West Caldwell, NJ. My intersection with women’s golf dates back to the staging of the 1975 US Women’s Open held at Atlantic City CC in Northfield, NJ. That event brought to the forefront the emergence of an amateur named Nancy Lopez. The talented 18-year-old New Mexican nearly captured the title finishing a tie with two others in the runner-up position.
Lopez would soon turn professional and her broader star power became quickly apparent in 1978. Women’s golf catapulted dramatically upwards with Lopez quickly securing the position as the dominant player. Her effervescent personality and warm inviting smile in tandem with a high-level golf game provided an endearing connection that went beyond the narrow lane of general golf enthusiasts.
Fast forward 25 years later and another budding golf star was making a serious move up the attention ladder. Michelle Wie-West captured the attention of those beyond the golf lane with her outstanding play given her young age. Wie-West nearly made the cut at 14 years old in the 2004 Sony-Hawaiian Open on the PGA Tour — missing by just one shot. And just two years later in 2006 nearly became the first woman to successfully qualify through two stages for the US Open. The overall fanfare she engendered made her the second most notable golfer on the planet behind Tiger Woods.
Candidly, these two women provided a seismic awareness level that pushed women’s golf ahead and away from just being a limited footnote in the dark shadows behind the men’s pro golf scene.
This week the LPGA returns to the storied Donald Ross design at Mountain Ridge CC for the fourth rendition of the Mizuho Americas Open (May 7-10).
Wie-West announced in May 2022 she would be retiring from playing professionally following her appearance at the US Women’s Open played in July of that year at Pebble Beach.
But Wie West’s intersection with golf remains on the front lines as she serves as Tournament Host and Brand Ambassador and was extended an invitation to compete in the field this week.
The Mizuho event is unique since 24 invited junior players compete alongside the professionals. The opportunity to personally realize what it means to compete at the highest of levels can provide a meaningful entry into a possible blossoming professional career.
Even with these situations taking root, the state of women’s professional golf remains problematic. Part of that stems from not having a player capable in moving the visibility meter in the manner that Lopez and Wie-West did. Yes, there have been notable players who achieved equal or more in terms of the competitive lane – witness the successes of Annika Sörenstam, Lorena Ochoa and Inbee Park – but none approached the wherewithal to draw in the unaffiliated person who wanted to see firsthand what the fanfare was all about.
Nelly Korda is the world’s top ranked female player but despite her success on the course her wherewithal to draw in a broader audience has been limited. While golf skills can do much – the bottom line is how much of an “it” factor a person possesses.
This week’s Mizuho Americas Open is being played on a premier layout. Mountain Ridge is one of New Jersey’s stellar clubs. The sponsorship is also significant. Mizuho Americas is a leading corporate and investment bank (CIB) and a subsidiary of the Tokyo-based Mizuho Financial Group, one of the world’s largest financial institutions. Based in New York City, it provides banking, securities, treasury services, and capital markets solutions across the US, Canada, and Latin America. This week’s purse — $3.25 million – provides a winner’s share of $487,000.
But the disparity between men’s and women’s pro golf remains.
As a comparison, just realize this week’s men’s event on the PGA Tour — The Truist Championship at Quail Hollow — features a total purse of $20 million with the winner collecting $3.5 million.
Staging this week’s LPGA event in the metro NY / NJ area is also notable but that presents a number of challenges. The area is cluttered with other sports and entertainment activities. The New York Knicks are in the midst of a playoff run for the NBA title. The Yankees and Mets are the two major league baseball teams and each is covered extensively by local media.
Fan attendance at past women’s golf events in the metro NY / NJ area has also been on the limited side. It doesn’t help matters that in 2023 a total of four LPGA events were hosted in New Jersey all within a compressed time fame. Clearly, such a move was a fumble of epic proportions.
A marketing executive once told me something I have long remembered — you can’t hold a “B” event in an “A” market. Candidly, I don’t know if the LPGA Tour is even at the “C” level in terms of impact.
With very few exceptions, golf will never be the major headliner in a major metro area that already has a deep connection to other professional sports.
Attendance at this week’s Mizuho Americas Open will be limited and frankly the media footprint created will be hardly noticeable.
Michelle Wie West’s title is Tournament Host and Mizuho Ambassador.• Wie West serves as tournament host and is playing in this event for the first time Other notable players:• Jeeno Thitikul (Defending champion and Rolex Rankings No. 2) AJGA notable players:• AJGA Rolex Rankings No. 2 and defending champion Aphrodite Deng Competition format:• 144 players – 120 LPGA Tour professionals, 24 AJGA juniors. |
Women’s professional golf has a great story to tell. But that story only blossoms dramatically with superstars providing a meaningful connection for a wider audience.
Lopez and Wie-West were able to do that. Men’s pro golf is a somewhat similar situation. The reign of Tiger Woods as an active player stopped a number of years ago. You don’t know when a person with that overall reach will once again come onto the scene. There’s no set time table if and when that will happen.
There’s also the reality that men’s pro golf eats up the attention lane and consumes the big ticket dollars via sponsorship.
The rise of women in the sports lane has seen a major rise in recent years. One can see such successes in tennis, basketball, soccer, during the Olympics, to name just a few notable visibility avenues. Just look at what Caitlin Clark is doing in her basketball career as one such example.
Women’s professional golf has clear upsides. But the alignment will need some smart execution. Staging events work far better in markets where the clutter of others sports is less so. When the Women’s US Open was played in Lancaster, Pennsylvania in 2024, the turnout for the event was very good. Having events in mid-sized communities where the competition is smaller can provide more of an opportunity to secure the eyeballs that are missing when such events get swallowed up in large size metro areas like New York.
Unquestionably, there still needs to be a female golfer who can break through with a combination of personality and golf skills. The LPGA is a rocket ship that needs a singular fuel that can generate a lift-off that will rise high in the sky for public attention. Without such a clear superstar, the climb will continue to be tough sledding.
There’s also the reality that the shelf life for a female sports figure is a condensed one. Wie-West endured a number of personal injuries and the competitive passion was replaced by a desire to start a family of her own. That situation has happened countless times for all women in the sports lane.
Yes, the hurdles are significant. The attention span of sports fans today is scattered about in a far wider universe with various distractions. Breaking through that clutter is no small task.
The Mizuho Americas Open has done well in creating an event that builds a future with the next generation of players. One can only hope the next Lopez and Wie-West will emerge but such optimism has to be grounded in clear realities.
The “B” event in an “A” market remains a vexing proposition.
Related: “It does hurt a little bit more” – Thalia Martin on the life of a professional golfer
