️♀️ Nelly's Reign & 10 other Golf Industry Headlines You Need to Know This Week
From Korda's Historic Win to Scottie Scheffler's Performance. Can Golf Steal Baseball's Secret Sauce?
As the editor of this newsletter, I’m excited to share that our dedicated team has been working tirelessly over the weekend to bring you the most relevant and engaging content from the world of golf. We’ve distilled a week’s worth of news and insights into a concise 10-minute read, designed to keep you informed and ahead of the curve.
This newsletter is free, but for those seeking a deeper dive into the industry, we offer the GBR Pro version, available exclusively to our subscribers.
By reading this newsletter to the end, you’ll gain valuable insights on a range of topics:
Nelly Korda’s Impact on Golf: Explore how Nelly’s record-breaking triumphs are shaping the industry.
Scottie Scheffler’s Pause: A look at the interruption in Scheffler’s dominance at Hilton Head.
Rory McIlroy’s Commitment: Unwavering amidst rumors, McIlroy remains a figure of focus.
Horschel’s Victory: How Horschel outshone a famous YouTuber to claim the Corales Puntacana Championship.
The Masters & TV Trends: Did The Masters manage to buck the trend of poor TV viewership?
Golf’s Future & Baseball: Insights from the latest PAC meeting featuring Theo Epstein.
Finding the Next Golf Stars: TaylorMade’s efforts in nurturing the next Scheffler and McIlroy.
UK Golf Retail Trends: American Golf’s positive numbers for 2023 and Srixon’s partnership with the Veteran Golfer’s Association.
We invite you to continue reading and join us on this journey through the dynamic landscape of golf. Enjoy!
Tom Miranda
Five in a Row and Two Majors: Nelly Korda's Triumph in the Era of Record-Breaking Purses
Nelly Korda matched an LPGA record with her fifth consecutive win, securing a two-stroke victory in the Chevron Championship and her second major title. She joins “Nancy Lopez (1978)” and “Annika Sorenstam (2004-05)” in this achievement. Korda triumphed over Maja Stark of Sweden, finishing at 13-under 275 and earning $1.2 million from a $7.9 million purse.
Title sponsor Chevron announced an increase in purse size to $7.9 million ahead of the first women’s major of the year, aligning it more closely with other major championships.
Chevron has increased the total prize fund by $4.8 million since it took over as title sponsor in 2020. This follows a trend of increased purse sizes across the five women’s major titles, from $23 million in 2021 to $45.4 million in 2024, representing a 97% increase.
Nelly Korda expressed her joy after her victory at the Chevron Championship, saying:
“I really, really wanted this win. It feels amazing to get it. There's a key in the simplicity that I have when I play. I honestly just take it a shot at a time, and we pick a game plan when we get to the golf course and we work and we stay in our own little bubble. It's been working so far”.
This win marked her 13th career title and second major, following her 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She’s now eyeing a sixth consecutive win at the upcoming JM Eagle L.A. Open.
Despite introversion and criticism, Korda demonstrated her passion for golf post-victory, braving a cold lake dive, discussing the mental strain of her winning streak, and conducting interviews in her wet Chevron robe.
Expanding the Game
The LPGA hopes Korda’s success and the rise of women’s sports will aid its expansion. The Chevron Championship saw extended NBC coverage, with ESPN+ providing 40 hours. Yet, non-major tournaments often face tape delay or streaming-only broadcasts. LPGA Commissioner Marcoux Samaan and Korda stress the need for a women’s sports “stage”. Despite being a “reluctant superstar”, Korda acknowledges her influence on future women golfers.
Rain Check: Scottie Scheffler’s Dominance Paused at Hilton Head
Meanwhile, Masters champion Scottie Scheffler built a five-shot lead at Hilton Head, only to be halted by rain, forcing a Monday finish. Scheffler’s impressive performance at the RBC Heritage was interrupted by a storm, leaving him with 15 holes completed. Despite the delay, he maintained a five-shot lead with no serious contenders.
