Did LPGA capitalize on girls’s sports activities increase? Or did it fall brief?

NAPLES, Fla. — The LPGA had its Caitlin Clark second. 

With Caitlin Clark, truly. 

The WNBA mega star performed final week within the pro-am for the Annika event, named for Annika Sorenstam, one in all its greatest names, whom Clark joined for 9 holes. The opposite half of the spherical, she walked alongside the LPGA’s closest model of her, Nelly Korda. There have been highlights. There have been tee pictures by accident hit into crowds. Golf was performed, and, by all accounts, the proceedings have been loved by each the gamers and people watching them. 

Notably, although, the spherical in Florida additionally began at 7 a.m. ET, with Golf Channel managing to indicate some reside play, because it began its Golf At present present at 11 a.m., 90 minutes sooner than regular. Are pro-am rounds broadcast-worthy? Not often, even for the buzziest of names. Ought to it one way or the other have been performed slightly later? Perhaps. Extra social-media ideas, particularly from the Midwest, the place Clark grew up and now performs professionally, wouldn’t have damage.   

The purpose right here is as an example an even bigger image, although. 

Girls’s sports activities is maybe in its greatest increase. Clark has introduced thousands and thousands of eyes to the WNBA, together with thousands and thousands of {dollars}, and possibly most essential, she’s had prolonged endurance, along with her title being talked about for the higher a part of two years now. There have been additionally the ever-popular Olympics this 12 months. In golf, Korda has ascended into uncommon air. There are the wins — seven now, probably the most by an LPGA participant since 2011, and probably the most by an American girl since 1990. However there’s her superstar, too. Korda was on the Met Gala. She’ll be within the newest Sports activities Illustrated swimsuit version. She’s doubtlessly reaching the purpose the place your non-golf good friend has at the least heard of her, and your golf buddies may name her by only one phrase: Nelly.  

Query is, then, did her tour capitalize on that second, as Clark’s league did? Perhaps you noticed a WNBA recreation, possibly you didn’t. However on the very least you heard about Caitlin Clark, someplace, one way or the other, together with among the league’s different stars and groups. 

The subject was broached this week to a handful of the LPGA’s stars, together with its commissioner, forward of the CME Group Tour Championship, its season-ending occasion, the place its winner will gather a report $4 million, and that unarguably sits within the win column. There’s extra excellent news there. On Wednesday, the tour launched its 2025 schedule — which can be its seventy fifth season — that’ll function 35 occasions and a prize pool of $131 million, which, based on the tour, is a $62 million improve from 4 years in the past; all tournaments may also be broadcast on both Golf Channel, NBC, CBS or ESPN+. In fact, like each sports activities league, the LPGA has made its errors, too. There was a well-documented fan transportation drawback on the Solheim Cup. Cognizant, which backed the Founders Cup, shouldn’t be among the many sponsor names on subsequent 12 months’s schedule. There have additionally been questions in regards to the job efficiency of the tour’s commissioner, Mollie Marcoux Samaan, which Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols expertfully described right here, in an article revealed final week.  

Briefly, issues occurred — however did issues occur in addition to they may have? Admittedly, it’s a troublesome query to ask of stakeholders. You wish to imagine in the place you’re employed. However you need what’s greatest for it, too. That mentioned, this stuff take time, and what you see immediately or subsequent 12 months could also be constructing towards one thing extra. For readability, I’ll embrace full exchanges, and word the place they passed off — one-on-one interviews can often supply totally different responses than formal press conferences, which happen underneath the lights, in entrance of tour officers and are shared on transcripts obtainable to anybody with web knowledge. To a couple gamers, I additionally requested what their want listing could be, and I additionally requested an analogous query to Terry Duffy, the CEO of the CME Group.   

In a sentence, the solutions have been combined. 

Did the LPGA capitalize on the ladies’s sports activities increase?

Angel Yin 

With Nelly, with girls’s sports activities usually, the Caitlin Clark rise in girls’s basketball, there was a chance for the LPGA to seize that second. Do you assume they’ve achieved a very good job of that?

“No,” mentioned Angel Yin, chatting with me one-on-one.  

Why do you say that?

“Gosh, it simply doesn’t really feel prefer it,” she mentioned. “It’s an opinion. Like Caitlin Clark coming over to our event created a crowd, created a buzz — didn’t really feel prefer it received on the market sufficient. Went out to a certain quantity of individuals. However I don’t know, like I mentioned, to present an in depth reply, I’ve to love — I wish to be extra accountable with my solutions so I simply don’t wish to communicate. But when you need to ask how I really feel about that, I don’t actually assume we’ve capitalized that a lot. Simply using the wave that different individuals are doing and we’re simply related to girls. Sadly, I don’t assume we’ve got achieved sufficient.”

(Editor’s word: Yin has extra to supply under.) 

Lexi Thompson 

This 12 months, I feel it’s protected to say that in girls’s golf and on the LPGA tour, that this might have been a turning level 12 months with the elevated curiosity in girls’s sports activities, the Caitlin Clark curiosity, with Nelly taking part in the best way she has. Me query is: Do you assume the LPGA captured that second correctly?

