ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Key LPGA players have spoken: It's time for commissioner Carolyn Bivens to go.

As many as 15 top players met with player directors July 2 during the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic to discuss the state of the tour and its leadership.

Golfweek.com

From event coverage to commentary to fantasy tips, Golfweek.com provides all you'll ever need to be up to speed on the world of golf. A letter then was sent to the LPGA Board of Directors calling for Bivens' resignation and an establishment of new leadership, a player who received a copy of the letter told Golfweek on Monday. Players stated in the letter that all of the tour's problems can't be blamed on a poor economy and expressed a desire to rebuild relationships with longtime sponsors. Those players in favor of Bivens' resignation attached their names to the note. It was uncertain late Monday how many players support the resignation.

Messages left Monday with Bivens were not immediately returned. David Higdon, the LPGA's chief of communications, said via e-mail that Bivens was unavailable. Higdon would not comment about the letter.

The meeting — attended by such star players as Lorena Ochoa, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel, Cristie Kerr and Natalie Gulbis — came on the heels of last week's announcement that the Kapalua LPGA Classic, slated for Oct. 15-18, won't be held because of a lack of a title sponsor.

It's the latest blow to a tour that has lost seven tournaments since 2007, including three staged in Hawaii. Six more events are sponsorless, including this year's China LPGA, an IMG-run event scheduled for the week after the now-defunct Kapalua.

"In the beginning of the year, I was like whatever," Jeong Jang said of the tour's early troubles. "Now, I'm really worried about it."


Several prominent LPGA players have called Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens' leadership capabilities into question. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

At a general player meeting in Springfield, Ill., last month, players were told that 10 contracts had been signed for 2010. Katherine Hull said tensions among the players "are mounting more every week."

"We're getting to the point where we don't know who to believe, which is hard," Hull said. "When tournaments that have been very loyal to us start withdrawing, that's really a red flag to me."

Gail Graham, a former LPGA player and current president of the Tournament Owners Association, said the tour needs to be more flexible in its negotiations, particularly with "bread and butter events" like the Wegmans LPGA and Jamie Farr.

"Something needs to give," Graham said. "Whether that's a change in leadership isn't up to me or the tournaments. It's up to the players."

Bivens has two years remaining on her contract. If her fate is left up to a vote by the 13-member Board of Directors, players would have the upper hand if all seven were to vote as a bloc. The board has six independent directors.

Contracts have expired for the Jamie Farr and Wegmans LPGA, two long-standing events. Wegmans tournament director Linda Hampton said the two parties are nowhere near making a decision about the Rochester event's future. Farr's 25-year run also remains uncertain.

"We have respect for (Bivens') vision," Hampton said. "What we have difficulty in is keeping pace with her vision, especially in this economy."

I hope everything turns out ok. If Bivens is not being flexible in negotiations with sponsors in these tough times then I can see wanting to have her removed.

Well, from day one I thought this would happen with her.

Supposedly there is now a letter signed by the players mentioned requesting that she resign.

Classic mistakes from someone who "thinks" they have the power on their side

Pissing people off is rarely a good negotiating tactic.

Later,

Very well stated,,,,,,,,,,

If there is such a thing as a good time for bad news, then this is it for LPGA commissioner Carolyn Bivens. With a letter signed by 15 prominent players calling for the commissioner's resignation freshly in the hands of Board chair Dawn Hudson the tour enters what amounts to a media black hole. While sources close to the situation say Bivens has no intention of resigning, that may become a decision that is not in her hands, but rather that of the Board.

Amid reports that some of the LPGA Tour's star players want commissioner Carolyn Bivens to resign, Bivens is open to taking a buyout, SportsBusiness Journal reported Thursday on its Web site.


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With the latest reports, it appears the demise of LPGA Tour commissioner Carolyn Bivens may be at hand. Ron Sirak

Citing "sources close to the situation," SportsBusiness Journal reported the tour's board of directors has permitted a golf industry executive to contact potential candidates to replace Bivens.

LPGA spokesman David Higdon declined to comment Tuesday on reports that more than a dozen players sent a letter to the LPGA Tour's board urging Bivens to step down, telling The Associated Press in an e-mail he couldn't comment on internal matters.

Higdon said the tour is focused "first and foremost" this week on the U.S. Women's Open at Saucon Valley Country Club outside Philadelphia, but added that the tour and its board take seriously any topic raised by the players.


[+] EnlargeRobert Laberge/Getty Images
Top LPGA Tour players want a new commissioner who would rebuild relationships with sponsors.
The tour has lost seven tournaments since 2007. On Monday, Golfweek Magazine reported that key players said in the letter the tour's woes cannot be blamed on a poor economy and that the LPGA needs a new leader to rebuild relationships with sponsors.

According to SportsBusiness Journal, Bivens is owed approximately $1 million for the final two years of a three-year extension she received in 2008.

Former U.S. Women's Open champion Cristie Kerr read a statement earlier this week asking the media to restrict questions to the event, golf -- and her wine making.

Because Kerr doesn't hold an official position with the players' organization, she said she couldn't speak on LPGA operations. She did point out that the players' organization is focused on how the dismal economy is affecting the tour.

The players are working with tour officials to create the best possible product for tour partners and fans, said Kerr, who never was asked about her wine making.

Amid mounting criticism over her leadership of the L.P.G.A. Tour, Commissioner Carolyn Bivens has decided to step down after the United States Women's Open, according to a person with knowledge of the situation and multiple published reports. Bivens, 56, originally planned to fight efforts to force her out through the L.P.G.A. board of directors, according to the individual, but she changed her mind when presented with a letter requesting her resignation signed by 15 tour stars, including Lorena Ochoa, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer and Se Ri Pak.

Good decision,,,,,,,,,,,