Add another victory for new LPGA commissioner Mike Whan. Hana Financial Group has signed a three-year contract to maintain its title sponsorship of the LPGA event in South Korea. The tournament had previously been marked as TBD for date, venue, purse and sponsor.

SportsBusiness Journal’s Jon Show reports:

The LPGA Hana Bank Championship will take place Oct. 29-31 at a course near Seoul that will be announced at a later date. Terms were not disclosed, but purse commitments put the annual expenditure at $2 million.

Prize money for the 54-hole event will be $1.8 million, up $100,000 from last year when it was held in Incheon, South Korea. Coverage of the tournament will not air in the U.S.

It’s a shame we won’t get coverage of it in the States. Is Korea out of network for the Golf Channel or something? I assume the other four events in Asia won’t be aired either. So much for that “groundbreaking” TV rights deal. I guess something is better than nothing, right?

Well, good news is that since disgraced former commissioner Carolyn Bivens stepped down, sponsors have been returning and contracts are being signed. Now the announcement of another tournament on US soil would make many of us absolutely giddy. Perhaps that’s just getting greedy, though.

[Photo by Chung Sung-Jun/Getty Images AsiaPac]

On Tuesday the LPGA announced the addition of a new tournament, the Sybase Match Play Championship. The LPGA re-signed Sybase, a database technology company, to a three-year sponsorship agreement. The $1.5 million event will be take place May 20-23 at the Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone, New Jersey.

Now, there are 25 events on the 2010 LPGA Tour schedule — which is good news, but the new contract didn’t come without concessions (hence the asterisk in the headline).

The tournament will feature 64 LPGA players competing in a bracket-style match play format. According to an LPGA official, eligibility for the field is as follows:

• The top-48 players from the 2009 LPGA Official Money List
• 10 players not otherwise qualified will have the opportunity to qualify in the first two rounds of the Bell Micro Classic (essentially it’s a 36-hole qualifier and top ten finishers who didn’t finish in the top-48 on the money list will be eligible).
• The top-four players not otherwise qualified from the above criteria from the 2010 LPGA Official Money List through the Bell Micro Classic
• Two sponsors invites

Newly-deigned Commissioner Mike Whan weighed in via the press release:

We’re pleased that Sybase has enabled the LPGA to bring a prestigious women’s golf event back to the Greater New York area. It is especially gratifying to continue the momentum that the LPGA has been enjoying since the end of last season, thanks to great partners like Sybase and Octagon.

Sybase was the title sponsor of the Sybase Classic from 2001 through 2009, but last fall it was announced the event was not returning. According to an industry insider, ShopRite, the presenting sponsor of the Sybase Classic for the past three years, opted not to extend its contract. Shortly thereafter it was revealed that ShopRite, which ran a successful tour stop for twenty years, was bringing back the ShopRite Classic to the Seaview Resort in Atlantic City.

Without a presenting sponsor, Sybase was unwilling to bear the full financial responsibility to hold a full field tournament — which explains why the new event is limited to 64 players vying for a $1.5 million purse, down from $2 million the previous two years.

An LPGA official noted, “The new format was the essential element in keeping Sybase on the schedule.”

It’s a sign of the times. The Tour must compromise to accommodate the sponsor’s requests — which is a very different plan than what disgraced former commissioner Carolyn Bivens envisioned when she took over in 2005 — but practical (the LPGA will take what it can get, right?).

But at least a new deal with Sybase was successfully negotiated. The better news is there are now two tournaments in the New York area on the schedule, rather than one — even if one of them is a limited field event with a smaller purse. Perhaps under Whan’s watch this is just the start of more good news to come.

After Michelle Wie’s big first win yesterday, the LPGA announced another victory today. Following a three-year hiatus, the ShopRite LPGA Classic is back on the Tour’s 2010 schedule. The event will be held June 14-20 at the Seaview Resort in Galloway Township near Atlantic City, NJ (casinos!).

Until three years ago, it had been a regular tour stop for 21 years. But, as you may remember, former Commissioner Carolyn Bivens, whose demise was partly blamed on her uncompromising negotiation tactics with sponsors, failed to set a suitable date with the tournament organizers. With Bivens out of the picture, it appears they agreed to return to the drawing table with acting commissioner Marty Evans and worked out an agreement. So, another blemish from Bivens’ reign has been cured. Hooray.

Now we wait ‘til Wednesday when Evans and newly-anointed Commissioner Mike Whan reveal the LPGA’s complete 2010 schedule at the Tour Championship in Houston. From what’s been reported out of the Tour’s headquarters, it’s supposed to be a more “robust” calendar than expected. Fingers crossed.

