Asia a crucial market as LPGA Tour celebrates Diamond Jubilee with leadership reboot

As the LPGA Tour enters the back nine of its milestone 75th anniversary season, it is primed to capitalise on the global growth of women’s golf – thanks to recent leadership appointments and the continued rise of Asia-Pacific golfers – both of which should strengthen the tour’s foundation for longevity and deepen its impact on fans worldwide.

In recent months, the LPGA named its 10th commissioner in 40-year-old Craig Kessler, whom the search committee was impressed by for his passion for the women’s game and, more importantly, for his astute vision to take the organisation forward through four key pillars he has outlined.

Kessler, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, assumes his new role on July 15 and brings a broad range of leadership experience across sports and business, most recently serving as chief operating officer of the PGA of America.

Closer to home, the LPGA appointed Chris Madsen as its new managing director for the Asia-Pacific region, a critical market in its global strategy. The region will host eight tournaments this year, including upcoming stops in China, South Korea (two), Malaysia and Japan, beginning in October.

Since Pak Se-ri’s historic triumph at the 1998 US Women’s Open – where she became the first Asian golfer, male or female, to win a Major championship – women’s golf in Asia has flourished.

Currently, seven Asia-Pacific players sit inside the top 10 of the season-long Race to CME Globe points list, led by world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, No. 2 Minjee Lee of Australia and third-ranked Rio Takeda of Japan. Of the 17 tournaments played so far in 2025, 10 have been won by women from the region.

“Asia is central to the LPGA’s identity, not only because of the events we host there, but also because of the many world-class players from the region and our global corporate partners based there,” said Liz Moore, who served as interim commissioner from December until Kessler’s appointment.

The effervescent Jeeno, 22, a five-time LPGA winner, is part of a new wave of Asian superstars, and the talent pipeline remains strong.

Japan’s Mao Saigo, Rio Takeda, and Chisato Iwai have all secured wins in 2025, while South Koreans Kim A-lim, Kim Hyo-joo, Ryo Hae-ran, Lee So-mi and Im Jin-hee have also triumphed.

Minjee Lee recently claimed her third Major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, and Lydia Ko of New Zealand, the 2024 Olympic gold medallist, continues to be among the tour’s marquee attractions.

The talent pool is also set to deepen further.

When the Evian Championship, one of five LPGA Majors, tees off this week in France, all eyes will be on Malaysia’s Mirabel Ting.

The 19-year-old phenom turned professional on July 3 and will make her debut after a stellar collegiate season at Florida State University, where she won five of nine starts and ended the season ranked No. 1 in the US. Ting was awarded the 2025 Annika Award, which granted her an exemption into the Evian field.

“In my 25 years, she’s (Ting) by far the best ball-striker I’ve ever seen,” FSU coach Amy Bond told Golf Week.

The LPGA is also bolstering its development pathways.

The newly launched LPGA Collegiate Advancement Pathway will create opportunities for top college golfers in the US to transition to the professional ranks, such as the Epson Tour.

This complements the existing LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway which rewards top amateurs with LPGA memberships, mirroring the successful PGA Tour University model that has produced stars like Ludvig Åberg.

Once Kessler officially begins his role, his priorities will be to build trust, raise the visibility of LPGA stars globally, grow the fan base, and solidify the tour’s financial foundation. Among future plans is hosting the largest fund-raising initiative in the tour’s history, a 75th anniversary Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Resorts in January 2026, in support of the LPGA Foundation’s mission to inspire the next generation of female golfers.

Kessler has also hit the road in recent weeks to hold discussions with stakeholders and players to shape the LPGA’s next chapter.

In golf, timing is everything, and for the LPGA, its 75th anniversary, also known as its Diamond Jubilee, arrives at a perfect moment.

As the saying goes, diamonds are forever, and under Kessler’s transformational leadership, women’s golf looks set to sparkle for decades to come.