“Yeah, properly, firstly,” Lexi Thompson mentioned in her press convention, “I feel girls’s sports activities usually are on such a excessive proper now and shifting in the best course, whether or not it’s rising in every sport or golf usually.

“, I’ve all the time mentioned in any interviews since I turned professional, the sport of golf, our sponsors, tournaments, purses, they’ve all raised and our TV protection has elevated.

“I feel we may carry on enhancing. I feel there’s much more room for enchancment. I feel we’re making as many tales as we will and specializing in all the great, however I feel there are such a lot of abilities out right here and so many tales that we will actually concentrate on and actually herald a variety of followers and herald an even bigger fan base than what we’ve got.

“I feel there’s simply extra room for enchancment. We’re enhancing proper now, however there’s much more to go.”

I suppose greater query, have you ever ever considered a manner that these tales could possibly be informed like that?

“That’s an important query as properly,” Thompson mentioned. “I feel simply displaying the personalities of the gamers out right here. In fact all people sees the expertise. I feel increasingly more individuals want to understand how gifted the ladies are out right here and are available out and help us. As a result of I don’t assume TV does it justice. I feel you need to see it in particular person.

“However, yeah, there are such a lot of nice personalities out right here. It’s only a matter of creating these tales based mostly on these individuals which are keen to open up and actually present the world they’re extra than simply golf. There’s far more to us than that.”

(Editor’s word: Thompson has introduced that this 12 months can be her final as a full-time LPGA member.)

Nelly Korda 

With this 12 months and the rise in curiosity in girls’s sports activities and the curiosity in clearly your success this 12 months and the curiosity in Caitlin Clark’s play within the WNBA, do you assume the LPGA has achieved a very good job capturing that second and selling that?

“I imply, clearly I’m the one hitting a golf ball, however on the finish of the day I don’t know the logistics behind every thing,” Nelly Korda mentioned throughout her press convention. “I concentrate on my profession and what I’m doing, so I don’t actually know if I can reply that query.”

(Editor’s word: Korda has been requested in regards to the comparisons to Clark earlier than, and one of many tales on the topic will be learn right here.) 

Lydia Ko 

This 12 months, there’s been a very good rise in curiosity in girls’s sports activities, with Caitlin Clark, together with your success, with Nelly Korda’s success, much more broadcasts. My query is, do you assume the LPGA tour did a very good job of capturing that second?

“I feel it’s going to be a solution that’s totally different for everybody, to be trustworthy,” Lydia Ko mentioned throughout a one-on-one interview after her press convention. “I don’t activate and watch the protection after I’m not taking part in, however I’m all the time taking a look at highlights. I clearly observe the LPGA social media so I see it with that, however I do imagine that we’re getting higher, and clearly inside our tour, there’s simply been so many nice tales which have been proven. Yeah, I feel with something, nothing is ideal. We are able to all the time get higher and enhance. However I’d by no means say that they did a foul job.”

Ally Ewing 

“This 12 months, with Nelly taking part in properly, with an elevated curiosity in girls’s sports activities, Caitlin Clark, you would say there was a chance for the LPGA to possibly grasp that second and trip that wave and go previous that even. Do you assume the Tour did that?”

“Properly, I do know I’ve by no means seen — by way of Caitlin Clark final week taking part in the pro-am, I’ve by no means seen that many individuals round one group in a pro-am,” Ally Ewing mentioned in her press convention. “So the thrill, I feel, simply to see a present dominant feminine basketball participant who performs golf now and again are available and play our pro-am, that was big for a turnout.

“I ran out onto the 18th fairway to get an image along with her myself as a result of I performed basketball in highschool. I feel there’s all the time alternative to succeed in slightly bit increased. I feel the LPGA has achieved an important job in progress.

“So by way of simply doing higher and higher, I feel we’re doing higher. I feel there are tons of alternatives that we will look to make use of as we transfer ahead.”

(Editor’s word: Ewing is retiring after this week.) 

Mollie Marcoux Samaan 

With the eye on Caitlin Clark, with the Olympics this 12 months, with Nelly’s play this 12 months, curiosity in girls’s sports activities has by no means been increased. With that being mentioned, my query is, do you assume the LPGA correctly captured that second?

“I imply, I feel the numbers present that we captured that second, proper?” Marcoux Samaan mentioned in her formal press convention. “When you have a look at what — our job is to be sure that our gamers have alternatives to make a residing commensurate with their expertise.

“Are we achieved but? No. Ought to this be extra? Ought to they be making as a lot as the boys? Sure, we wish to get to that time after we can. Yeah, I feel we’ve achieved superb work. I feel our staff has achieved superb work. I feel our companions have stepped up on many alternative ranges and have actually elevated what we’re doing.

“Are we achieved with that progress? Completely not. Are we targeted on getting — persevering with to get extra followers underneath our tent and persevering with to get extra publicity for our gamers? Undoubtedly. I imply, we’re a growth-minded group.

“However I don’t assume anyone may say that the expansion hasn’t been exceptional over the past three years.”

(Editor’s word: Marcoux Samaan is in her fourth 12 months as LPGA commissioner.) 

