Ladies of the world unite New tour needed

Let us be honest. A world circuit for the men is not going to happen.

Certainly not as long as the Americans remain pre-eminent. Last week's announcement by US Tour commissioner Tim Finchem to the effect that purses over there will average #3m per week by 1999, almost guarantees that any player with even a whit of ambition will be winging his way stateside. Why go anywhere else?

Which is not a pleasant thought for European Tour executive director Ken Schofield. As his ageing band of superstars inevitably near the end of their illustrious careers, he needs the likes of Thomas Bjorn, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, and Andrew Coltart if the European Tour is not to become little more than a satellite circuit for the Americans.

Anyway, on the distaff side, everything is different. Even in the States.

The LPGA, in spite of steady growth over the last decade and a half, has suffered greatly at the hands of the Senior Tour in the competition for sponsorship dollars. Their image has not helped much either.

Only a fool would argue that the popular perception of them as a tour inhabited by more than a few lesbians has not hurt them commercially. It may not be politically correct to argue that fact, but it is true.

Outside of the States, the financial picture is even worse. The notoriously insular Japanese circuit does not do too badly, but they are so cut off from the rest of the golfing world that they, by their own wishes, are largely a race apart and therefore irrelevant.

Certainly, the Women Professional Golfers European Tour is crying out for money - and, at the moment, a new chairman. Watching the Tour Players Classic last week, it was obvious that the field of 120 contained far too many players who had no right to be there. Ninety would have been more than enough.

The numbers on the scoreboard back me up. After 36 holes, only three players were under par, a situation that did not change at the end. More horrifyingly, the field was a collective 1052 over par at the halfway stage. 1052. And preferred lies were in operation.

Equally, although the players argue that 20 events on the WPGET this year is not enough, I beg to differ. In reality it's too many. Way too many. On a world tour, Europe would have only, say, six events, a situation that would obviously increase their chances of finding bigger and better sponsors. Especially if the world's very best players were on display at all six tournaments.

Outgoing WPGET chairman and chief executive Terry Coates agrees. ''Some players feel they deserve 25 tournaments,'' he says. ''But last week was a perfect example of how difficult that is to produce.

''The Tour Players Classic was played directly opposite the McDonald's LPGA Championship in America, a tournament all of our top names were playing in. Try selling that to a prospective sponsor.''

A similar scenario in both South Africa and Australia would give us 18 tournaments. Add on a further 20 in the United States and you have a fully-blown major circuit.

''I've been saying we should have a world tour for years,'' says Pia Nilsson, coach to the Swedish national side and captain of the next European Solheim Cup side.

''It makes so much sense. The current tours could all be used as 'feeders' for the new world tour. The only problem would be breaking down American insularity.''

There she has a point. Many of the more successful Yanks - certainly the older crew - are very ''comfortable'' right now. However, as I've already said, more than half of the world tour events would be played in America. That should be enough to keep the likes of Nancy Lopez, Betsy King, Patty Sheehan, Beth Daniel, and Pat Bradley close to happy.

So, the message to all women professionals is this: if you can't beat the LPGA, join 'em. Besides, what have you got to lose? Can things really get any worse?

''It could be great,'' says Nilsson. And she's right. Let's do it ladies. Now is the time.