2025 LPGA Season Odds and Ends

[JungleJimbo]

 

 

 

[PhilWhitUK]

Let’s hope Mimi gets into LPGA next season or soon so we can see how she really measures up.  Confidence of a great debut season can only help.

[AWinfortheAges]

On 5/12/2025 at 1:21 AM, JungleJimbo said:

 

Nice story here (and revelation that XiYu Lin is also expecting).

 

Alison Lee Loving Life as New Mom to Son Levi | News | LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association

 

 

 

Okay. I was wondering,  where is Alison.

[Rapidcat]

On 5/18/2025 at 3:57 PM, iBanesto said:

 

You must be a very strong amateur player to be playing against Appleby and Allenby.

 

Both strong ball strikers but their putting was very streaky.

 

I was always surprised that Appleby's form went downhill after 2008.

 

 

 

Cheers - that was a long time ago.

 

Stuart developed serious back issues which ruined the back end of his PGAT tenure.

[JungleJimbo]

 

[JungleJimbo]

 

 

 

[JungleJimbo]

USWO field: Leona Maguire (RR #75) was a surprise to see as being amongst the final few to get into the field based on their RR rankings.

 

   

 

 

Edited May 20 by JungleJimbo

[JungleJimbo]

Delightful interview with Cassie Porter. Seems genuine & fun personality. 

"Aussie Aussie Aussie..."

 

 

[Lobby]

Grant Boone’s tweets are always so insightful. I appreciate him

[JungleJimbo]

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/lpga/2025/05/22/lpga-names-pga-executive-craig-kessler-10th-commissioner/83462703007

 

 

LPGA names PGA executive Craig Kessler its 10th commissioner

golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/lpga/2025/05/22/lpga-names-pga-executive-craig-kessler-10th-commissioner/83462703007

 

Quote

 

 

LPGA names PGA of America executive Craig Kessler its 10th commissioner

Beth Ann Nichols

Golfweek

 

 

 

Stacy Lewis’ first impression of Craig Kessler: He’s a young Mike Whan.

“That’s going to be everyone’s kind of first reaction,” said Lewis of the LPGA’s newest chief.

The PGA of America executive was named the tour's 10th commissioner on Thursday as play got underway at the inaugural Mexico Riviera Maya Open. Kessler, who turns 40 next week, is a dynamic, disciplined, high-energy leader who, by all accounts, values relationship. In that way, he’s very much like Whan, who was 44 when he took the job as LPGA commissioner. Whan rebuilt the LPGA and stayed for 11 years before moving on to lead the USGA.

Kessler a 'lifelong golf guy'

Kessler, like Whan, is the father of three young boys and a lifelong golf guy. When Kessler and his wife, Nicole, talked to their boys about dad’s potential new job, they peppered him with questions. The eldest, age 9, asked a dozen trying to make sure that this was, in fact, the right opportunity.

 

 

The seven-year-old followed with, “But I’m a boy, and you’re a boy, so why don’t you just do boy sports, dad?”

The query presented a chance for dad to give a little lesson: “If all we did were things that looked and talked like us, we’d be missing the plot and just leaving so much richness on the table.”

 

The 5-year-old, after hearing that he’d likely be missing school to see the world on this adventure, wanted to know if they sold chocolate milk in Asia.

 

“You understand different stakeholders have different concerns,” Kessler told Golfweek with a smile.

 

Early reaction to Kessler is overwhelmingly positive

Speaking of stakeholders, the PGA of America Chief Operating Officer will come into his new role having already talked to many of the LPGA's key constituents. There was a concerted effort from the board, this time around, to ensure that LPGA constituents felt like they were part of the process and, in turn, Kessler comes into the role with his eyes wide open.

 

LPGA Player President Vicki Goetz-Ackerman served on the eight-person search committee and said the reaction to Kessler after the first interview was, "He's perfect."

 

“We set out to find a transformational leader with a deep appreciation for the LPGA’s legacy and a clear vision of what’s possible for our future,” said John B. Veihmeyer, Chair of the LPGA Board of Directors, in a release. “Craig is an inspiring and engaging leader, who brings a unique mix of executive leadership experience, deep relationships in the golf industry, and a genuine commitment to elevating women and girls through golf. The LPGA has never been more dynamic – and Craig is exactly the right leader to drive its next era of growth and impact.”

