What was once an oddity has turned into a recent commonality, because for the third time in five years, the lowest scoring average on tour won’t win the Vare and its coveted LPGA Hall of Fame point.
LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan met with the media on Saturday, US time, to address the shuttle transportation problems from Friday that had more fans in line to get to the Solheim Cup than on the first tee – historically one of the best experiences the sport has to offer.
In the three years since Chevron became the sponsor, purses for the tournament, previously held in California’s Palm Springs area and best known as the Dinah Shore, have risen by $US4.8 million.
The 2023 LPGA season is record-breaking year of lengthy travel – there are a total of 18 times where there are at leasy 3,000 kilometres between tour stops, up from 13 in 2022.
Multiple sources who attended the meeting tell Golf Digest that the discussion did not include many specifics regarding what a merger might look like. Rather, LPGA officials spoke more broadly about TV viewership goals, purse growth and how a merger could grow women’s golf overall.
Multiple industry sources outlined four scenarios regarding Golf Saudi’s ambitions with women’s pro golf: continue/grow its current Aramco series within the LET framework; buy the LET; buy the LPGA; build its own LIV-style circuit.
LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan told The Times of London that she would “take the call” if LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman ever wanted to talk to her about the LPGA.