RELATED SEARCHES
Sponsored Pro Golfers Results:
PGA Pro Golfers: Male, Women, Tiger Woods And Grace Park
By:
Published: July 20, 2007
Golf has been a popular sport throughout the world for centuries. There is a beautiful quality to the game that is simple to learn but difficult to master. There are thousands of tournaments that take place almost everywhere on earth over the course of the year. The big money, of course, is reserved for the pro golfers.
And some of these men and women like Annika Sorenstam and Phil Mickelson make millions in tournaments and endorsement deals. The future for pro golfers looks very bright.
It is important to understand that the opportunities for pro golfers are vast. Everyone always thinks of the PGA for male golfers and the LPGA for women golfers, but males and females have several national, international, amateur and collegiate tours for golfers to earn experience and eventually money while improving their play. Of course, the goal for all these young athletes is to make it to the top of their sport and into the PGA.
A lot of new blood pro golfers are coming from Asia. Golfing has a relatively limited foothold in most Asian countries, but golfers like Vijay Singh, Shigeki Maruyama, Se Ri Pak and Grace Kim are taking the PGA and LPGA by storm. Grace Park was at one time considered to be one of the best incoming golfers in LPGA history. Though she has not exactly lived up to those lofty expectations, she is still at the forefront of a Pacific pro golfers revolution that has a chance to rival even Europe's pro golfers' classic domination.
Of course, no golf discussion is complete without a mention of this generation's dominant force, Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods is just as much a celebrity as any other athlete in the world, and he is one of the most wealthy and powerful men in the entire U.S. But matching Tiger's considerable off-course presence is his on-course domination. Few pro golfers have won as many Majors as Woods, and even fewer have his skill set. Woods has inspired a new generation of golfers with his renown and ability.
Pro golfers are higher in the public consciousness than ever, thanks to high levels of skill and interesting stories such as Woods, Mickelson, Lorena Ochoa, Grace Park and Sorenstam as well as young, up and coming women golfers like Morgan Pressel. The LPGA is under something of dual marketing blitzes. One, highlighting young players like and especially the somewhat rocky career of Michelle Wie. The other, an attempt to draw young men to the women's game, mostly thanks to the likes of attractive pro golfers like Natalie Gulbis. Both moves have come under some scrutiny from purists and rights organizations alike, who feel that there is too much pressure on young pro golfers such as Wie; and Gulbis' modeling exploits have objectified the women's game.
Still, pro golfers are riding a popularity wave right now that does not seem to be slowing down. Whether women gofers will ever catch on as much as the male golfers counterparts is yet to be seen, but the players are in place for the LPGA to put on some exciting tournaments in the next few years. Whether it's an Asian revolution that leads to the challenge of Tiger Woods' dominance, or young players taking control of the LPGA, pro golfers today are worth watching.
Sources:
"About Us." PGA Tour. 1995-2007. 2 July 2007. http://www.pgatour.com/company/faq.html.
"About the LPGA." LPGA. 2007. 2 July 2007. http://www.lpga.com/content_1.aspx?mid=0&pid=5 2
"Tiger Woods Up Close and Personal." CBS. 3 September 2006. 2 July 2007. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/23/60minute s/main1433767.shtml.
"Grace-ful Start." CNNSI. 14 January 2000. 2 July 2007. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/thenetwork/news/2 000/01/13/cnnsicomprofile_park/.
Related Articles
It is important to understand that the opportunities for pro golfers are vast. Everyone always thinks of the PGA for male golfers and the LPGA for women golfers, but males and females have several national, international, amateur and collegiate tours for golfers to earn experience and eventually money while improving their play. Of course, the goal for all these young athletes is to make it to the top of their sport and into the PGA.
A lot of new blood pro golfers are coming from Asia. Golfing has a relatively limited foothold in most Asian countries, but golfers like Vijay Singh, Shigeki Maruyama, Se Ri Pak and Grace Kim are taking the PGA and LPGA by storm. Grace Park was at one time considered to be one of the best incoming golfers in LPGA history. Though she has not exactly lived up to those lofty expectations, she is still at the forefront of a Pacific pro golfers revolution that has a chance to rival even Europe's pro golfers' classic domination.
Of course, no golf discussion is complete without a mention of this generation's dominant force, Tiger Woods. Tiger Woods is just as much a celebrity as any other athlete in the world, and he is one of the most wealthy and powerful men in the entire U.S. But matching Tiger's considerable off-course presence is his on-course domination. Few pro golfers have won as many Majors as Woods, and even fewer have his skill set. Woods has inspired a new generation of golfers with his renown and ability.
Pro golfers are higher in the public consciousness than ever, thanks to high levels of skill and interesting stories such as Woods, Mickelson, Lorena Ochoa, Grace Park and Sorenstam as well as young, up and coming women golfers like Morgan Pressel. The LPGA is under something of dual marketing blitzes. One, highlighting young players like and especially the somewhat rocky career of Michelle Wie. The other, an attempt to draw young men to the women's game, mostly thanks to the likes of attractive pro golfers like Natalie Gulbis. Both moves have come under some scrutiny from purists and rights organizations alike, who feel that there is too much pressure on young pro golfers such as Wie; and Gulbis' modeling exploits have objectified the women's game.
Still, pro golfers are riding a popularity wave right now that does not seem to be slowing down. Whether women gofers will ever catch on as much as the male golfers counterparts is yet to be seen, but the players are in place for the LPGA to put on some exciting tournaments in the next few years. Whether it's an Asian revolution that leads to the challenge of Tiger Woods' dominance, or young players taking control of the LPGA, pro golfers today are worth watching.
Sources:
"About Us." PGA Tour. 1995-2007. 2 July 2007. http://www.pgatour.com/company/faq.html.
"About the LPGA." LPGA. 2007. 2 July 2007. http://www.lpga.com/content_1.aspx?mid=0&pid=5 2
"Tiger Woods Up Close and Personal." CBS. 3 September 2006. 2 July 2007. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/23/60minute s/main1433767.shtml.
"Grace-ful Start." CNNSI. 14 January 2000. 2 July 2007. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/thenetwork/news/2 000/01/13/cnnsicomprofile_park/.
Featured Pro Golfers Products:
