Monday, April 19, 2004 | 9:35 a.m.
It definitely came a day late. It's wait-and-see on the dollar short part.
Howling wind, unseasonable cold and a sprinkle of rain thinned an already thin crowd Saturday at the $1.1 million LPGA Takefuji Classic long before Cristie Kerr ended a seven-hour round with an easy par on the seventh playoff hole to defeat Seol-An Jeon for her second career victory.
The end of the tournament finally produced the drama that tournament organizers hoped would offset a field missing the sport's biggest names, but it happened a bit too late to draw casual golf fans out of the casinos and onto the course at Las Vegas Country Club.
But even though attendance appeared to suffer a bit from the absences of Annika Sorenstam, Se Ri Pak, Karrie Webb and teen prodigy Michelle Wie, tournament organizers expressed cautious optimism that the LPGA event will remain in Las Vegas beyond 2005. Next year is the final one in a three-year commitment from title sponsor Takefuji, a Japanese banking company.
Ava Kawana, spokesperson for tournament organizer AJ Sports, said that Takefuji's considerations go well beyond the gallery.
"Just because there's less attendance would not hurt the sponsor coming back," Kawana said.
Preliminary discussions between AJ Sports and Takefuji have begun. Kawana hopes that, in an ideal situation, negotiations can be completed by the end of the year.
"That would be our goal," Kawana said. "We have a lot of things to sort out, and the primary is obviously the sponsor, and then we'll start talking to the golf course."
Kawana said that Takefuji conducts no business through the tournament, so there is little financial consideration in how many people attend it. The company, Kawana said, wants to support the LPGA and have a good American venue and golf event to entertain for a week every year. Takefuji moved the tournament from Hawaii to Las Vegas after its first three years.
"They're not looking for anything in return," Kawana said. "Mr. Take, or Takefuji, they have their own volleyball team in Japan, so they're very sports-oriented. They like supporting the LPGA, even if they don't do any business here."
Kawana declined to forecast the tournament's chances of remaining in Las Vegas beyond next year, saying that it is entirely up to Takefuji and its desire to continue its sponsorship. Indications are strong that should Takefuji decide to keep sponsoring the event, it will remain in Las Vegas.
"The course is great, the Hilton's great and everything's located so centrally that it works out," Kawana said.
The LPGA's history in Las Vegas is transient at best, making the prospect of the Takefuji entering its final year as a lame duck all the more unsettling to local fans. In the past 40 years, there have been 12 different incarnations of a women's professional golf event in Las Vegas. None has lasted more than five years.
Last year's tournament featured a stronger overall field and the drawing power of Sorenstam, who was only a few weeks from embarking on her appearance in the PGA's Colonial event. With a week off both before and after the Takefuji this year, Sorenstam and others opted for a three-week layoff after the season's first four events, which all took place back-to-back. The LPGA traditionally takes off the week of the Masters, accounting for the week off before the Takefuji.
"It's kind of a tough spot being that they have a week before and a week after," said tour pro Natalie Gulbis, who lives at Lake Las Vegas. "I don't know what they'll do about that, but they still got a lot of the top players here and I think the top players are going to continue to come back here."
Kawana blamed the star absences as the main reason for smaller crowds.
"I think it's just because Annika is not here," Kawana said. "One of the first two questions we're asked: Is Annika coming and is Michelle Wie here? I think that's why there might be less people.
"Every tournament's the same. They want Annika, they want Se Ri, they want Michelle Wie. So, we're no different. Unfortunately, the LPGA didn't schedule a tournament in back of us ... without that tournament in back of us, it hurts."
Local organizers stepped up marketing efforts this year, enlisting local players Gulbis and Stephanie Louden to take part in advertising campaigns and media opportunities. Tournament director Jim Webb said before the tournament that about 1,000 tickets were sold in advance, but that he hoped to draw in fans at the last second with increased advertising.
Still, for all the good progress made, there is more that can be done to make the actual event itself more fan-friendly, Gulbis said.
"Maybe just more things to do when the people are out here," Gulbis said. "Some of our events -- we had a Safeway event -- they had, like, a kids' zone and a fun area, big food area, maybe just something like that. I think they're on the right track."
"It's got to be so it gives all parts of the family something to do," Gulbis said. "It's stuff like this (points at booths), they need more of these things. People love getting free stuff, learning about stuff, different venues and stuff like that."
Local organizers are also hampered by the tournament's schedule, as there is only one weekend day as opposed to most events that finish on Sunday. The event runs from Thursday to Saturday to accommodate the Japanese TV audience, who actually sees a Friday-to-Sunday tournament.
Those who watched all the way to the end this year saw a great battle -- mostly between Kerr and herself. Kerr, 26, built a four-stroke lead with six holes to play, only to give it all back three holes later, catch a break on Jeon's bogey at No. 16 and finally fall into a playoff by missing a 3-foot par putt on the final regulation hole.
Kerr and Jeon traded pars for six holes before Jeon faltered on the seventh one, ending the battle of attrition.
"In this particular playoff, because it was getting a lot colder and it was getting windier, I think it was just a matter of survival," Kerr said.
Much like the tournament itself.
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