Full LET 2009 survey results

Last updated: 15th December 2009

A detailed breakdown of the answers revealed in the exclusive survey Golf365 conducted with the players of the Ladies European Tour:

How many friends and followers have you got on Facebook and Twitter?

Highest: 1220
Lowest: 0
Average: 366
Best response: "Absolutely none. I refuse to Facebook or to Twitter. Is that even a verb?"

If players teed off to their favourite song (as Anna Rawson suggested), what song by which band/artist would you choose?

Most popular band/artists:
First: Black Eyed Peas
Second: Coldplay
Third: Eminem
Most popular song: "I Got a Feeling" by Black Eyed Peas
Most popular genre: R&B/pop

Would you rather win Olympic gold, the US Open or the British Open?

Olympic Gold: 20%
US Open: 6%
British Open: 57%
All three: 17%
Best responses: "I can't win them all?"
"British Open I think, that's what I grew up wanting to win before we could play in the Olympics."

Which current Olympian would you most like to accidentally-on-purpose get chatting to in the Athletes' village?

Most popular selection: Usain Bolt
Second most popular: Roger Federer
Best response: "Usain Bolt to see if he is eating his chicken nuggets still."
Leftfield suggestions:"I was a Daley Thompson fan, few will know him but if he were there I'd like to tell him how much I loved his Commadore 64 Computer game."
"Tom Daley."
"Antonio Rossi" (An Italian sprint canoeist who won three gold medals in five Olympic games.)
"Gold medallist in shooting Abhinav Bindra." (India's first individual gold medal winner at Beijing in 2008.)

If you were given total freedom to get creative, what one thing would you do to boost the promotion of ladies' golf? (e.g. change a tournament format, marketing, TV coverage, publicity, etc.)

Most common requests: better TV coverage and the return of both matchplay and mixed events
Best responses: "More publicity on TV, girls doing advertisements etc. so that (the fans) could get to know the ladies better and associate them with the LET. And DEFINITELY an attached charity that the pros visually participate in assisting with regularly."
"Make like a red carpet with awards in the last tournament of the year."
"TV needs really interesting features and facts, funny interviews, good and useful comments from the TV commentators, from on and off the course as well as inside the rope, commentators to be more interactive with the players. Golf on TV can get very boring and I think we can change that."
"I think similar to ladies tennis - get them to style well and show how attractive ladies golf can be."

Is professional golf more/less sexist than club golf?

More: 33%
Less: 38%
Same: 4%
No answer: 25%
Best responses: "Pro golf is much less sexist than club golf, too many courses are still in the dark ages."
"Club Golf is more sexist. Although we don't play with the (professional) men every week and our game is not like theirs, they know we can play the game and they support women's golf. As long as we don't come and get an invite in one of their tournaments ..."
"About the same, pretty sexist. The difference in prize money shows how sexist it is. We play the same amount of rounds as the men in most tournaments. In the tennis majors they only play best out of 3 and get nearly the same as the men, who play best out of 5."
"I haven't played club golf in SO MANY years that I would have no idea, however the difference in prize-funds do speak volumes!!"

Would you be in favour of banning caddies from correcting player alignment - yes or no?

Yes: 45%
No: 55%
Best responses FOR: "YES, if you can't line yourself up then work harder to make sure you can."
"YES, alignment is part of the game and it makes players so SLOWWWWW."
"Absolutely. If you can't line yourself up you shouldn't be playing golf."
"Yes I'd agree to that, if a professional golfer can't line themselves up they shouldn't be there."
Best responses AGAINST: "No, even though I don't use it, I feel if that is what the player needs, then fine as she has to hit the shot herself eventually ..."
"Absolutely not!! (I am VERY partial to that, a caddy is a GREAT part of our game, including that particular aspect, especially on our more difficult days.)"

Would you (or have you) ever considered entering a European/PGA Tour event?

Yes: 25%
No: 75%
Best responses: "It would be an amazing experience."
"No, would never enter or consider it, we can not hit the ball anywhere near as long as the men, the difference in strength is too great."
"I don't see the harm in playing one just to see what it's like but only as a one off."
"Not unless it was co-sanctioned with ALL of the professionals."