 

Tim Erensen, managing partner at Outlyr, which runs seven LPGA events, has spent time with Kessler and was impressed with the questions he asked to get a better understanding of a complicated LPGA landscape. Erensen sees Kessler’s ability to build partnerships as essential to the job.

 

“I think that’s more what the LPGA is built on, longstanding deep partnerships,” said Erensen. “I think he will sit across the table with anybody and bring fair and creative solutions and opportunities to the business.”

Why did Craig Kessler want the LPGA job?

When asked why he wanted the job, Kessler, whose official start date is July 15, gave two reasons. To start, he’s crazy about golf, having grown up in Southern California and learning the game on Rancho Carlsbad, a par-3 course he affectionately called "the cow pasture."

 

“It didn’t have a blade of grass on it,” said Kessler, who plays to a 5.5 handicap. “But I’ve been playing since I was a young kid. In the summers, my buddies and I, our moms would drop us off at the Lakes San Marcos Executive Golf Course, and for $9, we played unlimited golf until the sun went down, and in many respects, golf was our summertime babysitter.”

 

The second reason, he said, was the opportunity to marry his passion with the opportunity to make a difference. When asked about his vision for the tour, Kessler said the goal is to create something that both existing and prospective stakeholders look at and say, “I have to be part of it.”

To get there, Kessler listed four pillars: building trust, building visibility, building fans and building a stronger financial foundation.

“I will tell you,” said Kessler, “trust underpins everything.”

 

Announced as the PGA of America’s new COO in February 2023, the Georgetown graduate and Harvard MBA was a candidate for the PGA's CEO position last year, but the association ultimately made being a PGA member a priority in the search. Kessler's previous work in golf includes a stint at Topgolf, where he was COO and head of emerging concepts from 2016-21.

 

Kessler began his career with the global management consulting firm McKinsey & Company before becoming an operating partner at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) and Providence Equity Partners, two private equity firms.

In between Topgolf and the PGA, Kessler served as Chief Executive Officer of the Dallas-based Buff City Soap, which more than doubled in the number of store locations from 100 to 260 nationwide while Kessler was at the helm. 

Lewis said the search committee liked that Kessler had previous experience as a CEO.

 

“The primary lesson that I learned at Buff City is how to navigate really complex stakeholder environments,” said Kessler. “Anytime somebody leads an organization of franchisees who have put their time, their sweat, their blood, their financial resources into something, that’s a high-stakes environment. … I think learning from that how to listen, how to ask questions, how to be deeply empathetic, all of those lessons will translate to my job at the LPGA.”

What is Craig Kessler's leadership style?

As for his leadership style, Kessler said he’s learned over the years that vulnerability is a wildly powerful tool. Leaders he respects the most, he continued, don’t have all the answers, but surround themselves with people who do.

Kessler plans to lead a highly collaborative, energetic environment at the LPGA built around positivity, yet one that also encourages a culture of constant feedback.

“I think organizations that are too nice to one another never realize their full potential,” he said. “Organizations that recognize feedback is a gift, is critical.

“And then the last thing I'd say is, by way of analogy, I think about leadership as, imagine a quarterback and a wide receiver run a play, and it's an incomplete pass. Two things can happen. The quarterback and the wide receiver can each point fingers at the other person and talk about what went wrong. Or they can quite literally put their arms around each other, debrief what happened and figure out together how to make sure the next time they complete the pass. I hope and pray we build a culture that feels a lot like the latter.”

 

After Mollie Marcoux Samaan stepped down as commissioner in January, longtime LPGA executive Liz Moore took the helm as interim commissioner, calming things during a rocky time period with a transparent approach. Moore proved herself to be more than capable of taking on a bigger role and will no doubt be a key part of the transition and beyond.

 

With the LPGA losing money – to the tune of seven figures – in 2024, Kessler will face a number of challenges as he looks to get the tour back on track financially and in position to capitalize on what's been a boom in women's sports. He'll have several key positions to fill in the short term and, as has been the case for many years, there's talk of potentially moving the tour away from Daytona Beach. Kessler and his family currently live in Dallas. When asked about future plans, Kessler said, "I will be wherever the job requires."

 

The learning curve for Kessler won't be as steep as it was for Marcoux Samaan, as he already knows enough of the right people to ask the right questions. For Lewis, finding a leader with the right personality was high on the priority list. There was concern early on that they might have to convince the right person to take this job, but that wasn’t the case with Kessler.

