Home/Golf

USA Today via Reuters

USA Today via Reuters

The US Women’s Open has always held major significance in the women’s golf world. Not only is the major the oldest on the LPGA Tour, but it is also one of the most prestigious! However, this year’s event was perhaps far more significant than ever. Held from July 6 to 9, the 2023 US Women’s Open raked in much popularity. It was expected to have a major impact on raising awareness for the female sport, which, as per the numbers, was an enormous success.

The event last week has now become a landmark of sorts for women’s golf. Allisen Corpuz won the event and walked away with a whopping $2 million check. But surprisingly, that wasn’t the only number in millions that the major had to dish out! Recent revelations have revealed another $2.2 million ordeal that was achieved at the 78th edition of the major championship!

The whopping success of the 2023 US Women’s Open comes to light

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The US Women’s Open this year was quite historic. Not only was it held at an iconic venue like the Pebble Beach Golf Links in California for the first time ever, but it also had the highest purse at a female golf event! The event witnessed a record-breaking $11 million purse, surpassing its previous highest record of $10 million in 2022!

While those numbers prove that women’s golf is undoubtedly gaining momentum, the latest reports further reiterate that. NBC Sports’ report on Tuesday revealed the 2023 US Women’s Open has become the most-watched edition of the event since 2014!

The 220 hours of coverage of the event averaged 895,000 viewers, which was up a staggering 118 percent from the previous year of 2022 and 47 percent from the year 2021.

The final round in which Allisen Corpuz, Charley Hull, and Jiyai Shin played together and witnessed Corpuz make six birdies to grab the win averaged 1.58 million viewers, and the coverage peaked at 2.2 million viewers in the 8.15–8.30 p.m. ET window. As per NBC’s detailed press release, the event went on to become “the most-streamed women’s golf event in NBC Sports history, nearly tripling its consumption from a year ago.”

READ MORE- ‘I’Ve Seen in Women’s Sports’: After Concluding Historic US Women’s Open, the Reason Behind Making the Event Possible at Pebble Beach Speaks Comforting Words

While the ginormous purse and competitive field undoubtedly drew in a better viewership for the major last week, there was perhaps another reason that the broadcast of the event was a whopping success: the event saw its former Hawaiian winner, Michelle Wie West, take to the course too for one last ride, and the last time she won the event, the numbers were at an all-time high!

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Michelle Wie West, her coincidental viewership pull, and her magical farewell

The LPGA star, in the same week as when Corpuz won her title, played the last game of her career. The 33-year-old golfer bade farewell to the game in front of her family and friends at Pebble Beach. While the historic course made it all the more special for the golfer, her final bout on the Tour may have possibly helped the broadcasting numbers as well. After all, she does boast an ever-growing fan base!

In a coincidence of sorts, the fellow Hawaiian had her lone major victory in the 2014 US Women’s Open. The major that year was the most-watched US Women’s Open since 2009. It had raked in 1.03 million viewers across NBC and ESPN2. It certainly seems plausible that that large viewership followed her into the 2023 edition of the event too, giving her a well-deserved magical sendoff!

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

The recent major served to deliver everything that was expected of it and more! And certainly, many would hope that it only gets better from here. Let us know in the comments what you thought about it.

WATCH THIS STORY – Golf News Tech Is Crazy LPGA Star Michelle Wie Boasts Her Latest Insane 14480 Purchase