Anne Chen won a five-hole playoff to take the Epson Tour Championship Sunday
Anne Chen defeated Sophia Schubert in a five-hole playoff Sunday to win the Epson Tour Championship at Indian Wells
Craig Kessler’s first trip to the Coachella Valley as the commissioner of the LPGA left him impressed with the area that hosted the Epson Tour Championship for the second year in a row.
“This backdrop and this golf course, this is pretty special,” Kessler said as Sunday’s final round of the Tour’s final event of the year played out at the Indian Wells Golf Resort in the shadow of the Santa Rosa Mountains.
Less than three months on the job as the 10th commissioner of the LPGA, Kessler is seeing new things from the women’s golf circuit each week. In Indian Wells last week, it was the Epson Tour Championship and the host of that event, the city of Indian Wells.
“I had a chance to spend some time with city officials today and obviously I’ve been with Epson leadership the last few days,” Kessler said. “It is an amazing partnership. I think the city loves having us here, we are grateful to have partners like them. And Epson, none of this happens without them.”
The city of Indian Wells has been more than up front about the idea of bringing an LPGA event back to the Coachella Valley. The desert’s 51-year run with what is now the Chevron Championship ended in 2022 when the tour and the new sponsor move the LPGA major from Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage to Houston. Indian Wells sees that as an opening to create a new women’s event in the desert, and Kessler said the idea is worth discussing.
“We have said this publicly. Anyone who is willing to have a conversation with us about elevating our women, we are open to the conversation,” Kessler said. “This valley has an incredibly rich history in women’s golf and if we have the opportunity with the right partners and the right golf course to do something here, it would be music to our ears.”
Kessler, 39, comes to the LPGA after two years with the PGA of America, where he was seen as a rising star. He also has a past in golf as the COO of TopGolf. Other business ventures for Kessler have included being CEO of Buff City Soap as well as time with both private equity companies Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and Co. and later with Providence Equity.
With his business and golf background, Kessler brings the enthusiasm and expertise the LPGA was looking for in a new commissioner as Mollie Marcoux Samaan stepped down after three and a half years leading the women’s tour.
“Undoubtedly this is a tour on the rise. I think I have seen quite a few organizations throughout my career and I have yet to encounter an organization that has this much untapped potential,” Kessler said. “I think our athletes are incredible. They have stories that when the world starts to hear them and gets to know them, they will fall in love.”
“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, said John B. Veihmeyer, chair of the LPGA Board of Directors in making the announcement of Kessler’s hiring. “The LPGA has never been more dynamic, and Craig is exactly the right leader to drive its next era of growth and impact.”
Getting the word out about the LPGA and its players has always been a challenge for the women’s tour, which has been consistently overshadowed on television and in media coverage by the PGA Tour. But Kessler believes a “macro tailwind” is hitting the LPGA and women’s sports in general, and it is the job of Kessler and his staff to take advantage of the changes.
“The world is in a different place than it was five years ago, 10 years ago, 15 years ago,” Kessler said. “When I was a kid, golf was the sport that your dad left you for for six hours on a Saturday. That’s not what golf is today. The National Golf Foundation just published research that women and girls are the primary growth driver in the sport today. I have three young boys, 6, 8 and 10, and they watch women’s golf on the weekend. Certainly very different than how my friends and I were when we were their age.”
As he starts navigating the LPGA to its future, Kessler says there are four areas where the tour must be laser focused. One is gain trust with fans, players, tour sponsors and staff. The second is what he calls building visibility, making it easier for fans to find LPGA events and athletes. Getting those fans to become more passionate about the game, not just watching the game, is a third area of focus.
“We want people to feel it in their bones,” Kessler said.
Finally there is the ever-present financial aspect of a sports league, both internally and for the athletes.
“We want to make sure that the next 75 years are financially stronger than the first 75,” Kessler said.
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