“Everyone is trying to chase Scottie and he’s making it really tough because he keeps winning,” said U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who despite a strong start, fell short after a double bogey on the 12th hole. Clark, who has twice been runner-up to Scheffler, finished his round at 6-under 65, posting a total of 15-under 269.
Rory McIlroy: Unwavering Commitment Amidst Unfounded Rumors
In the midst of Nelly and Scottie’s leadership, Rory McIlroy’s star continues to shine. A British financial newspaper, City AM, initially reported last week that McIlroy was on the verge of a shock move to LIV Golf in a deal worth $850 million. However, McIlroy has “dismissed unsubstantiated reports that he was negotiating a potential deal to join LIV Golf,” as reported by NBC Sports. He stated, “I honestly don’t know how these things get started, I’ve never been offered a number from LIV and I’ve never contemplated going to LIV.”
The Irish Times further reported that McIlroy, who has been a vocal critic of the Saudi-funded breakaway, was not considering the move to LIV Golf. Despite the rumors, McIlroy’s manager, Sean O’Flaherty, labeled the report as “fake news.” McIlroy emphasized his commitment to the PGA Tour and expressed his belief that players should keep an open mind and make their own decisions for what they think is best for themselves. McIlroy remains focused on his career with the PGA Tour, stating:
“It’s unfortunate we have to deal with it and this is the state that our game’s in but I’m obviously here today, playing this PGA Tour event and I will play the PGA Tour for the rest of my career.”
Scottie Scheffler’s straightforward performance in the Masters’ fourth round dampened expectations for a large TV viewership.
Golf has had a rough ride over the past couple of months.
TV viewings down, the divide between the PGA Tour and LIV shows no signs of being sorted out. The divide between the game’s elite and everybody else grows further as we watch the battle continue for the game’s control and integrity.
Poor viewing figures are bad news for the PGA Tour, and analysing the figures so far has been like watching somebody hit a clean shank - not pretty.
Looking at final-day viewing figures for three of the early season’s big tournaments makes disappointing reading.
The Waste Management Phoenix Open - down 35%
Arnold Palmer Invitational - down 30%
The Players Championship - down 15%
But hope was on the horizon. The first major of the year - The Masters at the perfect Augusta National Golf Club would buck that trend.
For the first time this year, we would see the best from the PGA Tour do battle with the best that LIV had to offer (should we asterix that last point because Talor Gooch didn’t get an invite to Augusta?).
Given the more limited access to join the viewing galleries at Augusta National, most fans would be sitting back and watching the drama unfold on the television.
The viewing figures were good initially. ESPN, as usual, covered the first two days of play and reported increased numbers. Thursday’s viewing figures were the highest they had been for nine years, with 3.17 million viewers, and Friday recorded 3.68 million, peaking at 3.9 million around the time Tiger Woods was completing his second round and making his record-breaking 24th consecutive cut.
As we moved to Sunday and the fourth round, there were no foregone conclusions as to who was going to win. Scheffler carried a one-shot lead that could easily be overhauled, which would surely lead to healthy viewing figures as we tuned in to watch the final round drama unfold.
The reality was different, however.
According to Nielsen data, final round viewing was the third lowest in the past 30 years, at an average of 9.59 million…
with only the pandemic-hit tournament hosted in November 2020 (5.59 million)…
and the equally fan-starved 2021 tournament won by Hideki Matsuyama (9.54 million) recording lower figures.
So, where does this leave us?
Sadly, it seems that even the Masters has been unable to buck the trend of declining viewers. For some, the lack of drama on Sunday's back nine and Scottie Scheffler’s ease of victory might have been a turnoff.
We also need to consider that some of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars were never in contention during the week. Rory McIlroy finished a distant T-22, Rickie Fowler T-30, while Justin Thomas and Jordan Speith both missed the cut. Max Homma and Collin Morikawa did have good weeks finishing T-3.
For LIV, the week started well with Bryson DeChambeau’s opening 65, but there was no serious challenge thereafter. DeChambeau and Cameron Smith ultimately finished joint highest in T-6.
