You have until Sunday to vote for the 16th player to compete in the inaugural Mojo 6 tournament in Jamaica on April 15-16.

The exhibition event features a new format the creators have decided to call “Raceway Golf,” featuring 16 ladies pitted against each other in a series of six-hole matches. As the competition heats up, the players will have a chance to choose their opponents, which is designed to encourage clawing and bitch-slapping. Kidding!

The ladies who have committed to play are Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Jiyai Shin, Brittany Lang, Cristie Kerr, Christina Kim, Angela Stanford, Mariah Stackhouse, Amanda Blumenherst, Yani Tseng, Anna Nordqvist, Na Yeon Choi, Brittany Lincicome, Suzann Pettersen and Kristy McPherson.

There are a dozen vying for the final spot. You can vote once a day here, choosing from Sandra Gal Beatriz Recari, Vicky Hurst, Anna Rawson, Amy Alcott, Nicole Castrale, Laura Davies, Jeong Jang, Eun-Hee Ji, Marianne Skarpnord, Catriona Matthew and Lindsay Wright.

According to the Golf Channel, Gal is leading the race, followed closely by Recari and Hurst. Interestingly, despite kicking off a PR campaign declaring she would donate all her winnings to charity, Rawson is in sixth place.

Speaking of which, I received two mass emails in five minutes with the same content but different subject lines (whoopsie!) — “Interview with LPGA Golfer” and “Pro LPGA Golfer Interview RE: Mojo6 Tournament” — from a PR flak, whom I’m assuming represents the company Rawson hired to handle publicity matters. Read and learn:

Hey!

I work with LPGA golfer and model Anna Rawson (www.annarawson.com), who was named Sports Illustrated’s Most Beautiful Female Athletes of the Year, Maxim’s Sexiest New Athlete and one of Golf Magazine’s Top Ten Golf Innovators.

I would like to see if there is interest in doing an interview with Anna about this incredible pledge Anna has made if voted into the $1 Million Mojo6 Tournament.  See the release below for more details.

Best,

[Redacted]

Tip #1: Don’t send PR-y emails that are so blatantly impersonal. You know, at least take the time to say, “Hey, Stephanie!” Everyone knows there’s a standard email being sent, but the key is to pretend it’s somewhat personalized (I’ve had the tedious job before). I complained about it to my friend, a PR exec, who replied, “Tailor your pitching, tailor your pitching!!!”

I’m always happy (or at least glad to be informed) to get these things, but for some reason, this one annoyed me. Especially after receiving it twice. Big PR boo-boo!

If you can’t get enough of the fun-loving and gregarious Christina Kim via her Twitter feed, good news — she kicked off the new decade by launching a personal blog. In her first entry, “2010, Bring it on!” she writes about her enthusiasm for the upcoming year [sic]:

So I woke up on New Year’s Day (barely, as you can see…Staying out with friends until 5:30 in the morning makes things like “waking up” take longer than usual…), and the realization that the season is a mere six weeks away filled me with bubbling excitement. So much in fact, that it left me frothing at the mouth! Damn…The start of a new decade (though I know that in all honesty, the new decade starts next year, but whatever….), a new era. Very exciting times in store for everyone, I hope. We are entering a new time in our lives!!! Let us enjoy it, relish it, and thrive!!!

Some guy who’s been well hidden could take some tips on life from Christina.

She told me, “I started [the blog] because I wanted to express myself in yet another way and the bug bit me. When my book was done, I felt I needed to continue to release and share myself.”

Her tell-all, Swinging from My Heels: Confessions of an LPGA Star, co-authored by Sports Illustrated’s Alan Shipnuck, hits stands in Spring 2010 (you can pre-order it here).

Christina will blog about her thoughts and escapades regularly. Look out for her second entry in the next few days. We could all use a little more of The Christina Kim and her inspiring, passionate spirit in our lives. And maybe more pictures like this one, too.

Stephanie Wei (Wei Under Par) and Jim Frank (Over The Green) have little in common other than they both play golf (occasionally) and both blog. With little more than that, they decided to create what they’re calling the “X-blog,” or cross-blog, where they’ll comment on the same issue in the game, and maybe have a few barbs/comments for the other, as well. To kick off the X-blog, Stephanie takes the first shot at ESPN Magazine’s “Body Issue,” which featured three LPGA players—Sandra Gal, Anna Grzebien, and Christina Kim—wearing little besides their smiles.

