Craig Kessler, four months into his tenure as LPGA Commissioner, isn’t playing to the old scorecard. He’s rewriting it. At the heart of his mission is a bold, clear-eyed understanding of the modern media landscape: golf isn’t just competing against other sports, it’s competing against everything. Streaming platforms, social lives, even backyards and dinner plans. In the ever-evolving “attention economy,” Kessler knows that capturing mindshare isn’t just a marketing challenge. It’s existential.
A Broadcast Revolution to Spark Momentum
Kessler’s strategy begins with what he calls the “flywheel”, a concept borrowed from business strategy that suggests small, strategic changes can create unstoppable momentum once in motion. His first spin of that wheel? A total reinvention of the LPGA’s broadcast experience. In 2025, every round of every LPGA tournament will be aired live. Not only that, but the broadcasts will be drenched in tech: drones, shot tracers, dozens more cameras and microphones, and a sensory overload of data meant to give fans the kind of immersive experience they’ve come to expect from their favorite streaming platforms and major sports leagues.
But improved optics alone won’t elevate women’s golf. Kessler knows the real battle is fought beyond the ropes. Visibility, he argues, must extend to culture. He speaks with clarity about the limitations of relying on one breakout star. Yes, the LPGA has had its Nelly Korda moment, seven wins in 2024, but that storyline faded too quickly. What the tour needs is a cast of characters. A constellation of stars, not a solitary sun.
Creating LPGA Stars That Shine Outside the Ropes
That’s where Kessler’s Venn diagram metaphor comes in, identifying players who are not only elite on the course but also marketable and willing to engage beyond it. That rare overlap is where the LPGA’s resources will flow, building the personal brands that can elevate the entire league. The commissioner’s ambition is holistic, a plan that fuses trust with visibility, fan engagement with financial stability, all underpinned by relentless innovation.
The league is already seeing results. From Lydia Ko and Minjee Lee publicly endorsing Kessler’s leadership to players like Charley Hull showing up on cultural stages beyond the green, the LPGA is taking steps to show fans that its athletes are more than their scorecards.
A League-Wide Commitment to a Larger Vision
The vision, though, isn’t about arriving at a fixed destination. In fact, Kessler refuses to define what success ultimately looks like. For him, the journey is the destination. He draws inspiration from other rising women’s leagues, the WNBA, women’s soccer, and believes golf can join them at the cultural forefront. The key, he says, is not just being good. It’s everywhere.
The work ahead is steep and filled with unknowns, but Kessler’s optimism is rooted in action, not rhetoric. He’s asked his players to meet him halfway, to “lean in” and become more than athletes. And they have, hand after hand raised in support at a recent players’ meeting. The signal is clear: the LPGA is not just chasing relevance. It’s chasing resonance.
If the plan works, you’ll feel it, in headlines, in culture, and in those moments when the LPGA isn’t just another option among many, but the obvious one.