Ratings don´t affect the financial outcome
Despite the desire of Augusta officials and CBS executives for higher viewer numbers, the Masters stands as a rare televised sports event where ratings don’t affect the financial outcome.
The broadcast’s commercial time is capped at four minutes per hour, divided among the event’s three official sponsors - “Mercedes-Benz, AT&T, IBM”. Unlike typical ad purchases, these are not backed by standard ratings guarantees. Hence, CBS, not pledging to meet specific TV metrics, doesn’t need to compensate clients with make-goods or audience-deficiency units.
With less than a month to the year’s second major, the PGA Championship at Valhalla, it will be interesting to see if overall viewing figures will start to recover.
Can Golf’s Future Be Found In Baseball?
The latest Player Advisory Council (PAC) took place on the eve of the RBC Heritage, Harbor Town, South Carolina, with a presentation made to the attendees by Theo Epstein.
Epstein works with Fenway Sports Group (FSG), who are part owners of the Strategic Sports Group (SSG), who agreed to invest $3 billion into the for-profit element of the PGA Tour at the start of the year.
The idea to have Epstein present at the PAC meeting is jointly credited to Jay Monahan and FSG, with an insider close to the decision stating “.....the players might gain from Epstein’s perspective”.
Epstein’s success came in Major League Baseball (MLB), where, as general manager, he oversaw both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs claiming World Series titles after years without success.
MLB was in a spiral which seemed impossible to break free from:
Attendances at games started to fall, and by 2018, dipped below 70 million for the first time since 2003.
TV ratings followed suit with a steady decline in national audiences, leaving MLB a long way behind Basketball and the NFL.
Epstein’s presentation focused on the solutions that gave MLB a new lease of life attracting new fans and a younger demographic to the sport ensuring it has a healthy future.
The steps that MLB took was:
to get fan feedback,
analyze data,
and make rule changes,
that would ultimately make MLB faster and more accessible for the fans.
Max Homma, who was present at the PAC meeting, commented on the current fan disillusionment, which has manifested in poor television ratings on the PGA Tour and Masters tournaments this year:
“I’m very hopeful that at some point here soon, we’ve been shown that we are nothing without those watching us, and they can stop watching us whenever they’d like. Hopefully more innovation will go into making their viewing process a lot more engaging and fun because that’s why we get to do this.”
Another player who attended the meeting added:
“Theo’s point (about baseball) was very much that the genesis of the changes was fan-centered and that effective fan-centered changes mean the game wins, which means the players win, too.”
Baseball’s answer was to focus on the fans and look to offer a future where fans were re-engaged in a sport that had been shaken up from its traditional foundations. Will golf follow a similar pattern? Is it ready to listen to its fans fully? Time will tell.
Horschel Pips Bryan To Claim Corales Puntacana Championship
Billy Horschel stormed to a two-stroke victory at the Corales Puntacana Championship at the Puntacana Resort, Dominican Republic, with a closing 63 to pip Wesley Bryan by a shot. Bryan has become a YouTube star along with his brother George, with a following of 345,000. It will be interesting to see if their channel gives us more insight into Wesley’s week in the Dominican Republic in the coming weeks. Bryan will join the field at the AT&T in a couple of weeks.
Finding The Next Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy With TaylorMade’s Junior Set
TaylorMade has had a busy year so far with club launches. High-profile wins for Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy, coupled with the dominant displays by Nelly Korda and Scottie Scheffler, have propelled the new Qi10 series launched in January.
TaylorMade’s latest launch is more exciting for the budding Schefflers, McIlroys, and Kordas out there with the launch of a new junior set.
The set comprises a 400cc titanium driver with 17 degrees of loft, a low centre of gravity and flexible face to help distance and forgiveness.
There is also a fairway wood, hybrid, 7-iron, 9-iron, and wedge, all featuring a low centre of gravity and plenty of loft to help get the ball airborne. The irons also feature the same inverted cone technology seen on the Qi10 irons. Rounding off the set is a putter, which young golfers can place in the specially-made TaylorMade bag.