Stephanie: Now that it’s out, what do we think? Was this a good or bad idea? I’m going to go with “good (!).” And I’m pretty critical about these types of provocative photo shoots. But given that this was ESPN Mag (a legitimate sports publication) and dozens of other athletes (legitimate, respected ones) were also featured, I had no qualms from the get-go. As I expected, it was nothing close to Penthouse-esque — which is the image that many immediately conjure when they hear “nude” and photo shoot” in the same sentence — it was done tastefully. If more opportunities like this pop up for other ladies, I’d throw them my overwhelming support. BUT…only if it’s for a publication/outlet/organization that carries the same level of repute as ESPN. Otherwise, they run the risk of a second rate spread making them look like two-dollar prostitutes.

Now do I believe this will boost the popularity of the sport? Probably not. At least it won’t significantly. But it will increase awareness of the LPGA and help dismantle some of the less-than-attractive stereotypes of female pro golfers (you know, like, they’re all a bunch of ugly lesbians). I know guys have been drooling over the spread, but will they turn into diehard women’s golf fans overnight? Start following the LPGA compulsively? Watching on TV? Going to tournaments? Ehh…probably not. Unfortunately. A small percentage might, but not one large enough to make a huge difference for the sport overall — the LPGA isn’t going to gain the same following as women’s tennis from this. (Not saying there isn’t the potential for that down the line, though.)

However, the spread will help the ladies’ personal brands — they’ll probably be presented with more endorsement opportunities and their names will be more recognizable. And, really, this is a positive thing because even if it doesn’t help the sport overall immediately, it’s still a step in the right direction for the LPGA. Translation: It’s attention.

Jim: I agree with Steph that this won’t do much for the LPGA, and I doubt it will do much for the three players, either. Once someone, anyone, removes her or his clothing, there isn’t much mystery left. Which advertiser/sponsor is going to sign these women now? Dove soap (with its “real women” campaign?); Coppertone sunscreen (the only “cover-up” they need?); Weight Watchers? I doubt it.

More importantly, I don’t think posing will hurt these ladies, a key consideration given the state of the golf industry and the LPGA. If there are any repercussions—financial, social, or otherwise—that would be a bad sign for all involved.

The crux of the matter: LPGA/women’s golf is, was, and will forever be seen as subordinate to the men (PGA Tour, for sure, and for some, even to the Champions Tour, which is ridiculous). And so whenever women golfers do something like this it is seen as a bit of a joke, a plea for attention. Which it is. Interesting that there is no male golfer in “The Body Issue.” Golf doesn’t get the same treatment as other sports—in ESPN The Magazine and elsewhere—and I don’t believe their inclusion is due to a sudden understanding by the editors that golf, men’s or women’s, is an athletic pursuit. This is about sex, pure and simple. And that’s fine.

What it isn’t is groundbreaking. I worked at Golf Magazine for years and we produced an annual for the LPGA, called Fairway, in which we regularly dressed up players in evening gowns or other non-golf wear as a way to humanize and sex them up a bit. Everyone thought it was necessary and it was helpful. And fun. No harm, no foul, and done with the LPGA’s approval. As I’m sure this was, too.

Incredibly, people still talk about the photograph of Jan Stephenson posing lasciviously in a bathtub filled with golf balls. That was around 1983, I believe. Nearly 30 years later, women pros are still doing the same thing.

They deserve more respect and attention for what they do with their clothes on.

There’s an influx of Asians on the LPGA. And they’re really good. In fact, they win a lot. But many fans find it difficult to keep track of who is who because, you know, all Asians look alike and their names sound the same. So, let’s get to know them better.

• Born and raised in San Jose, California, Christina is 25 years old
• In 2004 she became the youngest player to reach $1 million in earnings
• She has two wins on the LPGA, 2004 Longs Drug Challenge and 2005 The Mitchell Company of Champions
• This year she finished T3 at the British Open
• She has a serious addiction to Twitter: “It’s like crack.”
• She’s known for her gregarious and animated personality both on and off the course — and her colorful (sometimes NSFW) language — she makes golf FUN!
• The most inappropriate question she’s been asked by fans or Pro-Am partners is: “How do you swing around those tits?”
• As head cheerleader, her unbridled enthusiasm helped lead the US Solheim Cup Team to a victory over Europe, and she played well, finishing with a 3-1-0 record
• She was one of three lovely LPGA players that undressed for the ESPN Body Issue
• She enjoys photography, running, yoga, dancing and reading and the Discovery Channel

Asian-ness Scale (1-10, 1: Michelle Wie, totally Americanized (born in US, duh!); 5: Se Ri Pak, somewhat assimilated; 10: Eun-Hee Ji, 한국말): Christina = 1

[Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images]

Here are the LPGA entrants in ESPN’s “Body” issue. Sandra Gal, Anna Grzebien and Christina Kim all look great in their shots — titled “Skin Game” of course. Hopefully this will become an annual issue and maybe some of the guys (ahem, Tiger!) will be brave enough to participate.

These ladies give the Japanese bikini golfers a run for their money!

Last week Golf Digest’s Marty Hackel, otherwise known as “Mr. Style,” was kind enough to chat with me about golf fashion, the PGA and LPGA Tours’ best dressed — and the players that need help the most.

The preppy and traditional look is coming back in a big way generally speaking in fashion. How can you incorporate those looks into your golf wardrobe without looking costumed or like a tool?

I think we sometimes get too fixated on what you’re wearing and need to focus on how you’re wearing it. You can take tan bermuda shorts and a white button-up and wear it with a degree of a dressiness; if you want to be preppy, you probably have a grosgrain ribbon belt or the khakis are leathered out and there’s no “tech” in them. I think tech is great in certain things. For example, I think outerwear tech is terrific, like Gore-Tex. It’s fabulous and when it’s used properly, it makes great rain gear. We’ve gotten way too techy. It’s created a buzz and people saw: “It doesn’t look like I sweat and that’s a good thing, I’m going to buy more. Polyester is lightweight material, I don’t even feel like I have it on.” Tech is great in footwear and hosiery. Tech can be good in wearing apparel when used properly. It’s synthetic product — generally speaking. We make a huge mistake. We get too focused on sportswear. It doesn’t have to be golf-specific. Why can’t you wear a woven golf shirt on the course?

John Paul Newport wrote a column earlier this year about the return of the “Full Cleveland” — white shoes and white belts — and it appeared to be a big trend this year. What do you think about that look?

White belts came back more, particularly in the first part of the year. And this Full Cleveland thing, come on, please, what are you talking about…there are a couple of players on the Tour. We misread this a little bit. I think white belts are great on thin guys that are tall. They’re not great on guys with a 38-inch waist. Don’t wear white unless you have holster attached to that belt and badge attached to your shirt, then wear your white belt. Period.

Phil gets a lot of grief about his wardrobe. And recently he wore white pants the week he won the Tour Championship. What’s your general feel on him these days?

His shirts have gotten a little snug. It’s way better than a few years ago when his shirts were oversized. Clothes don’t make you look thinner — diets do. Americans think oversized shirts make you look thinner, but they don’t. Next few people you hear criticize Phil, ask them to look in the mirror. Because it’s mostly oversized guys. He’s not batting a thousand, but who is on the PGA?

FanHouse named Ryo Ishikawa “Best-Dressed in ‘09.” How would you describe Ryo’s look?

He’s costumed, very programmed. There’s not a lot of creativity there. I would like to see what he wears when he loses his luggage. But I think he looks great on Tour.

And how about Fred Couples? I love his classic style.

He looks silly. He’s done more to confuse people about good fit in the past 20 years. I love Freddie. As a human being, he’s a lovable guy. Every woman thinks he’s handsome. I just think his shirts are too big. He’s always pulling up his sleeves before he hits the ball. I think a lot of women say you should look like Freddie Couples, but it’s not because of the clothes.

Who are the best dressers and why?

I’m a big Watson fan. Elkington has the best taste on Tour. Kuchar looks great all the time. He’s terrific. He puts it together well, he’s in good shape, he wears things that are appropriate, he has a good idea of style and he carries himself well. Almost all the time Tiger looks great in everything but his trousers. He’s my textbook example of someone who carries it well. He’s put good fit more on the map than anyone. Charles Howell looks good and can look even better. Just trim up his shirts a little more, so he’s not wearing quite as much of oversized shirts. It would be fine tuning with a guy like Howell, not an overhaul. It would be dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s. You don’t have to be young to look great. Jason Gore always looks great to me. That’s a big guy who looks great! You don’t have to be 140 pounds to look great. The way he carries himself, he has a good taste, he knows a good pair of trousers when he sees it.

I think Stewart Cink looks great — he wears bright colors, he wears clothes that fit, he has some fun, he certainly dresses within himself. I mean, he looks terrific!