Will Michelle Wie have won a major by the end of 2012 - yes or no?

Yes: 83%
No: 13%
No answer: 4%
Best responses: "Sorry, couldn't care less."
"Michelle has every potential and the talent to do so, but the mind is a powerful tool as we all know and that will determine that."

What is the most expensive item you have bought specifically to wear on the course?

Most popular answers:
Joint first: Sunglasses and shoes
Third: Jewellery
Other answers: Shorts, fleece, belt, contact lenses.

Who is the best dressed player ON the course?

Joint winners: Rebecca Coakley and Paula Marti
Least impressed respondent: "Everyone looks the same."

And who is the best dressed player OFF the course?

Winner: Beatriz Recari
Nobel Peace Prize goes to: "I'll be diplomatic and say everyone has their moments!!!!"

Who is the BEST dancer/mover on tour?

Winner: Emma Cabrera Bello
Best responses: "No idea, best singer is Beth Allen."
"Don't know, all I know it is not me."
"The Frenchies in all the tours!!!!!"
"Diana showed her moves and Tutta (Pettersen) shows how high she can jump and rock it."
Least impressed respondent #2: "We don't have time to dance, we are practicing."

And who is the WORST dancer/mover on tour?

Biggest bombing question of the survey: This one. They're a polite bunch: no nominations.
Most self-effacing responses: "I would be up there."
"I am pretty good at the cement shoe dance."
"I can't be mean ..."

What's your favourite course on tour?

Most popular selections:
First: Losone, Switzerland
Second: Portmarnock Links, Ireland
Third: Emirates, Dubai

Who is the best ball-striker on tour?

Becky Brewerton
Honourable second: Carmen Alonso

Who has the best short-game on tour?

Diana Luna
Smartest response: "Someone who misses a lot of greens ..."

Who is the best putter on tour?

Rebecca Hudson

Who is the best player yet to win on tour?

Runaway selection: Melissa Reid
Respondent who was on holiday in midsummer: "Diana Luna"
Most honest response: "I don't even know who wins half the time."

If you could have any golfer or celebrity from the past or present to caddie for you for one round who would it be?

Most popular answers:
First - Tiger Woods
Second - Roger Federer
Interesting alternatives: Nancy Lopez, Seve, Jack Nicklaus, Ellen DeGeneres, Kevin James.
Best responses: "God ... I'm pretty sure he'll give me the right club."
"Brad Pitt shirtless so I didn't care about my golf!"
"Sergio Garcia, I'm sure I could work my charm with him."

Who's your favourite - Mickelson or Woods?

Tiger Woods: 63%
Phil Mickelson: 34%
Neither: 3%
Best responses: "Right now it is Mickelson, ha ha. No, still Woods, even though I'm very disappointed."
"Mickelson ... or haven't you read the news lately?"
"Woods has dropped many places now for me ..."
"After this week...!!! Mickelson."

Lady Gaga or Madonna?

Lady Gaga: 25%
Madonna: 62%
Neither: 13%
Best response: "Are you serious??? Both equally bad."

The Wire or 24?

The Wire: 13%
24: 44%
Neither: 43%
Suggested alternative: "Criminal Minds."

Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton?

Barack Obama: 55%
Hillary Clinton: 45%
Best responses: "Hillary, even though I did think Obama would be on top of his game."
"As I'm a democrat either are fine with me, though I must say I'm a Hillary fan."

The X Factor or The Apprentice?

The X Factor: 44%
The Apprentice: 19%
Strictly Come Dancing: 6%
Neither: 31%

And finally, are you a leaderboard watcher or do you keep your head down?

Leaderboard watcher: 56%
Head down: 13%
Depends: 31%
Best responses: "WATCHER!"
"Leaderboard watcher, probably should keep my head down."
"Leaderboard watcher on the 18th only."
"Depends if my name is up there or not."
"Watcher ... sometimes a good and bad thing."
"Scoreboard watcher for sure. I think it's important to know where you're standing in the event."

Many thanks to the Ladies European Tour, to the LET media manager Bethan Cutler and to all the players who responded.