The bag has a stand and comes with a large storage pocket for golf balls, a water bottle holder, and adjustable straps. Headcovers for the driver, fairway wood, and hybrid complete the look and all feature a Team TaylorMade Junior Set logo.
The makeup of the junior set varies, and TaylorMade offers size and age charts to help parents decide what set is best for their kids.
Each set also has a special QR code, which opens up content from TaylorMade staffers Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Brooke Henderson, and Grant Horvat to help kids get more out of the game of golf.
TaylorMade Keeps The Copper Vibe Going
It’s only been a matter of weeks since TaylorMade launched the BRNR Mini Driver Copper, but the buzz around this club has been huge. Tommy Fleetwood put the club in his bag immediately, and Rory McIlroy put one in the bag for this week’s RBC Heritage at the notoriously tight Harbor Town.
The BRNR Mini Driver Copper takes its inspiration from the days of the bubble shaft and the distinctive copper-colored heads seen on the drivers and fairway woods of that period.
TaylorMade this week announced that its popular P790 and P770 irons will be offered in a distinctive copper finish designed to mature over time, adding a rich patina effect.
The retro theme continues with the retro 80s/90s TaylorMade logo stamped on the back of each head.
There is certainly nothing retro about the technology that powers the copper finish P790 and P770 irons. Both irons benefit from TaylorMade’s AI head optimization, strategic CG positioning, and intelligent, sweet spot technology.
To complement the striking copper-finish heads, TaylorMade has fitted the KBS Tour Lite shaft in black as the standard fit. If you want to make your iron set even more distinctive, further customization options are available via the TaylorMade website since 22nd April.
Sets are available in 4-PW retailing at $1,499.99 (€1406, £1212), or 5-PW ($1285.99, €1205, £1040)
This and that…
👱 15-Year-Old Kid Shines in Golf History. Miles Russell, a mere 15 years old, has left an indelible mark on the Korn Ferry Tour at the LECOM Suncoast Classic in Florida. His final round of five-under 66 concluded the tournament with a 14-under-par total, tying him for 20th place. This remarkable performance, which saw him ascend 28 positions on the final day, has earned him a place in the forthcoming Veritex Bank Championship in Texas. This achievement sets a new record, making him the youngest player to rank within the top 20 on the PGA of Korn Ferry tours since 1983.
✈️ LaoLao Bay Resort Under Troon Management. Located in Saipan, a remote island in the Western Pacific, LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort is entering a new era. Known for its unique golf experiences and amenities, the resort is now under the management of Troon International. This partnership aims to leverage Troon’s expertise in golf management to enhance LaoLao Bay’s global appeal and status in the golf scene.
🏌️ Pitch and Adidas Launch Women’s Beginner Golf Academy 2024 in London. Pitch, a modern golf club, and Adidas are launching the Women’s Beginner Golf Academy 2024 in London. This initiative aims to capitalize on the recent surge in golf’s popularity, particularly among younger demographics and city dwellers. The academy offers 100 free beginner lesson packages to foster a community of women interested in golf and socializing. The academy provides each participant with five lessons, including group and individual sessions led by a PGA professional. With two venues in London and expansion plans, it offers memberships, casual bookings, PGA coaching, resident DJs, lounges, contemporary food and beverage options, social spaces, a golf fashion concept store, and virtual golfing bays.
UK’s leading golf retailer American Golf Posts Positive Numbers For 2023
In 2023, UK’s top golf retailer, American Golf, returned to profit with £4.3M EBITDA, a £5.7M increase from the previous year. This coincided with the appointments of CEO Nigel Oddy and Head of Retail, Operations and People, Elaine Wrigley. Business improvement was driven by tailored campaigns rewarding loyal customers and re-engaging lapsed ones, leading to a 19% increase in reactivated customers. The “My American Golf” program offered personalized services, boosting Q4 figures by 7% YoY.
Despite expecting a challenging 2024, Oddy remains optimistic about increasing market share through core strengths. The company aims to hit £8M+ EBITDA in three years since Oddy’s appointment by parent company, International Leisure Group.
That´s all, folks.
Have a great week!!!!!