By Jill Painter Lopez
The United States Golf Association (USGA) just gave the U.S. Women's Open an unprecedented boost.
It's a tangible move to elevate both the major and women's golf in general that will be felt across the country, but especially here in Southern California.
By landing a presenting sponsor in ProMedica, the USGA nearly doubled the purse for this year's U.S. Women's Open, from $5.5 million to $10 million. The winner will receive an eye-popping $1.8 million - the highest paycheck given to a champion in women's golf. By comparison, only 10 tournaments on the PGA Tour have a bigger payout to a winner.
By 2026, the purse is planned to reach $12 million. That's a special year as well since the USGA recently announced that Riviera Country Club will host the prestigious championship 2026.
"We talk a lot (about) the three Ps - purpose, place and purse," said Michael Whan, the CEO of the USGA, in an e-mail to the SCGA. "Our partnership with ProMedica allows us to elevate all three of those. Growing the marketability, attractiveness and ultimately revenues of women's golf comes from elevating all those items collectively."
As athletes are pushing for equity in pay and opportunities in women's sports, this is monumental progress by the governing body of amateur golf.
Top-ranked Nelly Korda, In Bee Park, Lydia Ko and the biggest names in golf can have more earning power on the course. Additionally, future players will have a better road to travel. Male and female golfers have traditionally made inordinately more money by landing sponsorship deals, not raising trophies.
But a move like this helps, especially for the women.
The U.S. Women's Open will be at Pine Needles Lodge & Golf Club in Southern Pines, N.C. this year. Not long after, Pacific Palisades will be home to this championship, arguably the best major.
Think about the impact the tournament in Pacific Palisades can have on girls and women in Los Angeles and members of the SCGA. People will be attending the major as spectators and volunteers, bringing along sisters, moms, dads, and brothers. Surely they will be inspired, seeing that they, too, can caddie or coach and dream of being a professional player who makes a living on par with what many of the men make.
They can also witness a female executive, Riviera Country Club president Megan Watanabe, running one of the most storied golf courses in the country.
"The USGA prides itself on conducting championships that not only provide an incredible stage for the athletes, but also give younger players something to dream about," Whan said.
Whan, the former commissioner of the LPGA Tour, knows the players and the landscape. Not only did he guide the USGA in making the commitment, he found a sponsor with the same ideals. This partnership could be a game-changer for women's golf.
"Golf is unique in that it is comprised of fans that love the sport for very different reasons," Whan said. "Some want to tune in to watch the best players in the world compete on the cathedrals of the game, and others want to witness the drama of their favorite player sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole of the U.S. Women's Open to win $1.8 million. Both in my previous job and my current role, I can stand here and definitely tell you that this strategy has worked over the past decade, and we are only going to see the game take larger steps in the coming years."
And we'll see it right here in Southern California.