This morning I rushed over to Madison Square Garden for the LPGA press conference, where they formally introduced the new commissioner, Michael Whan, whom nobody appeared to know anything about when the story broke[*UPDATE] last night.

The Tour wasn’t very happy that the story was leaked — it didn’t come from a member of the board or an LPGA official — they didn’t tell ANYONE. Apparently, the players received the press release via email and to the LPGA’s disappointment, someone passed it along to Golfweek’s Beth Ann Baldry.

Back to the presser! I was pleasantly welcomed by Heather Daly-Donofrio, the player liaison to the board of directors (and my former assistant golf coach at Yale). As I was pouring a cup of coffee, I ran into friendly LPGA chief of communications, David Higdon, who I met at the Chelsea Piers outing. He jokingly said, “Hi, Stephanie! Are you sick of me yet?” Never! But someone was sick of him.

Golf World’s Sirak, who was clearly agitated, confronted Higdon while I was standing there and… just chewed him out. Violence! It went something like this: “You cost me seven f$%^&*g hours yesterday. Why didn’t you return my phone calls? […] If I knew more than you did yesterday, I don’t believe that. You could have called me to tell me you didn’t know anything.” Higdon seemed bewildered, yet remained very calm and tried to rationalize with Sirak, explaining the decision wasn’t confirmed until 9PM and they had to wait for the board’s final vote and then notify the players. Sirak still didn’t seem convinced. (To be fair, Sirak was extremely nice when I talked to him after the presser and I think he was just frustrated.)

Moving on. Higdon kicked off the presser with enthusiastic introductions of the principals in attendance — Leslie Greis, the chair of the Search Committee, Dawn Hudson, chairman of the LPGA board of directors, Michael Whan, the “man in the middle,” Helen Alfredsson, LPGA superstar and member of the player board of directors, and Michelle Ellis, the president of the player board.

Hudson, who was all business, started her spiel, which was interrupted by the annoying sound of the phone ringing. Lots of phones ringing. Anyway, she opened with encouraging adjectives about the state of the LPGA. Remember these? Like “fantastic,” “resurgent” and “resilient.” Then a phone rang again. She passed the mic to Greis, who described the search as a “daunting task,” but it was “thorough and meticulous.” And, apparently, there was “an incredible amount of interest in the position.” (A phone rings for third time. Really.)

She outlined the criteria the Search Committee looked for:

Let me remind you of the ideal experience we looked for: first, substantial business leadership experience in a golf or sports company; second, a proven track record of building brands on a global scale; third, demonstrate ability to build consensus across borders in a high-profile environment; and finally, a passion for and understanding for golf and relationships in the golf industry. Mike Whan meets all of those criteria. But that’s not all. Think of the intangibles. He grew up on the golf course, around the golf business, his energetic personality, he can talk the talk whether it’s in the boardroom or on the golf course. They all add up. Mike Whan is the perfect fit for this organization…

Hudson then stepped up to convince everyone Whan was the right man for the job:

The head and the heart of Mike Whan. He’s certainly got the business savvy to function in the challenging role of the commissioner. He’s worked in the sports industry, specifically the golf industry. He’s been a CEO. He listens first before he talks. He’s smart. He knows how to bargain. He understands the complexity of reaching out to all of our constituents. Equally important is his heart, which is really what set him apart from the other candidates. He loves golf and loves giving back. He appreciates women’s golf and isn’t daunted by the challenges we face. But rather, he sees the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead for the LPGA. He’s a dynamic leader. His eyes light up when you talk to him about the LPGA — past, present or future.

And then…the man himself:

I really look to three things when I think about the future and that’s people, that’s opportunity and that’s passion…When it comes to people, this search proved to me that this LPGA organization is surrounded by passion…it’s really overwhelming. On the second is opportunity, I’ve never been one who’s looked at words like “issues, problems or challenges” as bad words. What they represent is tremendous upside for potential…I was that crazy HS kid cutting greens at 5:30 in the morning so he could play free golf in the afternoon and caddie on Sundays…I really enjoy the game for not only the sport, but for the life lessons it’s taught me and I’m seeing it teach my kids every day…my first few months in the position are going to be with pretty large ears and pretty small mouth because I’ve got more to learn than I’ve got to offer. I can’t wait to jump in…I don’t take this job lightly. I took this as a personal passion, a calling more than a position. I won’t let the LPGA players, tournament directors and staff down.

