LPGA Head Admits Responsibility for Solheim Cup Transportation Mishap
Mollie Marcoux Samaan, the commissioner of the LPGA, took full responsibility on Saturday for the transportation debacle that caused delays for fans trying to attend the Solheim Cup.
Attendees who paid $30 to park in the designated lot were forced to wait for over two hours for shuttle buses to take them to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Va. As a result, many fans missed a significant portion of the morning foursomes session.
When asked about who was in charge of transportation planning, Marcoux Samaan stated, "I don't want to get into the details of responsibility. At the end of the day, I am the leader of the organization and I have to take ownership. We have a tournament team that handles these things, but as the leader of the LPGA, I need to own it."
The commissioner did not disclose the exact number of buses in use on Friday morning and later in the day, but admitted that there were not enough to accommodate the influx of fans.
In addition to the shortage of buses, Marcoux Samaan also acknowledged that there was a lack of staff to load the buses and communicate with fans, and that the staging area was not efficient.
However, on Saturday morning, fans were met with an abundance of buses to shuttle them to the event.
"I think the fans had a great time once they arrived," Marcoux Samaan said. "While it was disappointing and we are not happy with what happened, I don't think it will have a long-term impact. We need to make sure our fans know how much we care about them and how much we failed."
According to Golfweek, impacted fans received an email with an apology and two complimentary weekend tickets. Many also requested a refund for both the parking and entry fee. Golfweek reported that event tickets, not including parking, were priced at $110.
