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 A former senior vice president and associate publisher of USA Today, Bivens, 52, brings media and advertising expertise to her new position, something she says will help solidify the LPGA Tour for years to come. We caught up with the former Los Angeles resident at the media day for the Office Depot Championship, which will be held September 30-October 2 at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes. Why has it taken so long for the LPGA to choose a woman commissioner? “I’m not sure if I’m the right person to answer that, since I haven’t been here the whole time, but I think if you look back at the history of the tour every commissioner has been chosen with specific objectives in mind. And I think at this point in time the tour is a viable entity with solid sponsors and they were looking for someone with media and business credentials to make it an even more thriving enterprise. The LPGA is the most successful organization of women athletes in the world. Why is that? “This is the only sport where a woman can not only earn a living but do it for 30 years. And it’s something that all women can identify with because we have the whole spectrum, from teenagers to women with daughters balancing career and family. It’s a 30-year pipeline of players who are still capable of competing at the highest level. Former commissioner Ty Votaw was quite outspoken about the need for LPGA members to embrace their feminine sides as a way to make the tour more appealing to a wider audience. Do you agree with that? “Yes. The women on tour are a microcosm of women in general, and no matter who you are there’s someone on tour you can associate with. You have highly personable golfers who love dressing in colorful outfits, to more conservative golfers who are more matter-of-fact, and everything in between. How important is Southern California to the future of the LPGA in terms of contributing players? “This is one of the few places in the world where it’s possible to play golf year-round, so you’ll obviously see women from here continually joining the tour. But we’re getting players from everywhere: internationally, sports management schools, universities across the country. Title IX has done so much to open the game up to so many women, and the tour will continue to benefit from that. The Kraft Nabisco is the LPGA’s first major and the Samsung World Championship, which will be held at Bighorn Country Club in Palm Desert in October, features one of the tour’s most elite fields. Where does the Office Depot Championship fit in? As a longtime California resident and fan, I am well aware of what the Office Depot has meant for Los Angeles and golf as a whole. History has been made here by a lot of the stars who helped put the LPGA on the map, as well as those that are coming up. Karrie Webb, who is a member of the World Hall of Fame and the LPGA Hall of Fame, has won this tournament a couple of times. Three out of the past four tournaments have been won by Annika Sorenstam. It is going to be incredibly exciting to find out what new history is written, what records are broken. N OFFICE DEPOT MOVES LPGA EVENT TO TRUMP NATIONAL After stops at Wilshire Country Club and El Caballero Country Club the past three years, the Office Depot Championship will be played at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes. Annika Sorenstam will attempt to win the seven-year-old event for the third consecutive time — and fourth overall — when the tournament begins September 30. “It always is a great feeling to be a defending champion,” Sorenstam said. “I have had a lot of success in Los Angeles. The Office Depot is one of the bigger tournaments we have on the schedule. I have not had a chance to play Mr. Trump’s course in L.A., but I am sure it is going to be fabulous. I am excited to have the opportunity to win this tournament for the third time in a row. It is going to be a historical moment for me.” Trump said all work at the course will be finished by the day of the first practice round (September 26) and that golfers would be able to use a preliminary driving range that is under construction. Daily tickets for the three-round event are $25 ($15 for seniors). Weekly badges, which include access to the two-day pro-am are $75 ($60 for seniors). For more information, call (310) 544-0602 or visit www.officedepotchampionship.com or call 310-544-0602. — JOEL BEERS |
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