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Sidelines Kalani Simpson |
Publicity pays in
the new world of golfVIJAY Singh, the unfortunate soul who ignited a firestorm with his anti-Annika comments to the Associated Press, was right about at least one thing this week. The idea of a woman playing in a men's golf tournament "reeks of publicity," he reportedly said.
Of course it does, Vijay.
As a great thinker once put it, "Well, duh."
How else can the proprietors of these ho-hum PGA Tour stops keep anyone interested when Tiger Woods isn't playing? Vijay is a good golfer, a man with a green jacket for goodness sake, but not exactly a headliner. He and the rest of the "big names" in golf have been relegated to second-tier status on this Tiger tour, and Tiger hardly plays.
You try selling tickets to watch the Pips dance or hear the Jordanaires sing.
Yeah, they're looking for publicity.
Those winner's checks at the Greater Milwaukee Open don't write themselves.
Which is why this latest move is such a masterstroke. This trumps them all. This name sizzles.
Annika Sorenstam, the greatest woman in golf?
Please, that story is sooo Monday.
Suzy Whaley?
Who?
Sorry, Suzy. It's over and it hadn't even begun. She's been buried. Though Whaley actually qualified to play in the Greater Hartford Open, and hired an agent to capitalize on her 15 minutes, this hard-working golf pro-ing mom has already been relegated to Ms. Irrelevant.
(Coming to Fox this fall.)
No, the real steal was in getting a player who could put the words "Boise Open" on lips coast to coast.
Hawaii's Michelle Wie, quite possibly the second-biggest name in golf right now. And closing.
It was a brilliant move for the box office of an unknown tournament on the Nationwide Tour, a tour on such solid ground when it comes to attention and cash it has changed title sponsors at least three times in the past decade. Wie brings surging galleries. Wie brings the attention of the national press. Wie brings in people who would otherwise have little interest in watching golfers who are one small step from the big show, but such a giant leap away.
Publicity stunt? "Anybody who can hit the ball 300 yards on a consistent basis and can shoot 66 can play in my tournament," Larry Johnston, president and CEO of the Boise Open's sponsor, Albertsons, told AP.
Uh, yeah, and anyone who brings the buzz like Michelle Wie.
Just wait to see how many good people of Boise line up to watch the (tall) little girl who can hit it to the moon.
Watch how much national coverage the Boise Open gets.
By the way, never heard of Albertsons?
You have now.
You get the point.
And this is relatively win-win for Wie too, even if she hits it in the drink. Unlike Annika, should Wie have a tough day against the men she's still just a kid with an infectious metal smile.
Sure, some regular guy golfers here may mutter a little when Wie talks about wanting to knock down the gender door because it would be fun to play against men and beat them. But it's cute on ESPN and in the New York Times and it'll play in Boise.
Oh, it'll play in Boise.
Vijay's right about one thing, if nothing else. Publicity is the name of the game here, and the Albertsons guys just upstaged everybody. Annika? Nah, they've got a better draw. In the great 2003 women's movement in men's golf, the Boise Open scored biggest by getting the little girl.
Kalani Simpson can be reached at ksimpson@starbulletin.com