I’ll give you another example of a player who wears nice clothes, but carries them to the greatest amount of confidence and looks terrific in them — Rich Beem in Oakley. He has a lot of fun with it. But you know, I like Alex Cejka because he’s in shape and wears clothes that fit. So does Will MacKenzie. So does Camilo. Has Camilo ever looked bad? I don’t think so.

Most of the Spanish guys look fabulous. Alvaros Quiros! He looks like a million bucks. You wanna know why? He’s got great personality! There’s something terrific about him. Soren Hansen looks great to me all the time, love him. Most of the guys that I think look great are European. Because they understand fit much better.

Who needs the most help?

Justin Rose needs help. Everything is one slice off. He doesn’t wear the right combination. He doesn’t wear the stuff that fits him properly. The clothes are fine, it’s the way you wear them. And I think that’s a huge challenge. Huge challenge. Everyone says Woody Austin is a bad dresser. It’s not that he’s a bad dresser, it’s that he doesn’t wear the right stuff and size for him. He’s a terrific golfer and he’s not in terribly bad shape, but he certainly looks that way, doesn’t he? I’ll give you an example of someone who has huge potential to look great. Bill Haas. He’s dressing like his father! He should be dressing like himself. He wears those old man trousers. Everything is oversized!

Biggest fashion faux pas?

What’s not wearing appropriate for your body type. That’s a mistake most people make.

Marty to me: Who’s on your top 5 list?
Me: On mine…Off the top of my head?
Him: No, I want it off the bottom of your head. Yes, of course off the top of your head.
Me: I know Poulter is a little outlandish but I think he always looks great. I mean, how many people can pull off the British flag get-up he wore at the British Open?
Him: Ian Poulter looks great! Once again, classic example of not what you wear, but how you wear. I’m with you on that.
Me: I like Aaron Baddeley’s style, too.
Him: He does! I don’t know what people say Aaron dresses Badd-e-ley. But I think they just like the play on words.

Who would you like to go on a shopping trip with?

Rory Sabbatini would be on my shopping team — if I had to go shopping with 5 guys on Tour, he would be on that list. Elkington would be and so would Darren Clarke. Those three guys right away because they would be great to go shopping because they know what they’re doing. Sometimes I don’t like everything that Rory Sabbatini wears, but I’ll defend him all day long because he doesn’t dress like an Ottoman, he doesn’t dress like he’s been manufactured to look one way, he dresses to his own drummer.

What do you think about the logos? Do you think they are cheapening up the game?

Here we go again with everyone trying to get me to compare golf to NASCAR Racing. And yeah, I think you can overdo it, but these guys are just trying to make a buck. I mean, I think we’re about maxed out right now. I don’t want to see it getting any bigger and I don’t want to see any more logos. I think it’s getting a little confusing. But they’re independent contractors and they’re trying to make money.

How do you feel about the women’s side of things?

There’s where I have a huge problem with too much logo. I don’t like when the LPGA wears a lot of logos. It’s probably because I’m chauvinistic and I like women to look like women. I don’t think women should dress on the golf course like they’re men. I’d like to see them have a little more fun. I think they should dress like they’re stylish women and there are plenty of great golf lines out there — Polo, PAHR Golf Birdie, Adidas — Suzann Pettersen always looks like a million bucks and she wears Nike.

What about girls like Christina Kim? I think she always looks put together and fashionable.

That’s her personality, she sells whatever she wears. She’s a great example of it’s not what you wear but how you wear it. She has fun with it and she smiles and she has a great time. That’s really important. And you don’t have to be a world-class LPGA player — Charlotte Mayorkas, Anna Rawson — these aren’t household names but these gals look like a million bucks all the time.

Well, Anna Rawson can probably wear anything and look great.

Oh that’s true. Or nothing. Either way.

And how about Natalie Gulbis?

Well she’s very consistent. She dresses very athletically, she’s going to wear super-short skorts, she’s not afraid to wear some color and pretty aware of what she’s wearing all the time. It’s not exactly what I like, but at least she’s marching to her own drummer.

How do you feel about Paula Creamer’s pink fetish?

She doesn’t have to wear all pink, we get it’s her color and she likes it. When she wears all pink, she looks like a drum majorette. All she needs is a baton.

What brand that isn’t designing golf clothes would you like to see doing so?

Easy question. Giorgio Armani. Jil Sander. Wouldn’t that be great? I would like to see Prada in golf. You can wear Prada and play golf. You don’t have to call it “golf.” You just call it “great stuff.”

