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).