 

“I just like the guy,” said the two-time major winner and former No. 1. “He did all of this with a smile on his face. He was excited about the opportunity. He didn’t beat around the bush. He answered every question we asked and if he didn’t know the answer, he was going to find it.”

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 22 by JungleJimbo

[JungleJimbo]

 

LPGA Board of Directors Elects Craig Kessler as Commissioner | News | LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association

 

 

Edited May 22 by JungleJimbo

[Argonne69]

Congrats to the Northwestern Wildcats for their first national championship. They denied Stanford back to back championships in a great match that went down to the final putt in the anchor match. 

 

[postfold]

1 hour ago, Argonne69 said:

Congrats to the Northwestern Wildcats for their first national championship. They denied Stanford back to back championships in a great match that went down to the final putt in the anchor match. 

 

 

That was quite a battle.  Northwestern put on a clinic with the putter early, Stanford fought back but Revuelta just couldn't get a putt to drop on 17 or 18.  Great TV window, too.

[JungleJimbo]

Good vibes from the new LPGA Commish.

 

 

[Treats]

14 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

LPGA Board of Directors Elects Craig Kessler as Commissioner | News | LPGA | Ladies Professional Golf Association

 

 

I assume the PGA of America and Craig came to an agreement to transition out of his COO role until June 27 or 30??

He stated he'll see some players at The KPMG...a PGA of America & LPGA co-sanctioned event.

Maybe taking 2 weeks off before taking office on July 15.

[JungleJimbo]

1 hour ago, Treats said:

I assume the PGA of America and Craig came to an agreement to transition out of his COO role until June 27 or 30??

He stated he'll see some players at The KPMG...a PGA of America & LPGA co-sanctioned event.

Maybe taking 2 weeks off before taking office on July 15.

 

"+1" ... Likely will hit the ground running i.e. has already promised no "100 day listening tour"

 

 

[Treats]

10 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

"+1" ... Likely will hit the ground running i.e. has already promised no "100 day listening tour"

 

 

Did Beth read my comment in the other thread?🤣

Glad to see Beth roasting Mollie too for her poor performance as Commish.

 

EDIT. I just read an article on the Golf Channel website.

I stand corrected. It was Craig who slammed Mollie stating there is no time to go on a "100 day listening tour"

Looks like Craig has no issues criticizing poor results/decision making. Good on him.

 

GC should proof read their work. In the below article, in the 3rd paragraph, they state Craig as the CCO of the PGA of America (unless he recently changed roles, but many other articles on the internet say Craig is the COO of the PGA of America.

The title of the article says COO.

 

https://www.nbcsports.com/golf/news/lpga-announces-pga-coo-craig-kessler-39-as-tours-next-commissioner

 

 

Edited May 23 by Treats

[18majors]

 

It appears that Nelly is negotiating with Zara for a sponsor deal; this'll be sizable if it pans out!

[Titleist_PT23]

2 hours ago, 18majors said:

 

It appears that Nelly is negotiating with Zara for a sponsor deal; this'll be sizable if it pans out!

She should target Hermes or Brunello Cucinelli!

[iBanesto]

J.Y. Ko being frugal at one point when talking about prices... 😅

 

 

[WorkItBothWays]

On 5/23/2025 at 10:54 PM, 18majors said:

 

It appears that Nelly is negotiating with Zara for a sponsor deal; this'll be sizable if it pans out!

Interesting, wouldn't have thought Zara would be involved in golf. I wonder if they have an arrangement with any other players male or female. Successful brand but the products are underwhelming.

[iBanesto]

7 minutes ago, WorkItBothWays said:

Interesting, wouldn't have thought Zara would be involved in golf. I wonder if they have an arrangement with any other players male or female. Successful brand but the products are underwhelming.

 

Is Zara involved in sports at all? A quick search seems to suggest no.

 

In a way I'm surprised the Spanish brand hasn't sponsored a Spanish sportsperson.

[JungleJimbo]

Who'd like to watch a trash-talking 2-v-2?

 

IMHO... LPGA (or sponsors) should produce more of this

... feels organic, non-contrived, competitive buddy golf.

 

No caddies i.e. you hear the partners talk course management/ shot selection etc.

A good watch.

 

 

Edited May 27 by JungleJimbo

[Treats]

On 5/25/2025 at 3:03 AM, iBanesto said:

J.Y. Ko being frugal at one point when talking about prices... 😅

 

 

Who is the woman with JYK shopping?

