In the span of five days, Craig Kessler conjured up solutions to two of the biggest problems facing the LPGA Tour. On Friday, reports emerged that the Tour’s first major, the Chevron Championship, will change venues next year from the much-maligned Club at Carlton Woods in the Houston suburbs to Tom Doak’s Memorial Park and its more accessible location. On Tuesday, a gigantic upgrade was announced for the Tour’s broadcast coverage, arguably its greatest liability. Events in North America will receive a 50% increase in cameras, more drone coverage, enhanced shot tracing capabilities through Trackman, and three times the number of microphones. Tape delays are now a thing of the past as Golf Channel will show every round live. The multi-year agreement in partnership with FM, title sponsor of the LPGA’s FM Championship, begins at the start of the 2026 season and is a lifeline to a tour that’s been bogged down by a pitiful media rights deal.
Today, Kessler will speak at the Tour’s season finale, the CME Group Tour Championship. The broadcast deal will likely be discussed in further detail, and the 2026 schedule will officially be revealed. Expect the calendar to look similar to last season as any major changes, even for the quick-working Kessler, will take longer than a few months to implement.
The LPGA hasn’t had positive momentum like this in years. The speed at which announcements and updates are coming has even surprised the players. On Tuesday, Lydia Ko said, “The last couple months has been a little bit of the fast-forward pace, and it’s been great to be part of that.” Minjee Lee expressed a similar sentiment, saying, “It’s really cool to see how Craig has — with his short time being on Tour how he’s trying to elevate our Tour, and see how we go.”
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With praise coming from the Tour’s top players, Kessler’s well on his way to jumping over another hurdle. To keep progress moving in the right direction, he’ll need the players to commit to his vision and do more, both on and off the golf course. Part of the new broadcast deal includes a heightened focus on athlete storytelling. As he gains the trust of players, it’s more likely they’ll say yes to these requests.
“We had a player meeting last week, and we shared the news about what’s to come in terms of the broadcast, and the room erupted,” Kessler revealed during a Q&A with The Athletic’s Gabby Herzig. “At one point, I asked the players to raise their hands if they’re now willing to do their part to lean in and participate in some of the storytelling we’ve talked about, and virtually every hand in the room went up.”
For as much praise as Kessler’s hiring received back in May, it may not have been enough. Four months in and it’s clear the LPGA has something rare in the world of professional golf: a competent leader with the full support of the players he serves.
