NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — What the LPGA Tour considers a strength may be what's holding it back from gaining momentum during a surge in women's sports.
Yes, there is depth of talent – more power, more accuracy, less scoring.
That was on display Monday night at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship when 11 first-time LPGA winners graced the stage at a glitzy awards dinner. Two of them, Mao Saigo and Miyu Yamashita, are major champions.
They were among 29 winners from 30 tournaments (including the team tournament in Michigan) in a most unusual year. It wasn't until October—the 26th official tournament of the season—that the LPGA found a multiple winner in Gino Titicula, the No. 1 player in the world.
Equally surprising is that Nelly Korda was left out of the running after seven titles in 2024.
“It's been an interesting year on the LPGA,” Annika Sorenstam said after watching Sweden's Lynn Grant win her tournament on Sunday to become the lone winner at No. 29.
“After '24, I don't think people thought what we saw this year would be what it is,” Sorenstam said. “It shows the depth of the tour. I think we may be in a bit of a transition between some players and generations.”
This is the third time in four years that the LPGA has won for the first time in a season, so perhaps Sorenstam was on to something.
But depth can be a convenient way of saying it's hard to win. It's been that way for most of the LPGA's 75 years, and it's no different than any other golf tour. Tiger Woods, in his healthy, peak years, won only 27% of the time.
Heading into the season finale, this year has demonstrated that the LPGA is in dire need of a star. Dominance is much more attractive than depth, and sometimes even that is not enough.
For all their dominance, it took the Sorenstas' PGA Tour play at Colonial in 2003 to become a star. Scotty Scheffler was already a two-time Masters champion and was winning at an alarming rate. His Q rating skyrocketed after a bizarre arrest during the PGA Championship in Valhalla.
Find a star? It's complicated.
Korda seemed to fit that mold last year, when she won seven times, including a record five in a row, culminating with her winning another major. But for all her graceful athleticism and strength—and her legacy as the daughter of a Grand Slam tennis champion—she's not one to play for the cameras. The 27-year-old American is more of a cool client than a celebrity.
Could she have done more? Certainly. Everyone can. But the last thing any sport needs is top players trying to be something they're not.
If the LPGA is in transition, it starts at the top. Craig Kessler was named the new commissioner this summer and is already considering fundamental changes for the long term.
He hired Monica Fee, who spent 15 years collaborating with brands at Creative Artists Agency and the last four years building such partnerships at Saudi-funded LIV Golf. Sean Bratches, a respected television executive who led Formula One's commercial operations during its rise in North America, has been added to the LPGA's board of directors.
Kessler on Tuesday announced a major partnership with FM, a mutual insurance company headquartered in Rhode Island that has already invested in the LPGA, giving title sponsorship to TPC Boston with the largest purse ($4.1 million) this side of a major.
The latest agreement with FM is aimed at expanding its television product in North America, which is long overdue. Starting next year, every LPGA event in North America will be broadcast live (instead of the occasional film-delayed tournament). This will mean turning to CNBC from time to time.
There's more to it than just live coverage – there's a 50% increase in camera count to provide more shots and different angles, an agreement with Trackman to provide the popular shot tracking that has become standard on the PGA Tour, and drone coverage. This is an important update.
“Fans will immediately see and feel the difference – more cameras, better technology, richer storytelling and more ways to experience the incredible skill of our players live,” Kessler said. “This is a big step forward for the women's game, and this is just the beginning. The next chapter of the LPGA will be something special.”
Every step is important.
Kessler also tells players what to expect from them. There is individuality and competitiveness. It all has to start with performance. But the third area, just as important, is effort, a willingness to do more because it takes more to carve out a place in the increasingly crowded space of women's sports.
On Monday evening, Kessler presented the Commissioner's Award to members of the LPGA Hall of Fame. Among those on stage was Nancy Lopez, perhaps the last LPGA player to fulfill all the requirements. In 1978, she took women's golf by storm, landing on the cover of Sports Illustrated with her game, smile, charming looks and willingness to grow her sport.
She wasn't the best, but there was never anyone like her and perhaps there won't be for some time. It was also a different era for the LPGA, and not the destination it is now for players from Asia, Europe and all corners of the world.
A moment for another star or their collection will emerge over time, a unique combination of acting and personality. The key will be the players' willingness to accept it. Kessler's job is to make sure the LPGA is ready for that.
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On The Fringe looks at the biggest topics in golf throughout the season. AP Golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
