ALL EYES ON WOMEN’S GOLF

Words by Jess McAlister - Founder & CEO, CATALYST9

Women’s golf isn’t new; however, in the last year, the sport for women has grown significantly not only in general participation and consumerism, but in purse sizes and corporate investments, airtime, ticket sales, merchandise and fandom. It’s about time.

From world number 1, Nelly Korda winning her first 6 out of 7 starts of the season and smashing records comparable to the historical icons who inspire us today, the impact transcends beyond the sport of golf. In 2024, women’s sports is set to surpass a $1billion revenue mark for the first time in history (*Deloitte). What does this mean for women’s golf - for professionals, brands, consumers, and enthusiasts? 

This year’s U.S. Women’s Open is a true example of ‘growing the game’. The purse has tripled in size in the last three years, and thanks to its new presenting sponsor, Ally Financial, it’s now at $12 million; the largest of all women’s golf. The USGA has been prominently forthcoming in providing world-class venues for the women’s championships over the years, and you’re starting to see that impact the stage for these players across other organisations as well. With the 79th U.S. Women’s Open being the 2nd major of the season, it hails 156 of the best players in the world from over 27 countries from championship winners, juniors, Olympians to amateur players- this championship is an equalizer and incredibly fun to watch year after year. 

The difference in sponsorships and investments in women’s golf today is that there’s more intentionality. Just a few years ago, women’s golf was simply an afterthought or a minimal investment to check a box. Today, brands and organisations want to be involved proactively, support, engage, and drive these women forward because, well, all eyes are quite literally on women’s golf! Today, it holds true to still being the fastest growing segment in women’s sports in the U.S. by a huge margin- with a 15% increase between 2020-2022 alone and, since the pandemic, 40% of new golfers are women with a 30% growth increase in girls’ junior golf. 

These significant changes in how the world views women’s golf today not only provide undeniable positive facts but showcase and create broader opportunities to increase this side of the game on a global scale. 

As golfers know, golf consumers are unlike any other consumer in the world - across sports or general trends, or novelty. The golfer can play the same course, wear the same brands or styles, travel to the same destinations, use the same brand of clubs, technology and more - which makes the sport all the more intimate when it comes to being connected to it. How does this impact the growth of the colossal increase in female participation? Women globally lead the charge when it comes to consumer spending, and in the U.S., upwards of 80%. Worldwide, women spend almost $35trillion on consumer goods, the equivalent of 50% of the global consumer spending (Capital One research & statistics 2024).  When women want to participate or engage, especially in a newfound passion, they will spend the money to do so, whether they feel like they need something new to support their passion or they simply want to through fashion, the latest and greatest in accessories, a golf trip, trends, access, you name it. With more women entering the game of golf, naturally, there’s a powerful uptick in consumer spending across all categories - why wouldn’t brands and the golf industry not want to support this growth? 

With the boom in the women’s golf sector on the professional side of things, not only are all eyes on women’s golf, but all eyes are on the next generation. With the sudden announcement of retirement from global phenom, Lexi Thompson at the young age of 29, with 11 career wins under her belt including one major and being one of the youngest to win on tour, this is the end of an era. This begs the question, who’s next? From Nelly vanquishing wins to Rose Zhang breaking out of her 2023 rookie year now at two wins at 21 years old, to high school freshman, Asterisk Talley, who’s only 15 years old competing on the world stage at the U.S. Women’s Open, the future of women’s golf is as bright as ever. 

On the recreational side of women’s golf, there’s been a notable trend across the globe on a social media scale of women coming together and creating micro communities to get together and golf - no matter the level turning online into offline real connections. With what is traditionally deemed as intimidating, the point of entry for golf is not all that great for women and girls of all ages. From brands, local communities and courses, and individuals creating welcoming platforms and experiential opportunities to connect, there’s a growing number of women and girls getting together both locally and traveling for these unique experiences to pursue their passions collectively. 

I’ll end with this as a signature. Golf is not just a sport, it’s a lifestyle and I'm looking forward to what the future will bring for women's golf, both recreationally and professionally.