The LPGA Tour rode a wave of momentum into the 2026 season. Commissioner Craig Kessler inked a new broadcast partnership to ensure every round of every tournament is being shown on television, and that came before the creation of WTGL — the women’s version of TGL — which continues to see more and more commitments from some of the biggest names in the ladies’ game.
Outside the ropes, deals are being struck to push the women’s game forward. Inside the ropes, however, the LPGA Tour is at a bit of a crossroads.
There was a point in 2024 when then-world No. 1 Nelly Korda could not be caught. Literally and figuratively, the smooth-swinging right-hander was heads and shoulders above the competition. While Scottie Scheffler dominated the men’s game, Korda did the same on the women’s side.
Korda became the third player to win five tournaments in a row on the LPGA Tour during a season in which she claimed her second major championship, seven total titles, 11 top 10 finishes in 16 starts and north of $4 million in earnings.
“As a golf fan, I think I like seeing a player more dominant because then you want to see what’s going to happen next and you follow it,” 10-time major winner, eight-time LPGA Tour Player of the Year and World Golf Hall of Fame member Annika Sörenstam told CBS Sports. “I mean, there’s always competitors, always somebody pushing, but I love the fact that somebody’s standing out and pushing the envelope and taking the game to a different level.”
Some expected Korda to continue her run into 2025, but it never materialized. In fact, she didn’t win at all. Instead, the wealth was spread among 29 different winners across the 32-event season. At the midway point, there were more winners (18) than tournaments played (17) due to a team event.
“It’s great to have multiple winners because you learn different people’s games, different personalities that are out there,” said 11-time LPGA Tour winner Lexi Thompson. “Of course, it is great to have someone go on a run like Tiger [Woods] or what Nelly did. It’s great to see that, but to see different faces be part of the game and to win or get their first win is a huge moment for the game.”
The last two years beg the question: Is dominance or parity better for the game? Would the LPGA Tour benefit from one of its players rising above the rest of the competition like Korda did in 2024, or is the unknown of which player will win any given week able to keep driving the sport on?
With all of the improvements surrounding the actual golf being played, the 2026 season may ultimately reveal the answer.
“I think sport needs dominant players; I think sport needs a rivalry,” said 16-year veteran Mel Reid. “It’s very easy to have rivalries with football teams, soccer teams, hockey teams, rugby teams and basketball teams. In golf, you need some sort of either rivalry or an extremely dominant player.
“For me, a season like last season proves that (1) there are incredible players on the LPGA and that anybody can win or the majority of players can win on any given week. (2) I think it shows the talent of the rookies and the players that are coming from Japan, for example. But, at the same time, I am like, ‘Why is there not a dominant player? Why isn’t power dominating the LPGA? If they really do want to shift the narrative and have a dominant player or even a rivalry, they have to look deeper into it.”