Tiger Woods walked away from a rolled Land Rover without a scratch. However, a live $2.25 million LPGA tournament wasn’t as lucky. The Golf Channel had its priorities clear. Jessica Korda, playing her first event in three years, was not going to let it slide.

Jessica Korda took to X and tagged the Golf Channel directly: “Not putting on women’s golf to talk about TMZ-related news is really awesome. Why can’t they stream that live, and we just get to watch golf on TV when turning on the GOLF Channel?”

Fans backed Jessica Korda immediately.

“Tiger Woods is certainly significant and newsworthy all things considered; however, they could have done the breaking news and updates during commercials or in a split-screen format,” wrote one fan. Another added, “God bless Tiger; we all want him to be well, but come on, let the ladies shine.”

Tiger Woods was arrested after his Land Rover clipped a truck near his Jupiter Island home on March 28. Although he crawled out uninjured, he failed field sobriety tests. He blew 0.00 on a breathalyzer and then refused a urinalysis. He was charged with DUI, property damage, and refusal to submit to a lawful test. All of this happened less than two weeks before the 2026 Masters. The arrest and accident were big news indeed. However, the numbers reveal the sacrifices made.

At the 2026 Ford Championship, Nelly Korda leads at -16, with H.J. Kim at -14 and Lydia Ko, M. Katsu, and J. Bae sharing T3 at -13. These are the stories the Golf Channel missed. Jessica Korda, the 6x LPGA Tour winner returning after three years away, sits at T131 with a score of +2 in the Ford Championship.

Usually, LPGA telecasts draw 85,000 to 200,000 viewers on Golf Channel, while PGA Tour final rounds average 3.1 million. This is not a talent gap; it’s a distribution gap. If viewership is low, sponsors might invest less. This means slower prize money and tour growth, which is evident in the LPGA.

The coverage failure was especially glaring during Lydia Ko’s historic first round when she shot 12-under 60 in the first round, bringing her within striking distance of a 59, a feat only achieved by Annika Sorenstam in LPGA history 25 years ago. Ko was 10 strokes under par after 15 holes. During the round, the LPGA didn’t post anything. There were no live updates, no streaming, and no build-up during the round. Beth Ann Nichols, a golf writer, said that the Tour’s first mention of Ko came after her round ended, along with a scorecard image that was difficult to read. There was a video clip two hours later.

The Golf Channel had already been called out for missing Ko’s historic round. And they still chose Tiger Woods’ arrest over a live tournament anyway. One comment on Korda’s post cut directly to that.

“They don’t respect women or the LPGA at all. Just stream it yourselves; you don’t need them anymore,” this person wrote.

Notably, the LPGA is working to fix the issue of having more PR. At The ANNIKA, they invited young prodigy Kai Trump to play, and it was a massive success, as the event became the talk of the town even before it started. The broadcast side is a different problem.

LPGA chief marketing officer Chad Coleman acknowledged the criticism and listed upcoming changes for 2026. That includes streaming every round on linear TV, 50% more cameras, drone shots, four times the shot tracers, and better player storytelling.

However, when the Golf Channel prioritizes celebrity news over women’s golf, it presents a unique challenge that the LPGA cannot address independently.

A pattern, not a one-off: LPGA’s ongoing broadcast battle

The Golf Channel has a history of siding with the PGA Tour, though a notable exception occurred in October 2025 when the network pushed the PGA Tour’s Black Desert event to CNBC, so the LPGA’s International Crown semifinals could air on Golf Channel.

ESPN holds a joint media rights deal with the PGA Tour running through 2030. Their LPGA deal wrapped up earlier. Two Tours, same network, but very different levels of investment. LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler admitted the problem plainly.

“For so many sports, it’s easy to know when to turn on the TV. It’s really, really hard to do that today with women’s golf.”

Fans can’t follow what they can’t find, and inconsistent scheduling keeps them from trying. The Golf Channel’s choosing Tiger Woods’ DUI coverage over a live $2.25 million tournament showed exactly what the LPGA needs.