So long Dinah Shore — it was nice to know you.
Same for you — ANA Airlines — thanks for all those sponsor dollars.
As for you Mission Hills — your days as host of the LPGA Tour’s first major of the season are coming to an end with the 2022 event. Sorry about that. If they can throw Dinah Shore under the bus, what chance did you have?
And Poppy’s Pond — the aquatic destination that every LPGA Tour member dreamed of — who knew jumping in a pond would become an iconic tradition?
Thanks LPGA Tour commish Mollie Marcoux Samaan (yeah, it’s trendy to have two last names), the strong fan base out at Mission Hills won’t mind this latest “pie in the face” gesture.
There’s going to be a new location, a new venue and a new date for this LPGA major championship. Perhaps the writing was on the wall.
The ANA had always enjoyed inviting the best young amateurs to the season’s first major but when Augusta National Golf Club created it’s own little amateur competition the same week as the ANA, well, the amateurs totally preferred to play where only the nation’s elite gather from time-to-time as their schedules permit.
So what drove all these changes? One simple word — money. Money can do a lot of things and evidently ending a tradition that started back in 1972 is one of them.
Chevron will become the rich Dutch Uncle for this championship and that means you’re probably looking at Houston as the host city. There’s a rumor that Chevron is headquartered there.
Keep in mind that Chevron is your basic monster oil company and the current political powers in this country are doing their utmost to get rid of oil and gas and those nasty, gas-driven, oil-lubricated automobiles. The end is coming, Chevron, better make your plans. At some point in time, you’ll know how Mission Hills feels today.
There will be one last jump into Poppy’s Pond when some fortunate golfer plays well enough to win the 2022 ANA and take the last leap into Poppy’s Pond.
Keep in mind that Chevron will jack the purse up from it’s current $3.1 million to $5 million and make it the richest event in the history of women’s golf — a great reason to throw Mission Hills, Dinah and the rest under the proverbial gas and oil-driven bus.
“We do not make the move lightly,” Ms. Marcoux Samaan offered. “Since David Foster and Dinah Shore created this competition in 1972, it has held a special place in the hearts of our players and fans around the world. No matter where it is held, Dinah and her influence, along with the history built at Mission Hills, will be an integral part of the Chevron Championship. We thank ANA and Mission Hills for their tremendous support and look forward to celebrating the many years of tradition as we continue to add to its footprint in the history of women’s sports.”
Thanks Commissioner Marcoux Samaan. I’m sure the folks out there will appreciate that.
6 Comments
baxter cepeda
This made the hair in the back of my neck stand up.
First There’s no way this event in Texas will be a continuation of the Dinah; two very different things. This thing is starting from scratch…as a friggin major?!
The question is why can’t the LPgA tour resign or add tournaments without making them majors?
This continues a bad precedent for doing business with tournament title sponsors. At this rate we will have 30 lpga tour majors soon.
And Why do we have to lose so much organic major championship history for less than 2 million dollars?
Why can’t the tour hold on to the Dinah, even if it’s not as a major?
The Dinah could have changed the date so amateurs don’t have to choose. There have been numerous weird conflicts in women’s amateur golf. Recently IMG Junior worlds ran the same week as the girls pga championship. Clearly some very negligent planning. The second the ANWA was formed, scheduling had to be adjusted. But it wasn’t.
Makes sense it wasn’t because all the lpga tour seems to do in the planning department is allow whatever chaos results from a new sponsors wants.
I always expected the Dinah to eventually lose major status; but only once the Women’s Masters was finally formed ….and once the ladies tour came to their senses about 5 majors.
But instead we still don’t have a women’s Masters, we still have one too many majors, and now we lose all these amazing Dinah traditions —especially that iconic leap into poppy’s pond—for yet another Evian, aka a major which is not a major.
At least the Evian existed before money forced it to be a major. All this Chevron event has is money. Money is great But it’s not enough to be a major.
What it is is extremely frustrating.
The lpga tour needs to realize if they are going to inch closer to the men’s game in fans eyes, the most important eyes, these bush league moves for sponsors money only damage credibility and integrity.
This tour is at a place where it will benefit most by acting like a boss and sticking to its guns with sponsors.
Sponsors will come even more if the logs tour shows more confidence in their product. Destroying decades of work for a few bucks is the women’s tours biggest problem right now.
What the tour needs most to be careful of fans losing interest. I watch a lot of women’s golf and the real majors have always been absolutely must watch tv. The sad thing is there are only 3 must watch majors now.
That alone makes the hairs in my neck very upset.
Tom Edrington
This reinforces my belief that the LPGA choice for the new commissioner was questionable at best….Yes Mike Whan is a very tough act to follow but the lady from an ivy league college? Well, she managed to land big money but as you seem to indicate, Baxter, that tour has sold its soul with this move…
baxter cepeda
Yes but let us not forget the great Whan set this precedent with Evian.
This really is such a shame. Even I’ve been dreaming of a leap into poppy’s pond forever now. I can only imagine how all those girls and women motivated by a chance to win the Dinah and leap into poppy’s pond are feeling.
Regardless of who’s Commish that’s two major sellouts now; and this latest one comes with a great cost in eliminating the best tradition in women’s golf.
Unbelievable really.
Tom Edrington
Yes, it was a really great tradition, no other tournament has anything close…..take me back to Jerry Pate going into pond on 18 at TPC after throwing Deane Beman in…..
baxter cepeda
I always wonder why jumping in the water never become a tradition at the Players.
Tom Edrington
Any Florida pond is bound to have alligators!