Next up. Marty Evans, the acting commissioner, is in South Korea for the LPGA event this week, but dialed in to impart her thoughts about the exciting news. She mentioned the players are “very, very happy” and Whan has “all the key ingredients [for a commissioner].” Evans will remain the acting commissioner until Mike officially takes over on January 4, 2010.

Also? Mike Whan is not Asian. At all. His father is of Scottish descent. Their surname was previously “MacWhan,” but the “Mac” was dropped at some point unbeknownst to him. So no feature story on him. Instead, the LPGA actually let me talk to him — see next post.

[*Correction: The wire service gave Golf World/Golf Digest’s Ron Sirak credit for breaking the story and Golfweek was credited for the Twitter notice.]

[Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images]

So, as expected, the PGA Tour was quick to address their disapproval of Parker McLachlin’s groundbreaking mid-round tweet and clarify that he actually did break a Tour policy.

On Monday Rick George, executive vice president and chief of operations for the Tour, phoned Parker to notify — or reprimand — him of his wrongdoing. McLachlin told ESPN that according to George, the scolding would probably be the extent of his punishment.

Parker explained his reasoning behind the tweet to ESPN.com:

Basically, in [Sunday’s] round we had a pretty long wait on the back nine sitting on the tee. The guys that I was playing with [Brad Faxon and Glen Day] were checking football scores and someone yelled out, ‘You should tweet about what you’re doing right now.’ I was like, that’s a good idea. I didn’t really think too much about it.

Honest mistake. I mean, he was only following the example of his playing partners and trying to please a fan’s request.

From the sounds of Jason Sobel’s report, Parker’s biggest offense was his unfamiliarity with the player handbook:

I didn’t realize the impact of cell phone restrictions during competition. We’re on our cell phones a good amount during practice rounds on the range. I think cell phones are so commonplace these days. My thought was the [former] LPGA commissioner [Carolyn Bivens] was encouraging their players to tweet a few months back, Stewart Cink is a big tweeter, so I didn’t really think that it was wrong to do.

Like Bivens, he’s a visionary and feels mid-round tweeting is a trend that might actually be encouraged in the future:

It seems like one of those things where it could be an evolving rule. Today it’s obviously against PGA Tour rules, but 10 years from now it might be something that could increase popularity or increase the interactiveness during the rounds.

While it’s not the most far-fetched idea, it does call into question professionalism. In March Milwaukee Bucks forward Charlie Villanueva created a stir after he tweeted from the locker room during half-time. Subsequently, this fall the NBA banned any use of Twitter in the course of games. The NFL has a similar policy.

I’m probably being naive when I say I can’t fathom it becoming a problem — because, you know, given that golf is all about integrity and sportsmanship.

The bigger concern here is the backup on the 5th tee that gave Parker and his playing partners enough time to fiddle with their phones.

[Photo by Dave Martin/Getty Images]

Golfweek reported the latest disappointing news on the exasperating hunt for the next LPGA commissioner:

Arlen Kantarian, former chief executive of the U.S. Tennis Association, and Jeffrey Pollack, commissioner of the World Series of Poker, have withdrawn as candidates, according to Sports Business Daily. Likewise, WNBA commissioner Donna Orender, who was considered a frontrunner, earlier had pulled her name from consideration.

Kantarian, who is a senior adviser to the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, pulled out because the LPGA couldn’t meet his salary demands, Golfweek has learned from a source with intimate knowledge of the selection process. The same source said that Pollack was considered a darkhorse among the finalists.

So, does anyone want this job? Perhaps some are apprehensive given the scrutiny former commish Carolyn Bivens endured — and, of course, her not-so-graceful forced exit.

Wait! According to Golf Channel’s Randall Mell, one person is absolutely dying to take on the position:

Not on the search committee’s radar until he earnestly reached out to LPGA officials, [Jonathan] Ward won himself an interview, according to sources. Ward made contact with a number of LPGA insiders, impressing them with his corporate expertise, vision and passion to make a difference.

So why not just give the job to Ward? He sounds qualified (though that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the right fit) and more important, eager.

And then there’s the USGA’s Pete Bevacqua, who joins Ward on the short list of candidates. However, he’s staying mum about his level of (dis)interest. Bevacqua has been the “leader in the clubhouse” for the LPGA job for so long, we must wonder how that’s affecting his current work and if the USGA would be terribly disappointed if he leaves. Word is not much is getting done while the staff waits to hear if he’s going or staying.

Golfweek also mentioned the LPGA’s self-imposed deadline of mid-November to finish the selection process. But, when I questioned an official last week, I was under the impression the search committee was taking its time until they positively find the ideal person. And considering Bivens’ controversial tenure (and its disastrous end), that seems like the best approach for now.

