LPGA’s 2010 schedule allows for, uh, plenty of downtime
November 18th, 2009 | 
Author: Buoyed by the success of Michelle Wie this past weekend and feelin’ the thrill of the unexpected spotlight, the LPGA announces its 2010 schedule this weekend. And, well — how best to say this? — there’s going to be a fair amount of time for players to work on their off-course events.
Golfweek’s Beth Ann Baldry was apparently the first one to post a leak of the 2010 schedule , revealing that there will be 23 events but only six before June. Last year, the LPGA announced 31 events for this year, but only 27 of those were actually played. (2008 had 34 events announced, all of which were played.) So the backloading of events for 2010 doesn’t necessarily mean that there will be even 23 events played. On the plus side, Baldry announced that Wegmans will sponsor the LPGA Championship next year, replacing McDonald’s and providing a welcome infusion of cash.
About 90 minutes after Golfweek, Golf Digest delivered a comprehensive schedule with specific dates. As Golf Digest LPGA expert Ron Sirak noted, “The 2010 schedule was put together under extremely trying circumstances: A mix of a bad economy and bad blood among tournament owners left over the the Carolyn Bivens commissionership. Many of the tournaments acting commissioner Marty Evans was able to lure back returned at lower purses.”
There are 17 off weeks — 17! — between the season-leading Honda LPGA in mid-February and the LPGA Tour Championship nine months later. A big chunk of that time comes in the spring, when the LPGA plays two events, takes four weeks off, plays two more events, then takes another four weeks off, plays another two weeks, takes another four weeks off. That’s six events in four months.
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