LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan joins Golf Central to discuss the Tour’s growth entering 2024, continued investment in building the brands of athletes and more. #GolfChannel #GolfCentral #LPGATour
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LPGA Tour targeting fan growth, brand investment in 2024 | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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SCHEDULE GLOBALLY WITH TOURNAMENTS IN 10 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. SO WITH THAT, WHO BETTER TO KICK OFF THE SHOW THAN LPGA TOUR COMMISSIONER. SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. AND LET’S START BIG PICTURE. IT IS THE START OF A NEW YEAR. LOTS TO CELEBRATE. WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN PRIORITIES
HEADING INTO THIS NEW SEASON? >> YEAH. I MEAN, WE HAD A FANTASTIC YEAR, OBVIOUSLY, LAST YEAR WITH A TON OF MOMENTUM, BOTH ON THE COURSE AND OFF THE COURSE. YOU KNOW, AS WE TURN TO 2024, WE’RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE COMPETITION, THE ATHLETES WE HAVE.
WE HAVE THE BEST PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD COMPETING IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WOMEN’S GOLF TOURNAMENT. WE’RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND THE ATHLETES WE HAVE. WE’RE EXCITED ABOUT THE COMMERCIAL GROWTH WE HAVE SEEN. IN SPORTS WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT
THE SPORT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. BUT THE STORY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS THESE DAYS IS THE INVESTMENT AND REALLY IN THE GROWTH COMMERCIALLY AND PLAYING FOR $118 MILLION THIS YEAR IS PHENOMENAL. AND I THINK SEEING THE GROWTH WE HAVE HAD IN THE LAST SEVERAL
YEARS IS JUST A TREMENDOUS TRIBUTE TO OUR PARTNERS AND TO WHERE THE SPORT IS GOING. SO WE’RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THAT. WE’RE REALLY DIGGING IN. FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, WE’RE REALLY DIGGING IN ON THE FANS. WE ALWAYS HAD THE PLAYERS AT THE CENTER OF OUR EQUATION.
YOU CAN SEE THE FANS AT THE TOURNAMENT, FOLLOWING US ON SOCIAL. WE’RE INVESTING IN GROWING OUR FAN BASE. WE’RE REALLY SHOWING MORE VALUE TO OUR PARTNERS, MORE VALUE TO OUR ATHLETES. YOU WILL SEE A LOT OF THAT. AND BELIEVE ME, YOU WILL SEE SOME UNBELIEVABLE COMPETITION
THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. >> YEAH. THE BIGGEST PRIZE IN WOMEN’S GOLF, WE’RE PLAYING THROUGH $4 MILLION AT THE END OF THE SEASON. THAT’S A REMARKABLE THING. LAST YEAR WE HAD 6 DIFFERENT NEW TOURNAMENTS. AND THIS YEAR OTHER GREAT NEW TOURNAMENTS COMING ONLINE.
I THINK WE HAVE 16 TOURNAMENTS OVER $3 MILLION, WHICH IS REALLY A BIG THING FOR US. I THINK WE WERE PLAYING FOR 10 TOURNAMENTS LAST YEAR OVER $3 MILLION. 16 THIS YEAR. THE GROWTH IN THE INCOME FROM OUR PLAYERS FROM LAST YEAR WAS PHENOMENAL.
WE HAD THREE PLAYERS MAKING OVER $3 MILLION. 99 PLAYERS MAKING $200,000. SO THE STORY IS REALLY POSITIVE. THE MOMENTUM IS REALLY GOOD. BUT WE SEE MORE GROWTH COMING IN 2024. >> YEAH. YOU TOOK THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH. NOT ONLY IS THE $118 MILLION A
RECORD PRIZE FOR THIS UPCOMING SEASON, BUT THAT $4 MILLION, AS YOU SAID, AT THE END OF THE YEAR IS THE BIGGEST FIRST PLACE IN ALL OF WOMEN’S SPORTS, WHICH IS SUCH A HUGE THING THAT CME SET FORWARD THAT WILL NO DOUBT MAKE A HUGE IMPACT.
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A DISPARITY BETWEEN THE LPGA AND THE PGA TOUR IN TERMS OF FINANCES. WHAT ARE THEY DOING TO STRIVE FOR THAT EQUALITY? >> AGAIN, OUR WOMEN ARE DOING REALLY WELL. AND THE GROWTH, 70% GROWTH IN TWO YEARS. BUT WE’RE NOT THERE.
