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Incoming LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler looks on prior to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship 2025 at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco on June 18.
When Craig Kessler stepped into the role of LPGA commissioner not long ago, he knew the odds were steep. At age 40, with a background spanning Topgolf and the PGA of America, he arrived with a calm determination to elevate women’s golf amid fierce competition for attention, dollars, and fan engagement.
Facing a crowded sports landscape, he quickly outlined his strategic framework–four interlocking pillars: building trust, increasing player visibility, growing the fan base, and securing financial stability. These are not sequential tasks but rather simultaneous forces driving the LPGA forward.
The Foundation of Momentum
For Kessler, trust isn’t just a buzzword; it’s the tour’s glue. Player support, sponsor confidence, and partner commitment all hinge on trust, and that trust has started to materialize. Within his first month and a half, the LPGA secured a multi-year deal giving the Founders Cup a permanent home in Menlo Park. That deal alone signals to athletes and sponsors that the tour is gaining stability, and ambition.
Adding to that, the LPGA launched a fan research initiative funded by a seven-figure donor gift directed at the LPGA Foundation. The goal: gather qualitative and quantitative data to better align the tour’s next moves with fan expectations.
The LPGA’s heartbeat is its athletes, and Kessler knows stories are the lifeblood that brings stars to life. Whether through broadcast, social media, or sponsor platforms, his emphasis is on the athletes who hold both elite performance and compelling personal narratives.
“We need to create stars out of those women,” he said. The Venn diagram of top athleticism and marketability holds the key to drawing sustained viewership–not just casual watchers, but fans and fans-in-the-making.
“Our job as a leadership team at the LPGA is going to be to sift through what’s possible and pick a couple of things that we’re going to go after, because no organization can take on too much and be successful,” Kessler said. “We’re going to have to ruthlessly prioritize. … The first thing we’re going to tackle as a team is figuring out what bets to place.”
A Wave of Opportunity, Not a Singular Moment
Kessler declined to chase a “quick fix” or find one breakthrough that solves everything. Instead, he pointed to momentum across women’s sports, from the WNBA to NWSL, as proof that the LPGA can share in growing attention. “We’re on the precipice of having our breakthrough moment in a really sustainable way,” he declared.
By leveraging partnerships with colleges, sponsors, broadcasters, and groups like the Golf Channel, the LPGA now aims to build exposure event by event, broadcast by broadcast. He stressed that publicity and value multiply when players’ stories (and value) are allowed to flourish through multiple platforms.
One area where Kessler sees potential for innovation is partnerships–not reinvention. Inspired by the WNBA’s synergy with the NBA, he envisions LPGA athletes appearing alongside PGA stars in commercials, media initiatives, and public campaigns. “Let’s showcase ours,” he urged, citing the effectiveness of such cross-league exposure.
He also welcomes innovation-friendly entities like Topgolf and TGL, coupled with the rise of women and girls in amateur golf, as growth levers that can feed enthusiasm into the pro tour.
Player Support and Endorsements
Players are already noticing the shift. LPGA standout Megan Khang, a Boston native, praised Kessler for earning “trust of the players” and setting a clear direction for the tour. She underscored the importance of in-person experiences, highlighting how fans (especially juniors) connect with players through autograph sessions and on-site interactions.
Khang also reminded us there’s no “Caitlin Clark” equivalent in women’s golf, but there are plenty of relatable, marketable stars waiting to be elevated. As she said, “There are so many hidden Caitlin Clarks that the fans don’t know about.”
Alyssa Polczynski Alyssa Polczynski is a multimedia journalist covering Major League Baseball for Heavy.com. She has experience as an editorial producer for MLB.com and contributed to the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR). More about Alyssa Polczynski
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