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SPORTS Thursday 17 November 2022
LPGA quietly setting a standard for women’s sports

By DOUG FERGUSON we had the Greater Wash-
AP Golf Writer ington Open a week after
All anyone seems to talk the U.S. Open, which was
about is money in this dis- in Baltimore,” she said. “On
ruptive year of golf, and Friday afternoon of the
the LPGA Tour should not Open, there was a note in
be left out of the conversa- the locker room that the
tion. money was put in escrow
Only this is cause for cele- because they were not
bration, not division. sure if the tournament was
The talent pool is as deep going to happen. They
as it has been in years. A couldn’t say if they would
season that concludes this have a purse.”
week at the CME Group She headed home. The
Tour Championship already prize money went from
has produced 26 winners $300,000 to $225,000, with
in 31 tournaments, 11 of the winner’s share for Ay-
whom won for the first time ako Okamoto at a whop-
on the LPGA Tour. Winners ping $33,750.
came from 14 countries. Nothing ever comes eas-
Americans led the way for ily for the LPGA, and it’s
the second straight year been that way since the
with eight titles. largest and most success-
But this week is all about Nelly Korda watches her tee shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the LPGA Pelican ful women’s sports league
money, and for good rea- Women’s Championship golf tournament at Pelican Golf Club, Sunday, Nov. 13, 2022, in Belleair, began in 1950. The league
son. The winner from the Fla. Associated Press has done it alone, without
60-player field at Tiburon any outside help from the
Golf Club in Naples, Florida, million without winning a Commissioner Mollie Mar- from the LPGA Tour with 17 men’s league.
gets $2 million, the richest tournament. coux Samaan on Friday will wins and two majors and The late Mickey Wright,
prize ever in women’s golf. The LPGA has never had announce a 2023 schedule now works as a CBS golf who carried women’s golf
That’s more than the total more than 17 players make that will push the total prize analyst. Her rookie season with a game considered
prize fund of 15 tourna- more than $1 million in one money to more than $100 was 1988, when the total the greatest in LPGA histo-
ments on the LPGA Tour season, a record estab- million for the first time. prize fund for the year was ry, once spoke about play-

schedule, and it’s nearly lished in 2017. This year, at The increase is incremental just under $10 million. That’s ers effectively running the
10 times as much as the least 24 players will make the total purse was a re- what the U.S. Women’s entire tour, from setting up
highest base salary in the seven figures. cord $93.5 million this year Open purse was this year. the courses to administer-
WNBA. All the more remarkable is for 32 tournaments and Pepper still remembers ing the rules.
At least six players are as- that it comes two years af- comes mainly from the big- when the Centel Classic One of the founders, the
sured of going over $2 mil- ter the LPGA Tour made it gest events. began in 1990 as the first $1 late Marilyn Smith, told of
lion for the year, which is through the COVID-19 pan- But it’s a benchmark num- million purse for a regular going to a boxing match
twice as many as the pre- demic a credit to former ber. LPGA Tour event. “Six digits with Shirley Spork in one
vious record set in 2019 Commissioner Mike Whan “And the fact the LPGA has for a payout got your at- city, where they were to

and 2014. Hye-Jin Choi, an for building up the reserves done it all on its own is even tention,” she said. climb into the ring between
LPGA rookie from South Ko- and has come out stronger more remarkable,” said And there were leaner rounds and speak to the
rea, already has topped $2 than ever. Dottie Pepper, who retired times. “I remember in 1988 crowd. q

World Cup players get protection from social media abuse

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — FIFA enforce rules against harm- report discrimination and Spain striker Alvaro Morata chance against Poland
and the global soccer play- ful posts. Twitter was not threats “to social networks received death threats on- during last year’s European
ers union have launched a mentioned in the FIFA news and law authorities for real- line after missing a great Championship.q
moderation service aimed release providing details of world action against those
at protecting World Cup the project, which was first who break rules,” FIFA said.
players from abuse on so- announced in June and is The scope of hate speech
cial media during the tour- conducted together with aimed at soccer players
nament. players union FIFPRO. was detailed by FIFA in
FIFA said Wednesday that “Teams, players and other June from research during
the more than 830 play- individual participants will the previous year at later
ers in Qatar can access a also be able to opt-in to a stages of the European
“dedicated monitoring, moderation service that will Championship and African
reporting and moderation instantly hide abusive and Cup of Nations.
service” that aims to filter offensive comments on It said half of all those play-
hate speech targeted at Facebook, Instagram and ers received some kind of
them. YouTube, preventing them discriminatory abuse and
The World Cup starts Sun- from being seen by the re- most of that from their
day, just days after Twitter cipient and their followers,” home country. FIFA said
fired a swath of contractors soccer’s world body said. then that “homophobic
working on content mod- The project will monitor so- and racist comments ac- The Twitter logo is seen on a cell phone, Friday, Oct. 14, 2022, in
eration teams that were cial media accounts of all counted for nearly 80% of Boston.
tracking hate and trying to World Cup participants and the abuse.” Associated Press