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Events and Attractions

Players, Execs Heap Praise On Inaugural KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Last week's KPMG Women's PGA Championship, which replaced what was the Wegmans LPGA Championship, saw a "good winner on a good course in good weather," making the tournament "a big hit," according to Bill Fields in a special to ESPNW. PGA of America CEO Pete Bevacqua and LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan "seemed as pleased on Sunday evening" as tourney winner Inbee Park. Bevacqua "gave the week 'a crazy thumbs-up,'" while Whan "appraised the new iteration of an old event with an 'A-plus.'" Whan said, "Nothing about this tournament felt like a first-year effort." Galleries at the event "were light on Thursday and Friday before perking up some the final two days." Bevacqua "estimated 5,000 spectators attended on Saturday and 7,000 came on Sunday." He said, "You certainly want people to show up and root on the best female players in the world, but we were happy with the crowds this weekend and they were passionate. We would have loved to have seen more people out on Thursday and Friday. New York can be difficult for crowds, but this was a perfect place to kick this off." Meanwhile, it was announced Saturday that the '16 event will be played at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash., outside Seattle. Fields wrote even though the KPMG Women's PGA will be taking place one year after the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in nearby University Place, "expect bigger galleries at Sahalee" (ESPNW.com, 6/15).

PRAISE POURS IN: In New York, Mike Dougherty writes under the header, "A Good Start For KPMG Women's PGA Championship." There was "a buzz coming into" the event, and the "movement gained momentum as the week progressed." The combined efforts of the LPGA and the PGA of America "deserve more than polite applause." Golfer Stacy Lewis said, "It was an awesome week for us. It showcased the tour really well. Westchester was a great host and it was a really, really good first year for the tournament." Dougherty writes naming Westchester Country Club the host of the event was "the biggest thing any of the organizers did to ensure success." The club "set a new standard for being tournament ready" (Westchester JOURNAL NEWS, 6/16).

SMALL CROWDS, NO BIG DEAL?
 In Rochester, Leo Roth writes with the help of the "male-minded PGA of America" and the sponsorship of KPMG, "it's no surprise that this re-branded major was reported to be a roaring success in the eyes of all involved." But as far as "total attendance -- and this also is no surprise -- the galleries were less than major league." Tourney and club officials "placed a conservative estimate at between 12,000 and 15,000," which is "about 5,000 fewer fans than Rochester drew -- per round." An estimated 100,000 fans "attended last year's final event at Monroe Golf Club for the week." Roth: "And you know what? Nobody associated with the LPGA or the tournament cared." In today's "digital-driven world ... it's not about on-site attendance in golf or any sport." What "matters most is having enough people on hand to fill in the wide shots for the TV broadcast or website video." If he ever "has to, Whan will set cardboard cutouts around the important holes to keep advertisers happy," or work a deal "to superimpose fans on your flat screen." TV ratings for the Women's PGA Championship "were the best for a women's major in years, and there was cross coverage on the PGA's website, so it was mission accomplished in terms of giving the women's game more exposure" (ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT & CHRONICLE, 6/16).

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