The LPGA Tour has been making all the right moves recently and seeing a lot of success. The rise of Nelly Korda, the popularity of stars like Lydia Ko, Charley Hull, & Lexi Thompson, and getting big money sponsors like the CME Group have driven them ahead. It’s evident that women’s golf has reached new heights over the last few years. But despite that, they have had to take some “tough decisions” to maintain the balance. And that’s exactly what the commissioner, Craig Kessler, recently talked about.

The LPGA Tour commissioner discussed various topics related to women’s golf with Dylan Dethier. One of the questions the GOLF.COM reporter had was he wanted to know if the Tour was heading in the right direction. Kessler told Dethier, “Let’s start by celebrating the rich history. At 75 years, this is an [organization] that has shaped the landscape of women’s sports. It’s a global tour. Lots of organizations try to figure out how to go global, but we’re already there. That’s a massive asset for the LPGA.”

“Purses have risen. There are stars worth celebrating. The raw ingredients are there to build something even more remarkable. At the same time, the LPGA has so much untapped potential, and when the world gets to know the stories of our superstars and the sacrifices they and their families have made, they will go from watching the LPGA to rooting for the LPGA. I think some amazing things will happen. It may require tough decisions, but understand it’s all in the spirit of taking something that’s already great and making it even better.”

Back in November 2024, the LPGA Tour had already announced that this season was going to be the biggest one for women’s golf. The entire season was recorded for a whopping $131 million schedule. This made the 2025 LPGA Tour season the most lucrative year in its history. And judging by how it has been going so far, the Tour has certainly grown immensely throughout the year.

The 27 events played this year have seen 27 different champions so far. Only one pro has managed to win two titles this year, and that is none other than the world #1, Jeeno Thitikul. With the immense pool of talent, it’s evident that the Tour is growing exponentially. However, as Kessler mentioned, for its continued success, he and his team will need to make some tough decisions.

What could Craig Kessler possibly mean by that? And how will it affect Nelly Korda & Co.? Let’s take a look at what the LPGA Tour might plan for the future.

Will Craig Kessler’s tough decisions affect Nelly Korda & Co.?

There is no doubt that the LPGA Tour is increasingly competitive. As it saw so many different champions this season, the dominance of Nelly Korda in 2024 has become a distant memory. Despite that, the LPGA Tour has failed to attract viewers and increase fans as rapidly as it should. On the other hand, the PGA Tour, despite all the criticism it faced, has been steadily growing. That might prompt Craig Kessler to adapt some strategies implemented by Jay Monahan & Brian Rolapp.

One of them could be to reduce the number of cards allotted to pros. From the 2026 season, the PGA Tour will reduce the number of full-time members from 125 to 100. If Kessler plans to take that route, then the LPGA Tour might see many stars miss out on might opportunities. The likes of Lottie Woad would have never received the exposure she did if the membership terms were limited. That would have boosted Nelly Korda’s morale, who was pushed out of competition in the 2025 ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open after Woad ran away with the score.