Since taking over the event at Wilshire Country Club in 2022, JM Eagle has raised the purse by $2.25MGetty Images
The JM Eagle LA Championship will set an LPGA purse record when it is played in late April, with its purse being raised by $750,000 to $3.75M -- the "largest payday available on tour outside of the majors and the CME Group Tour Championship," according to Kent Paisley of GOLF DIGEST. Since taking over the event at Wilshire Country Club in 2022, JM Eagle has raised the purse by $2.25M. JM Eagle CEO Walter Wang said that he views the tournament as a “critical purse trendsetter on the LPGA” and noted that the average female professional tournament purse is “one-fifth the size of the PGA Tour, yet players’ expenses remain similar.” Wang also said that he believes that by raising the purse, “other sponsors will follow suit.” Paisley noted JM Eagle is in the second year of a five-year agreement with the LPGA, with Wang “already hinting at possible future purse increases,” and they have “explored getting the tournament onto network TV.” Wang said that he "doesn't see the tournament's return on investment purely as additional brand recognition for JM Eagle and hopes his continued investment fuels tour-wide expansion.” The number of non-major tournaments with a $3M prize pool has increased from four last year to 10 this season, while the average non-major purse grew from $2.1M last year to $2.4M this season. While that number “might seem small,” those purses are the “only opportunity for many LPGA members to earn money who do not get the chance to play in the tour's majors" (GOLF DIGEST, 3/25).
THE DUTY TO GIVE BACK: GOLFWEEK’s Beth Ann Nichols noted JM Eagle is the world’s largest manufacturer of plastic pipe and when asked what supporting the LPGA does for his business, Wang “very bluntly said 'nothing.'" Wang: “I’m a plastic pipe producer. There’s almost no value to putting our name out there or advertising the brand name.” Nichols wrote at the “heart of Wang’s sponsorship is giving back to the community,” which he considers the “responsibility of all companies.” Wang said that while presidents and CEOs choose to get involved in sponsoring the tour for myriad reasons, “reaping the long-term rewards is what’s truly precious.” Wang: “Inside your heart, it feels great. You feel a lot of joy supporting the LPGA. You just do” (GOLFWEEK, 3/25).
