Nelly Korda's recent dominance brings increased spotlight to women's golf

LPGA player Nelly Korda has won four straight tournaments and brought an “elevated attention” to golf at a “potential inflection point in the industry thanks to record prize money and growing interest in women’s sports,” according to Gene Wang of the WASHINGTON POST. The Chevron Championship has a total purse of $7.9M, the “richest since the tournament’s inception” and an increase from $5.2M in 2023. The USGA also announced in February a total purse of $12M for the U.S. Women’s Open, the “biggest in women’s golf history.” Golfer Lilia Vu said Korda is “bringing so much to the table just win after win, just having everything together.” Vu: “She’s kind of our Caitlin Clark out here.” The LPGA Tour is “aiming to capitalize” on Korda’s streak, a “run of prosperity unmatched since Lorena Ochoa.” It has assembled a marketing department “for the first time,” and “much of the work behind the scenes is devoted to shining an even brighter spotlight on Korda’s sizzling start" to the season. According to LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan, Korda’s surge has “generated a considerable bump in fan engagement.” At this time in 2022, overall media consumption for LPGA Tour events was roughly 4 million impressions per week based on metrics compiled by the Tour -- which "includes television viewing, streaming and social media engagement.” Using the same metric, impressions have “climbed” to more than 11 million over the past few weeks. Wang noted there will be “other opportunities for Korda to raise the profile of women’s golf this year,” including at the Summer Olympics in Paris, after winning gold in Tokyo in 2021. Among the “most popular players” on Tour since turning professional in 2017, Korda “often remains on the course well after her round ends to sign autographs, pose for selfies and interact with the throng of fans waiting for their moment with a player who has more than 826,000 followers on Instagram” (WASHINGTON POST, 4/17).

PUSHING THE GAME FORWARD: ESPN.com’s Mark Schlabach wrote the LPGA is “hoping that Korda's success and the growing popularity of women's sports can help it expand.” The final two rounds of the Chevron Championship were broadcast on NBC for the first time last year and coverage will “extend from four hours to six this year.” There is also 40 hours of coverage of featured groups on ESPN+. Other non-major tournaments are “broadcast on tape delay or only on streaming.” Marcoux Samaan said, “Our job is to make sure people know who they are and make sure people can see them.” Korda said, “I feel like we just need a stage. We need to be put on TV. I feel like when it's tape delay or anything like that, that hurts our game.” Korda: “Women's sports just needs a stage. If we have a stage we can show up and perform and show people what we're all about.” Golfer Stacy Lewis said that “part of that burden falls on her shoulders.” Lewis said, “I think Nelly does have a responsibility, and she probably doesn't always want it, just knowing her. But it's saying, yes. Continuing to play great golf though is No. 1.” Schlabach wrote at times, Korda has been a “reluctant superstar.” This week, she has “talked often about staying in her ‘bubble’ to avoid distractions,” even if she “understands her power to influence the next generation of women's golfers” (ESPN.com, 4/17).