A pro's viewpoint

~Dalhousie touring professional Karen Stupples spent the weekend in Cape Girardeau, while the LPGA had a break. She returns to the tour this week with a final tuneup before the U.S. Women's Open begins June 29. She answered a few questions about issues facing women's golf.

Southeast Missourian: Three LPGA Tour officials resigned earlier this month, and the tour has had seven executives resign since Carolyn Bivens took over from Ty Votaw as commissioner last September. What's your reaction to the turnover in the front office and how it will affect the tour?

Stupples: I think for the LPGA to move forward as an organization, I think these steps have to be taken, for the benefit of the players as much as anything else. I think that Bevins is a different character to Ty, and she has a different demeanor to her, but everything you're seeing is for the good of the tour and the good of the players.

In all fairness, I've never served on the board and I've only been to player meetings and really I haven't had the insight into the inside workings as to what was going on, particularly when I first came out. When I first came out, I just tried to keep my head down and play golf. All I was doing was trying to survive.

Now as I get older and I have seen a few things, and I think the past few years, the direction the tour is going is a very positive one, obviously, with the interest in the young players coming up.

Southeast Missourian: You've seen plenty of growth in the tour.

Stupples: The galleries get bigger and bigger every year, and just the general interest in the game is a very encouraging thing. The TV figures are up.

You've got the young girls coming up who are pretty and very talented. They've got the whole package. And with the American tour, it's important that they're American girls.

Anybody who watches the LPGA knows there's something for everybody. You've got international players that give you a huge fan base all over the world. There's different storylines week in and week out. It's an interesting tour for that.

Southeast Missourian: You have often spoke positively of the younger players coming up and embraced them.

Stupples: We have to. We were all there once, too. I do think the younger players now are lucky that they have access to good coaching and everything from a younger age. For me, it wasn't until I came out here on tour that I had access to some of those things.

Southeast Missourian: One of those younger players, Michelle Wie, received an exemption to the U.S. Women's Open that has created some controversy.

Stupples: With regards to the U.S. Open, I don't think she should've been given an exemption. I think she hasn't earned her spot in that tournament yet. I don't know why they would give her the exemption. She should be made to go out and get out and get it like everyone else has to.

There's no doubt in my mind she has a talent and she's a fantastic player, and it shouldn't have been any big deal for her to qualify. Everybody else has to go through it.

There's no doubt she's a huge draw, and I can't blame the USGA for wanting her to play, but for them to give her an exemption ... did they not think she was going to make it? She should have made it through any qualifier she went to. They just didn't want to take that chance.

Southeast Missourian: What's your opinion on Wie playing in men's events?

Stupples: It's entirely up to her. She hasn't won yet on the female side, and I think her first priority ought to be trying to win in the women's arena first. Winning on the men's tour, I don't know if that's reachable or not for her. She could certainly play on the men's tour. If her goal is just to go out there and be OK, have at it. If she wants to be a winner and a champion, I think she's barking up the wrong tree with the men's tour. More power to her, I guess.

Southeast Missourian: The LPGA Tour, although it's struggled with popularity at times in the United States, now has events in Asia and Mexico and draws players from all over the world. How come another tour such as the Ladies European Tour, hasn't become a primary tour?

Stupples: Europe in general is in a different financial situation than you guys over here. There's not as much help given to people in a high tax bracket. The economics of Europe, it's a tough thing now with everybody going to the one currency. Everybody is just still trying to find their feet and trying to get going, so no matter how good a player you get, it's very difficult to find companies to make the commitment to have a tour that corresponds to what you're able to achieve over here.

I think the LPGA is more of a world tour with all the countries we play in. You could describe the LPGA as a world tour with a base in America.