24 Tourneys on 2010 LPGA Schedule

The best thing that can be said about the 2010 LPGA Tour schedule, announced Wednesday morning, is that it's not as bad as it could have been. It's not as bad as it appeared it might be a couple months ago, while Carolyn Bivens was still on the job as commissioner.

The post-Bivens LPGA leadership has done a good job salvaging - and "salvage" is the right word - a schedule for 2010 that includes 24 tournaments. Thirty-four were played in 2007, 31 were scheduled for 2009 but only 27 tournaments surived to actually be played this year.

So 24 continues that downward trend. But a couple months back making it to 20 appeared doubtful.

Among returning events, six cut their purses:

• Honda LPGA Thailand: From $1.45M to $1.3M
• HSBC Women's Champions: From $2.0M to $1.3M
• Tres Marias (formerly Corona Championship): From $1.3M to $1.2M
• Jamie Farr: From $1.4M to $1.0M
• Safeway Classic: From $1.7M to $1.5M
• Mizuno Classic: From $1.4M to $1.2M

Searching for silver linings: Five returning events did increase their purses, including the Women's British Open, which goes from $2.2M to $2.5M; and the LPGA Tour Championship, from $1.5M to $2.0M. Overall, with fewer tournaments scheduled (and some payouts not yet determined), there is significantly less money up for grabs in the 2010 schedule compared to 2009.

Only six tournaments are on the schedule prior to June, while nine are scheduled in September or later. That's backwards - when American football season starts, golf's audience quickly shrinks. But at least the LPGA does have something close to a full schedule in June and July, when the golf audience is the largest in the U.S.

More searching for bright spots: It's possible the LPGA could add another couple events before the 2010 season gets under way. There are tournaments and sponsors the tour is known to have been negotiating with who do not appear on the 2010 schedule; the tour isn't going to just give up now that a schedule announcement has been released. It will keep talking to any interested parties. We can hope, at least, that those talks might lead to another event or two. Another win by Michelle Wie this week - or even one in December at the LET's Dubai Ladies Masters - would be a great help.

View the 2010 LPGA schedule