“We’re incredibly lucky to have many passionate people tuning in to watch us every week, but let’s be honest — this game can feel a little distant at times,” Justin Thomas wrote in a memo to fellow PGA Tour players, urging them to do more for the broadcast product. “Pre-round interviews, mid-round interviews, wearing a mic, communication of any equipment or swing changes” were just a few of the ideas he floated. Thomas acknowledged it’s uncomfortable at times. “I’ve been the first to say ‘no’… but I also know how much the fans love those moments.” He emphasized that players don’t have to change who they are — just be more open.
Speaking on the latest podcast episode of The Mixed Bag on Spotify, Meg Adkins doubled down on Thomas’s message, calling out top LPGA stars like Nelly Korda for not doing enough. “They need to say yes more,” she said. “They need to do more walk-and-talks. They need to do more live runs. And I’m talking about the top players.”
One name that often enters this conversation is Charley Hull. The golfer has been one of the most vocal critics of the LPGA’s issues, particularly slow play and its underwhelming television product. Hull has repeatedly pointed out how rounds drag close to six hours, saying, “I wouldn’t say there’s a massive change… I still think there could be room for improvement.” But as Adkins suggested, words aren’t enough anymore.
Adkins didn’t hold back when discussing the LPGA’s current approach to TV. “Right now it’s a strained relationship between the LPGA and their broadcast partner,” she said. Adkins said the LPGA needs to flip the script: “Instead of going in with ‘What can you do for me?’, they need to ask, ‘What more can we do for you?’” She argued that the product isn’t working for fans, “The product for many, many people is what’s on TV on the weekends — and it’s not great.”
via Imago
She called for more cameras, more investment, and better long-term scheduling: “The LPGA schedule doesn’t come together until the 11th hour, and that’s a problem.” Sponsors, too, have a role to play. “There are ways sponsors could spend more to add frills — bells and whistles — that make it look more like a men’s broadcast.” But for Adkins, the biggest fix starts with the players. “It’s gone from the LPGA being the easiest tour to work with to… let’s just say, not the easiest. That needs to change.” That kind of change won’t happen without leadership, and Craig Kessler knows it.
Craig Kessler urges LPGA players to do more
LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler believes meaningful progress for the tour won’t come from a single fix, but from a series of intentional, layered efforts — many of which begin with the players themselves. Speaking on Inside the LPGA, he said, “There’s no single, sweeping solution to elevate the LPGA; instead, it’s lots of little things that are going to layer on top of one another.”
Among those, he stressed, is the power of storytelling. “The more players can lean in and tell their stories on social and generate fans — not just people who watch the LPGA, but people who root for the LPGA — the better off we’ll be.” Kessler urged athletes to take control of their public image and use their platforms to inspire. “Fans fall in love with people, not just performance. Let’s help them get to know our players,” he said.
He encouraged athletes to use their platforms actively and authentically, highlighting the role they play in shaping the LPGA’s identity. “Players carry an enormous amount of weight because they can inspire in ways nobody else can.” And he’s absolutely right, women’s golf has never lacked talent, only attention. The time has come for the league, and everyone around it, to close that gap.
