaw is that he's even worse at golf than [former
     LPGA commissioner Charlie] Mechem was" (GOLF WORLD, 2/13). 
      

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