Patience, people.

South Korea’s Na Yeon Choi bested Japan’s Ai Miyazato by one stroke to win the Samsung Championship at Torrey Pines.

Choi began the round with a 7-stroke lead, but made several mistakes around the greens, which included missing a 2-foot putt (yip!) on the 9th. At one point on the back nine, Miyazato took the lead as Choi’s putter continued to falter. But, she regrouped and drained a 5-footer on the 18th for birdie and her first victory on the LPGA.

She admitted to her bad thoughts on the course: “Mentally I felt I was very weak. I kept telling myself to be positive. I wanted to be positive about everything.”

Despite being the top-ranked player in the world, Lorena Ochoa hasn’t been playing like it. She showed signs of rejuvenation with a T4 finish.

The Samsung Championship is one of the most prestigious tournaments on the Tour’s schedule and some consider it the “fifth major.” The field consists of 20 of the top players in the world and is invitation-only. Asian-born players finished 1-2-3 — Jiyai Shin placed third with a four-day total of 11-under, 5 behind Choi. It appeared “blaming the Asians” for the Tour’s troubles has subsided since the ousting of former Commissioner Carolyn Bivens and the strong showing by the US in the Solheim Cup.

But will the same ol’ discussion return with Asian names continuing to command the top of the leaderboard again? Perhaps people are just getting used to it (let’s be real, probably not the case). Well, no one seemed bothered when Shin won last week. Then again, she’s become a recognized name, not to mention has endeared herself to fans. And, she speaks English pretty well.

Anyway, congrats to Na Yeon Choi!

[Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images]

Apparently a number of people thought Christina Kim’s unbridled enthusiasm was out of line at the Solheim Cup.

Simple response to the detractors: Get over it and loosen the $%&! up.

The Solheim Cup was the most entertaining women’s golf tournament I’ve ever watched. I have non-golf fan friends who tuned in for the first time and really enjoyed it, largely because they got a kick out of Christina’s so-called antics. They thought she was the most interesting person out there.

She also played well. Her record was 3-1-0. There goes the argument that her behavior was a distraction to her game and wasted valuable energy.

Would the naysayers prefer to watch a bunch of emotionless golfers? Oh, I almost forgot. Those would be the Asians that people like to blame. I’m confused — first, players are attacked for not expressing enough emotion and now, it’s too much.

Look, it was a team event, which doesn’t necessarily call for the same type of etiquette. The Solheim matches are unique and warrant similar reactions. As head cheerleader, she rallied her teammates — many of whom followed her example (to a lesser degree). As Ryan Ballengee over at Waggle Room pointed out, who do you think inspired Michelle Wie to come out of her shell? (Don’t forget when Christina was mic’d at the LPGA Championship and the two played together — we caught a glimpse of Michelle’s great personality back then.)

Not to mention Christina fired up the crowd and boosted the fan experience. Did you hear the roars? They were likely the loudest at a women’s golf tournament…ever. It felt like a “real” sporting event where the players get the fans pumped up on home turf. So what if she over-celebrated at times? That’s why it’s called “home field advantage.” Plus, it’s not like she asked for the crowd to heckle the European ladies and yell in the middle of their backswings.

The rewards heavily outweigh any drawback. Christina’s animated behavior showed that there are fun personalities on the LPGA. For non-fans, she demonstrated golf isn’t so boring after all. In fact, she probably turned tons of people on to women’s golf.

Point being, it’s been an uphill battle for the Tour this year — dropped sponsors, lost tournaments and the Carolyn Bivens debacle. After all that, people want to criticize Christina for something that is positive for women’s golf? The attention she brings is GOOD attention. If anything, we should be thanking her.

So, take a chill pill and complain about something that’s actually important. Here’s a novel idea: Devote time to coming up with ways to fix a real problem, like the LPGA’s dwindling tournament schedule.

[Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images]

Earlier this week the LPGA and IMG announced that the China tournament scheduled for October has been canceled. Now the Tour’s schedule only has 27 events for ‘09, 7 fewer than last year. Sigh. The bad news doesn’t seem to stop.

In ‘08 the tournament was the first ever played in China with Grand China Air being the title sponsor. Unfortunately, it sounds like the airline was shut down by its parent company, Hainan Airlines Group, at some point in the past year because of financial problems. (But in June it was relaunched.) IMG and the Tour couldn’t find a replacement backer.

Many of the LPGA’s sponsors have breached their contracts because of the economic downturn. Last month Kapalua withdrew from its 5-year contract for financial difficulties — SemGroup, Ginn Resorts and Stanford Financial gave similar reasons.