THERE IS A TREMENDOUS DISPARITY IN WOMEN’S SPORTS IN GENERAL. OUR TOP PLAYER MADE 15% OF WHAT THE TOP PLAYER ON THE PGA TOUR MADE, NOT INCLUDING THE FEDEXCUP BONUS MONEY, SO LESS THAN 10% WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT. SO I THINK WE’VE GOT — SORRY,
THERE IS A TRUCK COMING BY HERE, ANNA. SO WE’VE GOT A LOT OF ROOM TO GO. IT COMES BACK TO THIS IDEA THAT WE NEED MORE EYEBALLS ON OUR ATHLETES. WE NEED MORE PEOPLE TO SEE HOW TALENTED THEY ARE, TO ENJOY THE COMPETITION AND TO DRIVE TOWARDS
THAT GROWTH. I THINK THAT’S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO. WE’RE INVESTING IN THAT. WE HAVE THE BIGGEST MARKETING TEAM WE’VE EVER HAD. IN FACT, WE’VE NEVER REALLY HAD A MARKETING TEAM. NOW WE HAVE A SUBSTANTIAL TEAM. WE’RE FOCUSED ON SELLING MORE
TICKETS, GETTING MORE PEOPLE DRIVING TO OUR BROADCAST AND TO OUR SOCIAL AND REALLY GETTING PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHO OUR ATHLETES ARE OFF THE GOLF COURSE, TOO. WE HIRED A PRODUCTION COMPANY TO HELP BUILD THE BRAND OF A FEW PLAYERS AND THAT RISING TIDE
WILL LIFT OFF BOATS. YOU WANT TO WATCH PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW AND YOU KNOW HOW TALENTED THEY ARE. THAT’S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO, AND WE’RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY AHEAD. >> IT IS AN INTERESTING POINT. IT IS ONE JUDY MADE YESTERDAY.
SHE SAID, YOU JUST NEED MORE PEOPLE TO REALIZE HOW GOOD WOMEN’S GOLF IS, AND YOU JUST NEED TO GET MORE EYEBALLS ON THE SPORT. THE QUESTION IS HOW TO YOU DO THAT? YOU LISTED A COUPLE OF WAYS YOU ARE GOING ABOUT THAT.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT THE BIGGEST STARS OF THE LPGA EMBRACE THE SPOTLIGHT THAT THEY FIND THEMSELVES IN AND INVEST A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND GIVING A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO THOSE THAT DO WRITE THE HEADLINES SO WE DO GET TO
KNOW THEM A LITTLE BETTER AND THEY DO CREATE THIS BRAND FOR THE LPGA THAT IT SORT OF STILL NEEDS. >> YEAH, NO, ABSOLUTELY. AT THE LPGA, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF GROWING OUR SOCIAL, PROBABLY. WE REALLY STUDIED THE DATA TO
SEE WHERE WE COMPARE TO OTHER LEAGUES. AND WE NEED TO KEEP GROWING OUR ENGAGEMENT. BUT MOSTLY, PEOPLE DON’T FOLLOW THE LPGA. THEY FOLLOW OUR ATHLETES. SO WE REALLY STUDIED THAT. WE WILL HELP OUR ATHLETES DO THAT. WE WILL GIVE THEM SOME TOOLS.
WE WILL PUT RESOURCES TO IT TO HELP THEM GROW THOSE BRANDS. IN SPORTS YOU FOLLOW PEOPLE AND TEAMS THAT YOU KNOW AND LOVE. SO WE HAD THESE REMARKABLE WOMEN THAT HAVE THESE UNIQUE WORLD CLASS TALENT, BUT THEY’RE ALSO AMAZING PEOPLE. WE WANT YOU TO KNOW OUR STORIES.
WE WANT OUR TOP ATHLETES TO EMBRACE THAT AND ALSO TO BE — YOU KNOW, TO LET PEOPLE SEE THEIR PERSONALITIES BECAUSE THEY’RE FUNNY. THEY’RE SMART. THEY’RE COMMITTED TO THEIR CAUSES. AND, YEAH, SO I AGREE WITH JUDY. SHE’S ALWAYS PERFECTLY SPOT-ON. ALSO, YOU KNOW, AT THE
TOURNAMENT, THESE EVENTS MEAN SOMETHING. THEY’RE PLAYING FOR A LOT OF MONEY. BUT THEY’RE PLAYING FOR THEIR LEGACY AND THEY’RE PLAYING FOR PRIDE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE’VE GOT A GREAT FAN BASE HERE CELEBRATING THEIR WIN, PUTTING THEIR ARMS UP IN THE AIR, FIST PUMPING AND
MAKING MORE NOISE AROUND OUR TOURNAMENTS. THAT STARTS THE ENGINE FLOWING, AND I THINK IT WILL JUST CONTINUE TO HELP US GROW. >> YEAH. I THINK THAT’S REALLY EXCITING, MOLLY. YOU HAVE TO SPEND A COUPLE WEEKS ON THE TOUR TO REALIZE THERE ARE SOME GREAT PERSONALITIES OUT THERE.
