• Loading stock data...
Thursday, June 19, 2025

Women’s PGA Championship Tees Off With a Big Investment, Record Purse

  • The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has a major upgrade this year.
  • There is also a purse increase to a record $10.4 million.
John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

The third women’s golf major championship of the year is underway, with significant new financial investment in LPGA players and fans, as the trend of spending more money on women’s sports in general continues.

This year’s purse at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which teed off Thursday morning at Sahalee Country Club just outside Seattle, is increasing 4% to a record $10.4 million. But an even bigger boost is coming through the addition of a novel, expensive service that had been almost exclusively reserved for men’s golf. 

The Women’s PGA Championship will feature ShotLink technology for the first time, something that is primarily used at men’s majors and more than 90 PGA Tour–operated events each year. For those unfamiliar, imagine if the Hawk-Eye replay system at Wimbledon was only used for men’s and not women’s tennis (this is not apples to apples but the same idea).

Last year, the U.S. Women’s Open became the first women’s event to use the service at Pebble Beach Golf Links (and did so again at last month’s major). Players benefit from the quick stats immediately after rounds, and fans are aided during the golf as they can track the information from hole to hole.

On the LPGA Tour, the KPMG Performance Insights program provides some similar golf shot data for players. But unlike men’s events, where dozens of cameras and radars automatically record stats, LPGA caddies often record things manually, like how far a drive went or how long a putt is throughout the round, which is then compiled afterward.

Equal Spending

The PGA Tour spends millions of dollars annually on operating ShotLink at tournaments, so putting the technology in requires major monetary commitments. But now, brands are allocating more dollars to women’s sports than ever before. KPMG has been the title sponsor of the Women’s PGA Championship since 2014, and this year the PGA of America signed up another new sponsor, T-Mobile, to help fund the ShotLink implementation.

“We have an opportunity to take women’s major championship golf to the same level as the men,” Jeff Price, the PGA of America’s chief commercial officer, tells Front Office Sports. In addition to this week’s move, the PGA of America will be hosting several future men’s and women’s championships at a new flagship course in Frisco, Texas, which should facilitate further equalization of the games.

LPGA Eyes Investment

As women’s golf majors continue to lead the way, the LPGA has its eye on key upgrades like ShotLink and others for week-to-week events. “There’s conversations with these partners about this stuff all the time,” Matt Chmura, the tour’s top marketing executive, tells FOS. “We’re pushing harder and harder to expand that to other tournaments and eventually to get it throughout the whole field.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Rays on Verge of $1.7B Sale Following Stadium Deal Collapse

The team’s owner walked away from a stadium deal just months ago.

Dana White’s Next Frontier: Making Jiu-Jitsu Mainstream

The TKO Group Holdings–owned competition expands once again.

Premier League Embraces NFL-Style Flex Scheduling for 2025–26

The league warns of additional games “moving at relatively short notice.”

Featured Today

Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.
Jan 24, 2017; Davidson, NC, USA; The Davidson Wildcats student section cheers during the first half against the Duquesne Dukes at McKillop Court at John M. Belk Arena. Davidson defeated Duquesne 74-60.
June 6, 2025

Every College Wants a Flashy Basketball GM Hire Right Now

The role is more important than ever, and the definition is ever-evolving.
August 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; The Goodyear blimp flies over Ohio Stadium during the first half of Saturday’s NCAA Division I football game between the Akron Zips and the Ohio State Buckeyes.
June 6, 2025

Why the Goodyear Blimp Is at Every Major Sports Event

The airship wasn’t built to cover sports. Now it’s a regular presence.
Club World Cup

Club World Cup Attendance Plummets for Weekday Games: 3,700 in Orlando, ‘Almost..

Chelsea’s manager bemoaned an “almost empty” stadium in Atlanta.
Lydia Ko
June 17, 2025

PGA Championship Ties U.S. Open for Richest Purse in Women’s Golf

This week’s tournament will offer $12 million in prize money.
Sophie Cunningham
June 18, 2025

Fever and Sun Hit With Tiny Fines After Wild Melee

WNBA coaches have long complained about a lack of transparency in fines.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

Ted Leonsis unpacks basketball’s global rise, media rights, and portfolio ownership.
June 17, 2025

Rolapp Weighs In on PGA Tour–LIV Golf Talks, NFL After Goodell

Brian Rolapp is becoming CEO as commissioner Jay Monahan steps down.
June 17, 2025

PGA Tour Officially Taps Rolapp, Ends Monahan’s Run: What It Means

The former NFL media executive is now the top executive at the PGA Tour.
Club World Cup
June 16, 2025

Club World Cup Opening Weekend: 80,000 at Rose Bowl, Dry Pitch at..

FIFA’s new tournament started with some surprising successes and early issues.
June 15, 2025

MLB Balls Are ‘Different’ This Season, per Andrew McCutchen

Scoring is down a touch across the league this season.