Given that China’s economy is doing better than the rest of the world, I’m surprised another sponsor didn’t step in. Also, golf is blowing up in China. I feel like another company would have been more than happy to take over.

PGA Commissioner Tim Finchem spoke on Sunday at Bridgestone about the WGC event in China.

China has such great potential for golf over the next generation, and we want to increase the speed at which that potential is generated…it’s just another step in the course of — on the one hand, China developing a golf infrastructure, on the other hand having world-class events that create interest, and the two have to dovetail to drive the growth of the game in China.

Yeah, the country has a lot of people. Look out for the Yao Ming of golf to come along — same goes for a female equivalent.

Perhaps it’s just that women’s golf doesn’t have the same appeal as men’s. And that’s a shame.

LPGA Commissioner Carolyn Bivens was recently ousted. One of the primary reasons was because of her hardline negotiation tactics, which alienated some of the sponsors. So is this part of her legacy? Who is the scapegoat at fault? Or what?

On Monday, Golf Channel’s Laura Baugh suggested that non-English-speaking (read: Asian, mostly Korean) players were part of the reason for Carolyn Bivens’ demise. Really? Well, maybe the English-speaking (read: American) players should step it up. And how much of a difference would it have made if Cristie Kerr had won on Sunday? Would it actually have boosted the popularity of the LPGA? Doubtful. Would more people start watching women’s golf every week? Would sponsors be calling immediately to sign contracts? I’d like to think so, but in reality, an American winning wouldn’t have made a noticeable difference (unless it had been Michelle Wie hoisting the trophy).

I’m tired of people blaming the Asian players for why the LPGA is struggling. It doesn’t matter who wins if we get to see good golf. On Monday my friend called to tell me that he watched women’s golf for the first time on Sunday. And he enjoyed it mostly because Eun-Hee Ji dropped that final putt.

In all fairness, the post-round interview was awkward. But like I mentioned on Sunday, it wasn’t because I personally had a problem with Ji speaking via a translator. It was because I knew the criticism that would ensue. By that, I mean, people would play the blame game. I find it insanely offensive. It’s not because I’m biased as a Chinese-American either. I’m pretty sure plenty of “white” people would agree with me.

Sure, it would have been better if Ji had spoken English. When Anna Nordqvist was interviewed after winning the LPGA Championship, she spoke English but stumbled over her words. I think mostly because, like Ji, she was overcome with emotion. I wonder if anyone would have cared had Anna spoken Swedish. Probably not. She has blonde hair and blue eyes. Go ahead and disagree, but let’s be real, we’d let it slide because she’s not “another” Asian player.

I’ve browsed over a few message boards where commenters have dared to suggest limiting the number of Korean players allowed to play on the “American” tour. Or some argue they should go back and compete in Asia. Yeah, those “rules” would be well-received (not that any suggestion of the sort would ever be taken seriously). Just like the “English-only” policy was such a great idea.

Comparable to their work ethic on the golf course, the Koreans are studying hard to improve their English-speaking skills. They know that effectively communicating in English would benefit them. They know that interacting with sponsors would improve their chances of getting endorsements. They work with tutors and use tools like Rosetta Stone. In fact, the players who don’t speak proficient English are required to enroll in the LPGA’s Cross-Cultural Program.

Most of the Korean-born ladies are young and haven’t been in the US or on Tour for very long. Eun-Hee Ji is 23. Song-Hee Kim is 21. Ji-Young Oh is 21. Jiyai Shin and In-Kyung Kim are also 21 - Jiyai’s English is decent and IK’s is excellent. But we can’t expect them all to be fluent overnight. How would we fare if we went to Korea? It’d likely take us longer to learn Korean than for them to learn English. Give them some time.

The LPGA and agents need to figure out how to market these players or do a better job of it. Many are more reserved because it’s simply a cultural divide. Do we want them to “change” too? They can be marketed by being who they are. I’m sure if the LPGA and agents were to try a tad harder, then they could identify ways to play up their strengths and personalities. Not everyone is going to have star-quality or be relatable, but it’s not like there’s a shortage of choices. More players should be featured regularly so we can get to know them and differentiate one from another. As for specific strategies, the Constructivist presented some great ideas back in June.

There’s more talent in women’s golf than ever before. The international players are strengthening the competition. It’s not by accident they’re so good. They practice more. And it’s just going to push the Americans to work harder if they want to win consistently. We’ll see even better, more exciting golf as a result - coming from players of all nationalities.