The LPGA Tour is handing out more money than ever before. But golf veteran Mel Reid believes that there’s still something missing from the product. Speaking about the state of women’s golf, she highlighted a growing disconnect separating it from the PGA Tour.

“I think this big prize money, which has been going through the roof for several years now, is the respect that the girls, the women, deserve, like 100%. But the issue that I have with such high prize money is that I feel it’s such a big disparity between who’s going through the gate,” Mel Reid said on The Loop podcast when Golf Digest’s Christopher Powers asked her about what she would do if she were to become the LPGA Tour commissioner for a day.

“For us on the LPGA, we need to get fans through the door because ultimately the greatest moments in sport aren’t just the shot. It’s actually the moment. It’s the reaction from the crowd.”

The LPGA Tour has rapidly increased its purses in recent years. For instance, the 2025 season featured 33 events with a record $131 million in cumulative prize money and $132 million this year. This is 90% growth, or $62 million, compared to the total prize money across events in 2021.

Another issue that had long held back the LPGA Tour was a lack of coverage. But that issue has been solved this year, as the organization announced a major broadcasting overhaul with FM, Golf Channel, CNBC, and Trackman. This includes live coverage of all events, a 50% increase in cameras, more slow-motion shots, etc.

That solves two of the biggest problems Mel Reid has been complaining about for years. But she still feels that engagement is lacking. Most regular LPGA events draw only around 3,000 to 5,000 fans to the golf course throughout the week. This is significantly less than the 100,000 fans the PGA Tour sees over a weekend. For non-major marquee events like the WM Phoenix Open, attendance exceeds 200,000.

At the 2026 Chevron Championship at Memorial Park in Houston, the attendance was nonexistent. A reporter walking the back nine with world No. 1 Nelly Korda said it was “painfully silent.” And this is even though the LPGA Tour is making significant efforts to drive more fan engagement.

In addition to broadcasting expansion, the organization has formed travel and commercial alliances with Engine and Fenway Sports Management. Similarly, initiatives like the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf program and the One Million MORE Girls Campaign are bringing more youth and families to golf courses. But golf analysts and some influencers feel that sponsorship and marketing investments remain lower.

This is nothing new; Mel Reid pointed it out in 2019. Speaking exclusively to The Independent‘s Tom Kershaw, she said that when she asked a manufacturer for the two woods she thought would best fit her, the response was, “We don’t support women’s golf.” Another company she asked for a set of irons from said they only support men. While things are changing now, the disparity exists.

There are many things the PGA Tour is doing differently in fan engagement. For instance, it has built its fan-attendance strategy around a formal initiative called Fan Forward. Launched in 2024, this initiative collects direct feedback from roughly 50,000 fans and a fan council of about 15,000 members.

This has made fans more invested in men’s golf, but men’s golf is also facing similar struggles. The 2024 season saw a massive viewership crash, and while the PGA Tour has gained momentum since then, some events still have low attendance and viewership. The Cadillac Championship 2026, for instance, saw empty stands at Trump Doral National.

It’s just that the disparity between the two is that even declining attendance at PGA Tour events seems far greater than that of even major events in women’s golf.

Mel Reid didn’t just highlight the issues; she hinted at a potential solution, too.

Mel Reid shared her dream US Women’s Open 2026 scenario

Speaking to Christopher Powers, the LPGA winner said that it would be best if Nelly Korda and Charley Hull faced each other during the final moments of the US Women’s Open 2026.

“Let’s bring that Solheim Cup energy a little bit earlier,” the English professional said. “That would be great, I really think it would be. If we could get them separating themselves and having a little battle down the last five holes, that would be the ultimate TV for me.”

Both are fan favorites and have massive followings. So, if those two end up in that situation, it would also benefit the LPGA viewership.

It is easy to imagine Nelly Korda getting there. In the 7 starts she has had this season, she has already won 3, including the Chevron Championship 2026. Besides that, there are two solo and one tied runner-up finishes. Thanks to those scores, she was able to reclaim her World No. 1 spot from Jeeno Thitikul.

Things are a little different for Charley Hull, though. She has had 8 starts this season and missed the cut in 3 of them. Her best finish this year is T10 at the HSBC Women’s World Championship and the Chevron Championship. This could be because of her ankle and back injuries, but it could still affect her chances at the US Women’s Open 2026. She is also arriving at Riviera after a missed cut at last week’s ShopRite LPGA.

While the tour has made major strides in prize money and coverage, Mel Reid suggests that turning star power into packed galleries remains the next big challenge. For her, a dream showdown between Nelly Korda and Charley Hull at Riviera is exactly the kind of drama and atmosphere she believes the LPGA needs more of.