Terry Duffy, CME Group CEO 

When you had the possibility to inform one other enterprise to sponsor like you may have, to assist the LPGA observe the ladies’s sports activities increase, what would you inform these companies?

“I wouldn’t inform them something,” mentioned Terry Duffy, the CEO of the CME Group, which simply signed a two-year settlement to proceed its sponsorship of this week’s event. [Duffy spoke to a handful of reporters on Wednesday afternoon.]

“Right here’s what I’m a giant believer in: Generally visuals are way more essential than phrases. I’d been requested when Mike Whan was nonetheless the commissioner of the LPGA — and I talked to Mike yesterday; he’s an important good friend — he requested me, he had a sponsor that was enthusiastic about dipping their toes in. And he mentioned, will you discuss to them? And I mentioned, no, however I’ll inform you what I’ll do: I’ll host them. And I introduced them right here and I confirmed them what we had. And generally while you have a look at it and see it and have a touchy-feely versus simply somebody telling you, that is actually good, your shopper goes to like it, and also you go, it feels like I’m being pitched by everybody else. That’s not what that is all about. I feel that is one in all these occasions that you need to expertise. 

“I inform individuals how it’s. I inform individuals how thrilling it’s for my purchasers when requested. I inform how good of a profit it’s to my model. I cherish my model. I spent years constructing this model. … Having it partnered with the LPGA is essential to me. So while you ask about others, I like them to come back see that as a result of my model is that essential to me, I simply can’t even clarify to them. I’ve to indicate them.”

Curious: While you introduced that particular person down, what was the response?

“They beloved it,” mentioned Duffy, including that they went on to sponsor an occasion.  

(Editor’s word: The CME Group continues to again the LPGA, although a second in 2022 examined that. In a narrative additionally written by Golfweek’s Nichols — which you’ll learn in full right here — the CME Group had requested gamers to attend a dinner, however none got here, main Duffy to query LPGA management.) 

What would you alter, if given the possibility? 

Angel Yin 

I feel this 12 months, in professional golf usually, it looks as if there are a variety of recommendations, a variety of concepts on the desk. There’s change. There are changes on the boys’s tour, the ladies’s tour. When you have been answerable for the LPGA, what’s a big-ticket merchandise you’ll change? 

“That’s a fairly loaded query,” Yin mentioned, “as a result of I don’t know if there’s a big-ticket merchandise I’d change as a result of I feel the course we’re in proper now’s good. We now have a giant wave of girls’s sports activities that’s on the rise. Most likely my principal concentrate on all of it isn’t getting extra sponsors however getting us recognized. As girls’s sports activities are on the rise, in the event you don’t surf it, it simply dies out and that you must catch that wave.” 

Have you considered a manner that may occur? 

“Oh, I don’t know,” Yin mentioned. “I feel stuff like that, to enter element, to have the ability to give an trustworthy reply, is somebody with the ability to have a look at all of the numbers and all of the methods within the final 5, six years and see the place we will progress and evaluate to what different organizations are doing. If I needed to give a solution proper now, it could be investing into gamers. For instance, Nelly. Nelly’s doing loads. Nelly received her seventh event, she received her Sports activities Illustrated swimsuit, she went to the Met Gala — she’s doing loads. And she or he’s placing her title on the market. Whether or not she is aware of, she’s additionally representing all of us and so we recognize what she does loads and he or she’s doing good. And so yeah, simply put money into gamers.” 

Lexi Thompson 

With seemingly a variety of change in professional golf, women and men, what could be — and a variety of concepts on the desk — what could be one big-ticket merchandise you’ll wish to see modified?

“One huge factor that I want to see change,” Thompson mentioned, “I want to see higher TV protection for us and carry on growing the purses every week. I feel we’ve moved in the best course on a number of of our occasions, however to maintain on growing on that, displaying how gifted we actually are.

“And the appreciation — in fact we’re grateful for all of the partnerships we’ve got. We’re so grateful for what we’ve got. So I feel simply hold enhancing on that, the TV protection. I want to have extra reside LPGA golf on the Golf Channel or on common NBC or community.”

What’s one thing low-key that possibly solely you’ll know? Something particular to the tournaments, setups, no matter? One thing that has simply itched you slightly bit and is like, man, I actually want we may resolve it?

“Aside from the gradual play — I feel all people is aware of that one,” Thompson mentioned. “I don’t assume there’s actually a lot. Generally course setup is a little bit of a problem and never as thought by as generally possibly needs to be. It’s robust when you may have all of the totally different situations going into every day.”

Nelly Korda  

With a variety of change in males’s golf and ladies’s golf, there are a variety of concepts on the desk. I suppose in the event you had a pitch to make, what’s a big-ticket change you’ll make?

“Properly, one, I’d concentrate on tempo of play,” Korda mentioned. “I’d circle again to tempo of play.

I feel we’d like primetime TV. We’d like extra hours on TV. I imply, we’ve got an important product out right here. We now have so many superb tales. We simply must be on primetime TV.”

Is there a lower-ticket merchandise that possibly is just particular to you, one thing that bothers you that you just have been like, man, I want they might repair that?

“Nothing is de facto coming to thoughts proper now, no,” Korda mentioned.