LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler has apologized to his membership following the controversial cancellation of Sunday\u2019s final round of the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.<\/p>\n
With sub-freezing temperatures rolling through the Orlando, Florida, area last weekend, the LPGA decided around lunchtime Sunday to shorten the event to 54 holes, citing lack of an \u201coptimal competitive environment.\u201d However, the organization drew heavy criticism for incomplete and inconsistent messaging, failing to specify what exactly kept the LPGA pros from competing while celebrities were allowed to play nine holes and why a Monday finish wouldn\u2019t have been possible with improving weather conditions forecasted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know why they\u2019re not playing,\u201d said Annika Sorenstam, a celebrity competitor and longtime member of Lake Nona Golf and Country, which was forced to clarify the LPGA\u2019s initial cancellation statement: \u201cCourse conditions are not impacting play; weather conditions are the determining factor for competitive play to resume.\u201d<\/p>\n
The LPGA sent out another statement Sunday evening, saying \u201cthe combination of cold temperatures, wind, shaded areas and, in some cases, hardened ground made it increasingly difficult to ensure fair and consistent playing conditions.\u201d Yet, eight players were sent out around 2 p.m. Sunday to finish their third rounds, and the tour still did not explain its inability to extend the tournament into another day, especially considering the LPGA\u2019s next event doesn\u2019t start until Feb. 19.<\/p>\n
While all this unfolded, the LPGA compounded the issue by not making leadership available to reporters on site on Sunday, outside of a brief interview of Ricki Lasky, the LPGA\u2019s chief tour business and operations officer, on the NBC Sports telecast.<\/p>\n
In a memo sent to players, Kessler took full responsibility for the debacle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI made the decision to limit the event to 54 holes, worried that our athletes might be injured given the way record overnight low temperatures hardened the course,\u201d Kessler wrote. \u201cWhile the decision was a tough one and ran counter to prior statements we shared, I made a judgement call. With the benefit of hindsight, there were clearly other ways we should have managed the situation. I recognize this decision, and others we made in real time, were confusing and disappointing to our fans. And our communication around the decision wasn\u2019t clear or timely enough. Your frustration is valid \u2013 I own that, and I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kessler noted two areas of improvement:<\/p>\n
\u2022 Establishing clearer principles for play decisions in challenging situations, including strengthening weekly contingency planning.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Communicating faster, more clearly, and with better real-time information.<\/p>\n