In nearly every major sport, women’s leagues face an uphill battle when it comes to visibility, funding, and fan engagement, and golf is no exception. Despite incredible talent and rising global popularity, the LPGA Tour still lags behind its male counterpart in viewership and revenue.
While being specific about the question, she said, “Like, what ticket sales are we doing? What revenue are we bringing back in? You know, the PGA Tour, I’m not here to compare at all, but they do bring a lot of revenue back into the game. You know, they have so many fans at the door. They have so many big championships.” Speaking of fans, last year the PGA Tour witnessed 6.2 million viewers at THE PLAYERS Championship, and take note that it’s not even a major.
On the other hand, the 2024 Chevron Championship peaked at 1.9 million viewers during the final round on Sunday. Aside from that, currently the PGA Tour’s average viewership is 2.50 million, meanwhile it’s 900k for the LPGA Tour. That’s exactly what Mel Reid was worried about. She expressed her worry, saying, “And it’s just a shame for me that, how can we get more people and more eyes on the game? And how do we get more fans through the door to actually watch these incredible athletes? And I think that that’s where there’s a bit of a gap, which we need to close. I’m not quite sure how we do that.”
Not just that, the 37-year-old believes that there is something that’s holding the LPGA Tour back, but not sure what that is. “I feel like golf is, in a way, getting a little bit left behind. And I don’t know whether that’s a branding, whether we’re just not in the conversations, whether we, I would like to be in the same umbrella as women’s sport. And I feel like we’re just not, we’re doing something that isn’t quite getting us there.”
Tiger Woods‘ niece, Cheyenne Woods, also recently discussed what improvement the LPGA Tour is making as an organization. She said, “I love that the LPGA is elevating their players more. I think that’s always been an issue—more stories. There’s so many great personalities. I know they’ve invested in trying to elevate their players individually, in showcasing those stories, and I think that’s been really great just to bring more eyes on individual players. ”
Having fewer viewership is certainly heartbreaking, especially when the LPGA Pros believe that they ‘work harder’ than the PGA Tour pros. Last year, during the 2024 Grant Thornton Invitational, Patty Tavatanakit expressed these feelings. Aside from Tavatanakit, another pro, Lilia Vu, also believes the same. In an exclusive with Essentially Sports’ Andrew Whitelaw, she talked about it, saying, “I know we don’t hit it as far, but we’re very consistent. We putt it a lot better, in my opinion.”
Supporting Reid, LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan has acknowledged the importance of providing top female athletes with commensurate earnings to reflect their excellence, highlighting the tour’s commitment to this objective. So, it’s not like the LPGA isn’t taking any steps from their side. The tour is constantly focusing on the prize money, advertisement, and more. Take the 2025 JM Eagle LA Championship, for example. In 2024, the tournament grabbed attention by increasing its prize fund to its current level, up from just $1.5 million in 2022.
That $2.25 million boost underscores the event’s rising prestige, but what about the return? Although there are no ticket sales stats available, with the viewership difference, one can guess that there will be a huge difference in that part as well. While not getting a return remains a lingering issue on the LPGA, what do the pros think about the tour?
There is a “ton of room to grow” for the LPGA
Despite the hurdles, the LPGA is swinging better in 2025. The tour smashed records with a jaw-dropping $127.5 million in total prize money—a massive 90% jump in just four years. And the season finale? The CME Group Tour Championship doubled its purse to $11 million, handing a game-changing $4 million check to the champ.
Then, when it comes to advertising, it doesn’t seem like a specific issue holding the tour back. Sensational names like Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda can attract well-established magazines, which could favor the league in a way. Over the years, they have also implemented a lot of changes, and the tour feels like a lot better place now. Gaby Lopez talked about it and said, “The tour has become a completely different place from what it was in 2016, when I was a rookie. I’ve seen so much inclusiveness with players from different countries and cultures playing now.”
Meanwhile, Andrea Lee believes that the diversity makes the LPGA marketable as the schedule features tournaments in 14 U.S. states and 12 countries, including two Asian swings and one in Europe. The league has also witnessed an increase in the number of fans over the years. To this, Sarah Schmelzel said, “In terms of popularity and the number of people interested, I think women’s golf is at an all-time high. But there’s a ton of room to grow and continue to get better,” as revealed on Golf.com.
From both sides, the LPGA seems to be giving their all, so why do you think Mel Reid believes it’s behind? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
The post Nelly Korda & Co. Get Bitter Wake-Up Call From Retired LPGA Star As They Lag Far Behind PGA Tour Counterparts appeared first on EssentiallySports.
