Tonight in Unpacks: As Nelly Korda seeks her record sixth-straight win, the LPGA looks to add her star power to the momentum it’s been steadily building over recent seasons, reports SBJ’s Josh Carpenter.
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Also tonight:
- Reebok, Futureverse unveil AI experience for personalized digital sneakers
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- Lexus extends deal with World Surf League
- Op-ed: Are college athletes employees or students?
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LPGA aims to capitalize on Nelly Korda's surging stardom
Nelly Korda’s recent run of sizzling play at LPGA events, including five straight wins and a major championship, has brought newfound interest to the women’s game and comes at a time when the tour is poised to take advantage.
Even before Korda’s recent dominant stretch, not seen in women’s golf since the days of Annika Sorenstam, the LPGA’s business metrics were on the way up. The tour’s seasonlong purse total recently crossed the $120 million mark, a steep increase from $70 million in the pre-COVID season of 2019. All told, 11 non-majors on the LPGA feature purse sizes of more than $3 million, up from just five last year. Also, in 2024 the women’s majors will award more than $42 million in total prize money, a number that jumped from just $23 million in 2021.
Korda is a marketer’s dream. But will all of that lead to a Caitlin Clark moment for women’s golf? That's a question SBJ's Josh Carpenter explores in this week's magazine.