Would you ever design a line?

No, I have much more fun critiquing everyone else. Way much more fun. And I have a lot of opinions as you’ve probably gathered. But I think that’s what makes it fun. We need to have a little more fun, especially in this day and age when we’re stressed all day long with the economy and everything else going on. And golf should be one of those things.

To sum it up, what’s your best advice for the average golfer to look good.

Buy what’s appropriate for your body. Buy what’s not going to make you feel self-conscious. Buy what puts a smile on your face. And rather than buy three things, buy one thing that’s really good. Pick your spot. Make a commitment, decide what you want and go for it.

What are your favorite blogs?

The Sartorialist, Geoff Shackelford, style.com, Golf Digest and Gawker.

Marty Hackel is the Fashion Editor at Golf Digest. For more, go to GolfDigest.com.

ESPN’s “Bodies” issue drops in October, but everyone’s already talking about Christina Kim, Sandra Gal and Anna Grzebien, who decided to strip down for it. Thing is, they could have devoted more space to LPGA women not including the obvious choices (Gulbis, Rawson, etc.). If ESPN decides to make this an annual issue, here are five more candidates whose body parts should be considered for next year.

Erica Blasberg, 25 — This former Arizona Wildcat was named 2003 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year and a two-time All-American before she bolted after her sophomore year to turn pro. She’s soft-spoken with a good sense of humor, but feisty on the course, where she can throw a club farther than Tiger. On her website it says, “She enjoys running, reading magazines and shopping.” She forgot “partying.” She is also already a fixture on the Vegas club circuit.

Paula Creamer, 22 — The Pink Panther is one of the best players on the planet.  She has 8 career victories and was the 2005 Rookie of the Year. She’s also a 3-time member of the US Solheim Cup. And, she’s limber! “I love doing cartwheels, handsprings, and most tumbling.”

Kim Hall, 28 — This classic blonde bombshell is a Stanford graduate, where she was a three-time member of the All-Pac-10 Team. She lives in Vegas in the off-season but unlike most professional golfers, she does not have a gambling problem.

Jeehae Lee, 26 — The beautiful, brilliant Yale grad didn’t take the normal route to the LPGA. She had secured an investment banking job in Hong Kong, but ditched it to become a professional golfer. She’s fluent in three languages — Korean, Mandarin Chinese and English. She can bark better than any dog. Apparently she can pick up large objects with her toes.

Paige Mackenzie, 26 —An All-American at the University of Washington, she ended her senior year ranked the top amateur in the country. She was also a member of the 2006 Curtis Cup Team. She has an IQ of like a gazillion and gives excellent dating advice. She’s a big sports junkie and won’t date a guy that knows less than her. Plus, she has an award-winning butt.

LPGA Tour players partnered up with Pantene Beautiful Lengths at the P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship to make wigs out of their pretty, long hair for women living with cancer. Paige Mackenzie, Christina Kim, Carri Wood, Lisa Strom, Chella Choi, Vicky Hurst, Stacy Lewis, Heather Daly-Donofrio, Jeehae Lee and many others attended the “ponytail cutting” event to support a great cause. How cute are Paige, Jeehae, Christina and Stacy’s new looks? I especially like Paige’s. Maybe because it looks like mine.

[Paige Mackenzie]

[Jeehae Lee and Christina Kim]

[Stacy Lewis]

[Christina Kim on the set of the infamous ESPN Mag photo shoot]

On Monday Ron Sirak reported that three LPGA players, Anna Grzebien, Sandra Gal and Christina Kim, will appear in it, which will inevitably have golf purists and feminist harpies suggesting that these ladies are using their sexuality to sell a product and they’re subjecting themselves to being objectified, blah blah blah.

The “Bodies” issue is supposed to be a celebration of the athletic form, which is art when done tastefully. Yes, it’s also being done to sell issues but considering that ESPN is owned by Disney, this isn’t going to be a Penthouse shoot.

LPGA chief communications officer David Higdon chimed in:

ESPN The Magazine is one of the premier sports publications in the world, and they will put extensive promotional muscle behind this issue. So unless we get surprised by the nature of the shoot and/or feature positioning, then I expect this issue and our involvement in it will provide considerable exposure for our sport at a time when we are ramping up for an exciting finish to the 2009 season.

Translation: As long as the ladies aren’t making out with each other in sand traps, then it’s all good.

[Photo via Christina Kim’s Twitter feed]

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]