AND THE MORE WE COULD GET TO KNOW THEM, THE BETTER. DURING THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING, THE LADIES EUROPEAN MEMBERS ENDED UP POSTPONING A VOTE WHICH WAS TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY WERE GOING TO MERGE WITH THE LPGA. THEY NEVER REALLY SORT OF TALKED ABOUT WAY.
WHERE DO YOU STAND WITH A POTENTIAL MERGER NOW? >> YEAH. I MEAN, I THINK, AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN IN A JOINT VENTURE SINCE 2020. THAT’S AN AWESOME RELATIONSHIP AND IT CONTINUES TO GROW. I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN UPDATING OUR PLAYERS ON WHERE WE ARE.
WE HAVEN’T HAD A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO SIT WITH THEM BECAUSE, OBVIOUSLY, IT’S THE OFF SEASON. WE HAVE A PLAYER MEETING NEXT WEEK, AND WE WILL SHARE MORE INFORMATION WITH THEM. I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE MAKING SURE I TALK TO THE PLAYERS FIRST.
AFTER NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BE ABLE TO GIVE MORE INFORMATION ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE MERGER. BUT IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING WITH OURTHLETES, WE CAN ANSWER THEIR QUESTIONS FIRST, AND THEN WE WILL BE HAPPY TO TALK MORE ABOUT IT. WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON GROWING
THE LPGA, THE EPSON TOUR AND REALLY GROWING WOMEN’S GOLF. >> YEAH. SPEAKING OF JOINT VENTURES, MOLLY, THE BIG STORY LINE DOMINATING THE MEN’S SIDE RIGHT NOW IS THE EXPECTED UPCOMING AGREEMENT WITH SAUDI ARABIA. THE LPGA DOESN’T HAVE ANY KIND OF RELATIONSHIP.
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON POSSIBLE FUTURE FUNDING OR EVEN PARTNERING WITH THEM DOWN THE LINE? >> YEAH. I THINK THEY HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT. NUMBER ONE, WE BELIEVE AN UNFRACTURED WOMEN’S GOLF ENVIRONMENT IS CRITICAL TO THE GROWTH. YOU HAVE TO BE DRIVING TOWARDS,
YOU KNOW, THE TOP TOUR WHERE EVERYTHING IS PATHWAYS, EVERYTHING FLOWS TO THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE WORLD COMPETING ON THE LPGA. THAT’S NUMBER ONE. I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY STRONG MISSION. OUR MISSION IS TO BE THE GLOBAL LEADER IN WOMEN’S PROFESSIONAL GOLF.
AND THEN REALLY IMPORTANTLY, TO USE THAT PLATFORM TO ELEVATE IN ADVANCE WOMEN. SO ANY DECISION THAT WE MAKE ON ANY PARTNERSHIP REALLY GOES BACK TO THAT MISSION. CAN IT CONTINUE TO ALLOW US TO REACH OUR MISSION OF BEING THE WOMEN’S GLOBAL LEADER, GOLF.
DOES IT ALLOW US TO ELEVATE OUR PLAYERS WITH THE BEST OPPORTUNITY AND ELEVATE AND INSPIRE WOMEN. AND THEN WE LOOK AT EVERY DECISION THAT COMES OUR WAY. I DON’T HAVE ANYTHING NEW TO REPORT ON THAT. I THINK WE’RE OPEN TO OPPORTUNITIES. WE WILL LISTEN TO CONVERSATIONS
AND WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THE STORY LINE FOR US IS WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OURSELVES AND INVEST IN THE GROWTH OF THE ORGANIZATION BECAUSE THE PRODUCT IS SO GOOD AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE IT AT EVERY TURN. NOTHING NEW TO REPORT THERE.
AND, AGAIN, DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON ALL OF THAT. BUT I THINK WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A GOOD MISSION TO WORK OFF OF. HOW IT AFFECTS OUR