 

I realize this video is edited, but in golf crazed S. Korea, seems like JYK can walk around without being interfered with by anyone.

 

In these vids, JYK seems really friendly. I've only seen JYK once, but never got the friendly vibe of her around the galleries at a LPGA event.

[JungleJimbo]

1 hour ago, Treats said:

Who is the woman with JYK shopping?

 

I realize this video is edited, but in golf crazed S. Korea, seems like JYK can walk around without being interfered with by anyone.

 

In these vids, JYK seems really friendly. I've only seen JYK once, but never got the friendly vibe of her around the galleries at a LPGA event.

 

likely the lady = JYK's day-to-day tour manager / PA (i haven't double-checked i.e. from imperfect memory of previous videos circa 2H-2024 ... switch on the subtitles/closed-captions to check). ... as distinct from Harry Kang who handles JYK's commercial endorsements etc (info from the LPGA Player-Agent Listing)

 

... my google-search (as a non-Korean speaker): ["고진영" 고진영고진영고 Golfer Jin Young Ko manager 매니저] 

... ["매니저" ] 

 

 

Edited May 28 by JungleJimbo

[JungleJimbo]

On 5/25/2025 at 6:03 PM, iBanesto said:

J.Y. Ko being frugal at one point when talking about prices... 😅

 

 

 

Surprised that JYK allowed this video to be uploaded

... so many side-eye glances/ critical remarks muttered by her team under their breath / behind JYK's back

i.e. nearing mutiny/ IDGAF-mode;

 

 

(perhaps) Proof that JYK has turned into a middle-aged 'ajumma' (Korean auntie;  아주머니 (ajumeoni) or  아줌마 ajumma)

 

 

timestamp circa 3:55 

• JYK promises to treat her team / manager/ social media manager to a home-cooked meal (and to film it for JYK's viewers as a mukbang)
• JYK asks "what do you want to drink?
• They ask her to buy some Plum  (alcohol? soda?)
• JYK straight-bats away the request, saying "we already have Plum syrup at home ... store-bought Plum isn't good (for your health)."
• Manager/PA glances to camera: "She says nothing's allowed"
• ... followed by the response from "PD" ie social media producer:  "That's why i don't say anything")

Edited May 28 by JungleJimbo

[JungleJimbo]

4 hours ago, Treats said:

Who is the woman with JYK shopping?

 

I realize this video is edited, but in golf crazed S. Korea, seems like JYK can walk around without being interfered with by anyone.

 

In these vids, JYK seems really friendly. I've only seen JYK once, but never got the friendly vibe of her around the galleries at a LPGA event.

 

The mystery lady in the thumbnail is Kim Tae Rin (김태린)

... she has accompanied JYK on a few trips eg Honda LPGA Thailand/ Singapore HSBC.

They have known each other since 4th grade school (so approx 20 years) ... also a golf teaching pro.

 

 

Edited May 28 by JungleJimbo

[WorkItBothWays]

 

[kmbean]

I’m sure this has been discussed ad nauseam on here but I’m not going to go back and search.  I do not understand Lexi‘s “retirement”.  I recall she was upset with being sent off 10 her last official tournament in 2024 because she wouldn’t get her legacy celebration walking up 18.  Now every tournament I watch she is still teeing it up.

 

She wanted everyone to celebrate her “retirement” which just meant she wouldn’t play a full schedule going forward?

 

She’s this much of a narcissist?  Bizarre.  

Edited May 29 by kmbean

[Argonne69]

4 minutes ago, kmbean said:

I’m sure this has been discussed ad nauseam on here but I’m not going to go back and search.  I do not understand Lexi‘s “retirement”.  I recall she was upset with being sent off 10 her last official tournament in 2024 because she wouldn’t get her legacy celebration walking up 18.  Now every tournament I watch she is still teeing it up.

 

She wanted everyone to celebrate her “retirement” which just meant she wouldn’t play a full schedule going forward?

 

She’s this much of a narcissist?  Bizarre.  

 

Yeah, she was "retiring" from a full time schedule. 'Don't think anyone had any idea how many tournaments she'd play with a reduced scheule.

 

She probably figured she wouldn't qualify for the tour championship, so her final round at the CME would have likely been her last hurrah.

 

Want to walk down the 18th to a standing ovation for your final hole? Play better and don't wind up starting on the 10th tee. Not the first time the CME has utilized split tees.