LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan raises issues of wage disparity

EDINBURGH, SCOTLAND – Tuesday evening ahead of the Aberdeen Standard Investment Ladies Scottish Open this week 2018 at Gullane Golf Club

Against a backdrop of historic architecture and in the presence of Prime Minister Nicola Sturgeon , Scottish comedian Elaine C. Smith was bringing the ASI of the day. Summit of the genre at a conclusion with a hoarse whole that had the audience screaming to laugh.

His act, however, is distinctly Scottish so there were some comically tense English faces smiling politely as needed, while, towards the back of the room, LPGA Commissioner, Mike Whan, stood side of a medieval armored suit seeming a little flabbergasted by the familiar bells.

For Those Who Looked Away From Its Reconstruction Of The LPGA In recent years, it was comforting to know that there remained mysteries in the world for the 53 year old player who is in his ninth year with the LPGA Tour.

Earlier in the day, he was interviewed on stage at the summit, which is ASI's fourth company and an integral part of their commitment to women's sport.

The long – term backers of the two Scottish Open, they oversaw the growth of the male event in part of the Rolex series of European Tour and expanded the female version of. a pro-am Ladies European Tour at a co-sanctioned LPGA tournament, including 10 of the top 15 world players have been rewarded.

conducted on link layouts before the Open British Open and Ricoh. ASI has also promoted equality by using a single host route for both tournaments, an almost unique adventure on major golf circuits.

Among the speakers, Judy Murray, tennis coach and mother of Andy and Jamie Murray, but for golfers in the audience.

He began by explaining how much the LPGA had changed since he took office in early 2010.

"We did a very good job," he said. "A 50% increase in events, an 80% increase in wallet and an increase of over 100% in TV.More important, if you go back 10 years, you can only watch the LPGA as America, Australia and Japan 169 countries will broadcast the Ladies Scottish Open live

"It's a game-changing moment. The sad news is that if you ever said that we could raise the price by 80% and not fill the pay gap, I would have been surprised. I guess the good news is that we all get more. "

He added that the LPGA" was becoming global when it was not cool to become global ", an affirmation that could resonate more with an American audience than an international one in truth, but it has Expanded:

"I had used to sit at press conferences and asked," What are you going to do with all the international influence on the tour? " I said two words: "Kiss him!" They were all starting to scribble as if I had said something diabolical.

"I would say," One day you'll have it, "and now 20 other sports want to know how we've done it, sponsors, TV shows, and fans around the world will also make a difference in times of recession, which is inevitable: if you have all your eggs in one basket and the recession strikes, your sport ends. "

-changing time. The sad news is that if you ever said that we could raise the price by 80% and not fill the pay gap, I would have been surprised. I guess the good news is that we all get more.

Mike Whan

He was frank about the difficulties of expanding female play but optimistic about his ability to overcome obstacles. have three sons, "he said." They can turn on any TV channel, see sports (played by men) and be inspired. "I told one of my friends who has girls: "What are they doing, where are they going to inspire?"

Here's what's happening in the golf course. I can only talk about PGA and LPGA, not Europe. But the PGA Tour has two network agreements with NBC and CBS, 39 weeks a year, and they are actually paid to put their sport on network television.

"Network TV is the first three channels you use as a viewer, we live on a wired network, an excellent cable network, the Golf Channel, and we produce televisions that we sell worldwide."

" But we are only five times a year on a television network, we miss the chance to show our sport to the casual fan.On the network, the PGA Tour receives 39 weeks, we have five.They are paid 65 million dollars, we pay 6 million dollars

"I had this argument with the networks, I said that if you gave 39 weeks of golf to women for two years, I would give the notes that the men receive. But they say we do not give numbers and I say, "You know what, when people see golfers for 39 weeks, they'll know them."

"Give us a chance, when I find a network manager who will give me two years, he will not have to pay me a dime, and I promise that the average fan will fall on Charley Hull, Michelle Wie and So Yeon Ryu, if that happens, then we can compare, then we'll see [a fair] note comparison. "

Asked about the thorny issue of men's golf clubs, Whan sided sideways, but if the anecdote and the reference to his own children had the smooth luster of the politician, It was nonetheless refreshing to see a white, masculine and middle-aged executive do not react to the question like a frightened deer in the lighthouses.

"I remember racial riots in the 1960s and I'm embarrassed" "I wonder what my kids will look in 20 years and be embarrassed that their parents have not acted?" [19659005] He then added a convincing argument, insisting on the Equality was a prerogative as logical as

"When I was a student, I took courses in diversity and thought I would not be like that. (biased). Then I became General Manager of TaylorMade Adidas and one day I admitted to a friend that my company was not doing too well. We were down 16%.

"He said," Tell me about your business meetings. "I said, 'They're great, they're all strategic like me and think like me, we're going through them very quickly.'"

"And he said, 'You're an idiot.' there is no friction, you are finished, where are the people who do not think like you, who do not look like you, who are defying what you say? "

" That's what it is What happens: you become general manager, you have to fill a role and you think that I had this role and I filled it well so let's fill it with someone like me.I did not know not even that I did it, but I was looking for more of myself.

"You do not want to miss diversity, you end up with. I have not changed to be more politically correct or to fill my resume. I changed my policy because I needed my business to grow, and my managers did not look like my clients. I do not think people need another excuse for equality than good business practices. "