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The Loop

"Pussyfoot Journalism"

June 05, 2009

Golf World's coverage of the LPGA often draws fire, either for being insufficient because it does not equal our coverage of the men's tour, or because readers disagree with what we've written. Dave Singletary of Gilroy, CA, falls in camp two.

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Dear Golf World Editor,>

So you had an article on the LPGA possibly losing a major next year. What we need is an article on the total number of tournaments lost in the last 18 months and the total about to be lost for next year. It is a complete disaster and Carolyn Bivens pretends like>

she is at Disneyland getting in line for the next ride.......>

Your article on Michelle McGann > completely missed the real story. Why has she stayed out on the tour when she has missed cuts week after week after month after month after year after year? Does it have anything to do with her diabetes? What could possibly be her motivation to keep on entering tournaments when she comes in almost last every week? There is a real story there and you missed it.>

How about giving us some REAL stories instead of this pussyfoot journalism?>

PS: I still like your magazine, but you really need to improve or I'll fall asleep>

writing my check for renewal.>

David Singletary>

Gilroy, CA>

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Dave, we did indeed enumerate tournaments, lost, moved or in trouble in Ron Sirak's story on the demise of the Corning tournament. One might argue that the number of changes merited a chart of some kind, but the information was there. I think you touched on one reason McGann stays on tour, Dave. She uses her travel and exposure to promote her fundraising in the fight against diabetes as well as her business connections. Ron Sirak, who covers the LPGA for Golf World, adds further insight, though:

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Michelle McGann is a perfect example of two things: The almost infinite status past winners have on the LPGA; and the fact that some players are so in love with the lifestyle of professional golf that they can't walk away. It has been 12 years since McGann has won an LPGA event. And she hasn't been in the top-90 on the money list since 2002, yet she has been able to play in six tournaments so far this year. And those half-dozen events have been a losing proposition for McGann -- winning a grand total of zero dollars. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer show the differing mindsets players can have. Jack was never going to post a number that began with an 8. He would find that embarrassing, and thus walked away from competition. Arnold, on the other hand, loved being in front of the crowds and felt he owned it to his fans to keep playing even when breaking 90 was a chore. Life on the road is a fascinating life, and some just can't leave it in the rearview mirror. Ron

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--Bob Carney

(Photo: lpga.com)