NAPLES, Fla. – The winner of this week’s CME Tour Championship will take home a $4 million check, and he could become the second player to do so this week after new commissioner Craig Kessler, and in the league he currently oversees.
Kessler has only been in the job for four months, but he has already shown that he understands where the LPGA needs to grow and is willing and able to take the necessary actions to push the tour in that direction. The LPGA has already announced a new tournament in partnership with Golf Saudi. To upgrade your event experience, we announced the relocation of the Chevron Championship. And on Tuesday, the Tour announced a groundbreaking new partnership with FM, Golf Channel and Trackman to improve and enhance its 2026 television coverage. With the investment from FM, every round of every tournament will be broadcast live in the United States. Broadcasts will include 50% more cameras, drone footage, and improved shot tracking data.
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When Kessler was announced as commissioner, he outlined “four pillars of success” to help the LPGA grow. The second is “visibility”. Tuesday’s signing makes that pillar stronger than ever, and the players understand how important it is to the Tour’s present and future.
“The TV partnership is everything,” three-time major champion Minjee Lee said Tuesday. “Essentially we are entertainers, so if you don’t have a slot in TV time or live broadcast time or a time slot where a lot of people are watching TV, it’s hard to actually build the tour the way we want to. … Having more exposure as a player. I think that’s what it’s all about for us as well. It’s really cool to see how Craig is doing and how he’s trying to improve our Tour in the short time he’s been on the Tour.”
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The former COO of Topgolf and the PGA has taken on a new job leading the way for the LPGA. The first thing he says is that the stars are already aligned.
Lee watches his younger brother Min Woo play on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. She has seen firsthand how different the two television products are and hopes this partnership will put the women’s golf product on a similar footing to the men’s game.
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“Lee talked about broadcasting the PGA Tour and DP World Tour. “I think that’s an important part of building a better tour.” It just gives you more exposure as a player. That’s kind of what we always strive for. ”
Hall of Famer Lydia Ko has watched the LPGA Tour struggle to improve its product for years. There are many reasons why the LPGA hasn’t penetrated a wider sports audience, but visibility and television coverage play a huge role in elevating the players and the sport. Kessler’s move is something Ko has wanted for a long time and she knows is a good fit for the talent on tour. Having weekly tour visibility and ease of tracking with ShotLink data could be a game-changer for women’s golf.
“I think it makes sense for the players and the tour,” Coe said. “I believe this is going to get even more attention from some people who have struggled to keep track of things in the past. I think I was in a position where I didn’t go into the tournament, but I would love to see what happened and see some of the data. And that’s an aspect that we felt we could really improve on.”
“So it’s very exciting to see that growth and see how much coverage it gets nationally and internationally. I think there’s been a lot of exciting announcements over the last few months. I think Craig has officially been commissioner since July or so. In four months, I think we’ve seen a lot of big improvements. I think he should have been in that position longer.”
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2025 Evian Champion Grace Kim added: “I think we need all the exposure we can get. I think sometimes, especially overseas, times just don’t work out. So if we can get that extra time on the air, it can definitely increase our viewership. … I think being able to get that connection around the world for a long period of time is huge.”
There is much work to be done as Kessler aims to help the LPGA reach greater heights by strengthening its four pillars: trust, recognition, building a fan base and securing its financial future. It will take time for his vision to become a reality.
But his first move was a big one that showed Kessler understood the mission, and the broadcast change sent a clear message that Kessler has both the plan and the vision to lead the LPGA to its desired destination.
“I think the last few months have been a little bit of a fast forward pace. It was great to be a part of that and see the growth from that perspective,” Coe said of Kessler’s early tenure as commissioner. “I think we’re growing and developing as an organization, and I think we have a stronger foundation for the organization outside of just playing for more money and having a direct impact on us day-to-day. I think setting that kind of thing is really important for us going forward.”
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“I’m excited about what’s next and I truly believe Craig will take our tour to the next step. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
The post “Get More Attention: LPGA’s Major TV Changes Send a Message of Victory” appeared first on Golf.
