LPGA Tour: A Promising Future with New Leadership
LPGA Tour commissioner Craig Kessler presented an ambitious plan for 2026, seeking to capitalize on the growing interest in women’s sports. Kessler, who took office a few months ago, has implemented a strategy that includes a renewed calendar and a clear vision for the league’s growth. The 2026 LPGA schedule includes 31 official tournaments with a record prize fund of over $128.5 million. Fourteen tournaments have increased their prize money, with increases ranging from $100,000 to $2 million. In addition, the LPGA has co-sanctioned a Ladies European Tour event funded by Golf Saudi. The Aramco Series at Shadow Creek, Las Vegas, replaces the Match Play, and the prize money increases from $2 million to $4 million. Kessler did not rule out the possibility of more Aramco Series tournaments.Kessler, former chief operating officer of the PGA of America, has injected energy by meeting with players and sponsors, and has built a strong leadership team. His first major action was to partner with the insurer FM to improve the production of broadcasts, which will allow all tournaments in North America to be broadcast live for the first time, along with a 50% increase in cameras and shot tracking technology.“It’s important to start an association strongly,” Kessler said. “If it’s executed well, it opens up possibilities for incredible things. It’s no different here.”
Craig Kessler
The improvement in broadcasts is part of Kessler’s “flywheel,” which includes a schedule with a better geographic flow. The hope is that this will generate more fans, which in turn will help with media rights and marketing partners, leading to a stronger cash flow that is reinvested in the product.“For us, finally having live television and having people invest in our product has been incredible,” Nelly Korda said. “I’m excited to see where it goes, but it all comes down to having great leadership and that’s what we really have here at the LPGA.”
Nelly Korda
The long-term plan is to build a calendar based on routes, golf courses, and cash prizes. Kessler’s vision includes a Venn diagram encompassing performance, personality, and marketability, as well as the players’ willingness to promote themselves and the tour. Kessler has held meetings with the players, emphasizing the importance of their active participation. The LPGA is finishing an unusual season in which only two players, Jeeno Thitikul and Miyuu Yamashita, have won more than once. Korda failed to win after earning seven titles the previous year, but even her outstanding season didn’t help the LPGA gain more traction.“If I were an investor thinking about partnering with the LPGA, now is the time to do it,” Kessler stated. “We haven’t had our breakout moment yet. And if I, as a company looking to back an organization as remarkable as this, had the opportunity to do so, now would be the time.”
Craig Kessler
“We compete in the attention economy. It’s not just against other sports,” Kessler said. “Anything that has the potential to capture a fan’s attention, we’re competing against that. So, it’s our job to differentiate ourselves, be interesting, and capture the attention of fans in every way possible.”
Craig Kessler
