All LPGA players-- like Patty Tavatanakit-- had the chance to apply to be a part of the tour's pilot program with Hana KumaGetty Images
In an era of rising interest in women’s sports, the "main objective for the LPGA Tour in 2024 is to create more stars out of its athletes," according to Adam Stanley of the WASHINGTON POST. The LPGA, whose revenue over the past four years has increased more than 65%, has engaged Hana Kuma -- a creative agency and media company co-founded by tennis star Naomi Osaka -- to “help with content creation and brand development for eight of its golfers.” Every golfer on the LPGA Tour “had a chance to apply for the program,” and after a multistep application process, the eight -- who will be showcased later this year -- “will be selected via a mutual decision between the LPGA Tour, the golfers and their teams.” Hana Kuma is also planning a “one-day crash course in branding and social media for every golfer on tour in May.” The next iteration of “The Match,” which debuts Monday night on TNT, will include LPGA pros “for the first time” -- with Lexi Thompson and Rose Zhang joining the game. But Stuart Duguid, Hana Kuma’s co-founder and Osaka’s longtime manager, said that during one of the initial exploratory calls with the LPGA Tour, the parties “collectively agreed that the name recognition of LPGA athletes wasn’t strong.” Duguid also emphasized the “blank canvas that exists for content, storytelling and growth in the LPGA” (WASHINGTON POST, 2/25).
