Women’s Professional Golf Aims To Keep Pace Amid Sports Boom

Women’s sports are riding a wave of unprecedented momentum these days. Arenas and stadiums are packed, while television ratings are reaching record heights. From the WNBA to women’s college hoops to the National Women’s Soccer League and the Women’s World Cup, fans are showing up and tuning in.Where women’s professional golf fits in that wave ranges from data showing continual growth in golf participation by women to concerns that more can be done to attract additional fans and television viewers.In advance of the 80th Women’s U.S. Open set to begin Thursday at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, the USGA’s CEO, Michael Whan, boasted about the rising impact of women in golf in general. He pointed to data from the National Golf Foundation showing nearly one-third of the 47 million Americans playing golf are women, and that women make up 60 percent of the growth in the sport since the pandemic.“If women’s golf were a stock, you’d buy it because it’s what’s driving our game,” Mr. Whan told reporters at Erin Hills. “If the NGF were sitting up here and you asked why is the game taking off, the first comment they would give you is women in the game.”While the overall number of women playing golf is increasing, interest in women’s professional golf is in a slow and steady climb. The average viewership of LPGA Tour Golf is 811,000, up from a low of 490,000 at this time two years ago. Women’s majors normally attract about 1 million viewers. By comparison, the men’s 2025 PGA Championship drew an average of 4.7 million for the final round, which was down 4 percent from last year. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark’s 2025 season debut with the Indiana Fever against the Chicago Sky drew 2.7 million viewers and was the most-watched WNBA regular-season game in 25 years.To improve ratings, the incoming LPGA commissioner, Craig Kessler, wants to streamline the LPGA Tour broadcasts to the fewest possible outlets. The LPGA’s media rights deal is secured through 2030, with the majority of its tournaments to be aired on Golf Channel and select others on CBS, NBC, and their various platforms.For instance, the first two rounds of the U.S. Open are on the USA Network between noon and 6 p.m. EDT and Peacock between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Peacock (1 p.m. to 6 p.m.) and NBC ( 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.) share the third round, while the final round is on NBC and Peacock between 2 p.m. and 7 p.m.Mr. Kessler said an easy ability to find where LPGA events are being televised is essential to “build a fan base that knows where to find the action and can go from watching the action to rooting for it. That’s when women’s golf will be fully maximized.”The LPGA has several stars to feature at this weekend’s U.S. Open. Nelly Korda is a two-time major champion, but hasn’t won in seven starts this season. Lydia Ko can become the eighth golfer in LPGA history to complete the career Grand Slam if she wins. The defending champion, Yuka Saso, is attempting to be just the seventh golfer to win the tournament three times.“It’s very demanding off the tee with all the bunkers,” Ms. Korda said of the golf course. “The bunkers are not easy. Sometimes you just don’t even have a stance in them because they’re so small.”Ms. Korda, the reigning LPGA Player of the Year, went viral in November when she played nine holes with Ms. Clark during the pro-am before Annika Sorenstam’s tournament in Florida. A packed gallery and the Golf Channel were on hand to chronicle the day. “To see the influence that she has on people, bringing people out there and to see how amazing of an influence she is just for sports was really cool to see firsthand,” Ms. Korda said in November.You couldn’t blame her if she is a bit envious. While television ratings are slightly on the uptick, women’s golf isn’t drawing the type of viewership other women’s sports like basketball and tennis receive. Some believe there’s a disconnect at the grassroots level. Women’s Golf Day, a global initiative aimed at creating a comfortable environment where women can explore and enjoy the game of golf, is celebrating its 10th anniversary this weekIt started as a one-day event and has evolved into a week-long opportunity where 1,300 locations across 84 countries are introducing women to golf through lessons, stress-free pairings, and social networking.“After playing golf, women will talk about their experience while men talk about their performance,” Women’s Golf Day’s founder, Elisa Gaudet, told The New York Sun. “That’s the beauty of the sport. People want fun entertainment and enjoyment. It’s all about making people feel comfortable.”Ms. Gaudet points out that while men will watch what the pros are wearing and the clubs they use and purchase the same at their nearest pro shops, women don’t normally have that connection with the LPGA.Mr. Kessler is hoping to improve that. Formerly the chief operating officer of the PGA of America, he replaces Molly Marcoux Samaan, who held the position for three and a half years. Golfweek reported that members of the LPGA believed Ms. Marcoux Samaan was allowing the women’s tour to lag behind other women’s sports. The LPGA’s 2025 schedule includes the same number of events as last year, 33, with a total prize increase of just $3.6 million.Ms. Kessler said four keys to improving the LPGA Tour are: building trust with sponsors, players, and fans that promises will be met; building fan loyalty to specific players; achieving financial stability; and increasing player visibility on and off the course. This means, “making sure that the incredible stars the LPGA has who leave it on the course week-in and week-out are actually visible,” Mr. Kessler said, “and that goes beyond the broadcasts.”The Caitlin Clark of golf could be in the making. Data from the NGF show the number of women’s junior golfers has grown from 15 percent of the total a few years ago to 37 percent, with more diversity. “Ten years ago, some would question the robustness of golf because we had lost about five million people in the game from the decade before,” Mr. Whan said. “Jump forward to today, the numbers don’t lie. There’s virtually no doubt about the future of this game.”

Women’s Professional Golf Aims To Keep Pace Amid Sports Boom

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