Women’s sports are riding an unprecedented wave of popularity in 2025, with record viewership numbers and social media engagement across basketball, tennis, and soccer. Yet, while female athletes are breaking through barriers in other sports, the stars of women’s golf appear to be stuck in a promotional sand trap despite delivering exceptional performances on the course. This widening gap between achievement and recognition hasn’t gone unnoticed by the players themselves.

Stanford student and two-time LPGA winner Rose Zhang recently made headlines with her blunt assessment when asked if the LPGA is doing enough for its stars. Her response was, “I don’t believe so. I speak for a lot of players who also believe that”—sparked conversation throughout the golf world. In the full interview, Zhang elaborated that the LPGA needs more “characters to really showcase what the tour is about” and that despite having “players who are willing to fill those shoes,” the tour has struggled with the “strategic side” of exposing them to broader platforms and media opportunities.

And mind you, what the 21-year-old pro has said is not something new. Previously, it has also been pointed out how the LPGA has failed to craft a compelling narrative for why people should engage with the tour, which is obviously outside of the love for the sport. Not just that, there have also been complaints of its prominent stars not making significant media appearances to make themselves available to the larger audiences. Further, the television has failed to give its due both in terms of exposure and quality of broadcast. But more on that later.

Getting back to the discussion, Golf journalist Gabby Herzig, who conducted that initial Q&A, recently provided context to Zhang’s perspective during an appearance on the 5 Clubs’ show. Gary Williams wanted the reason behind why Rose Zhang said “no” and how she dived deep into her answer. Herzig admitted Zhang’s candid response caught her off guard. “I was actually very surprised to hear that honest answer from Rose,” Herzig revealed. “She doesn’t shy away from tough questions. She’s a really mature 21-year-old, and I think she was just honest about how the LPGA hasn’t necessarily capitalized on some of the momentum behind women’s sports.”

This failure becomes particularly glaring when comparing recognition across different women’s sports. “We saw Nelly Korda go on the tear that she went on last summer with those seven wins, but she didn’t necessarily get the traction and the attention that Caitlin Clark got,” Herzig explained. While acknowledging basketball’s different audience, she emphasized that “Nelly’s feat was just as huge as some of these other female athletes that are getting attention all over the world.”

For context, Nelly Korda‘s extraordinary run included seven victories, with wins at the Chevron Championship and The ANNIKA among them—a streak of dominance rarely seen in modern professional golf, regardless of gender. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark was attracting record-breaking viewership in the WNBA, with her games consistently drawing over 2 million viewers and generating social media engagement numbers that dwarfed those of the entire LPGA Tour combined.

The criticism extends to Zhang’s own accomplishments, with Herzig noting she’s “one of the best amateurs in the history of the game,” highlighting another missed promotional opportunity. Zhang’s credentials fully support this assessment: she spent a record 141 consecutive weeks as the world’s #1 amateur, won the NCAA individual championship twice, and claimed both the U.S. Women’s Amateur and Augusta National Women’s Amateur titles—achievements that put her in rarefied air alongside legends like Juli Inkster and Patty Berg.

What makes the situation particularly frustrating is that players are eager to engage. “A lot of players are willing to put themselves out there and showcase their personalities and their personal stories,” she explained, adding that “Rose is definitely one of the most willing.” According to insiders, despite players’ willingness to be promotional ambassadors for the tour, the LPGA’s efforts to leverage their star power have fallen short of expectations.

The numbers behind LPGA’s promotional challenges

Hard data evidence showcases missed promotional opportunities. While the LPGA’s total prize fund has grown an impressive 90% since 2021, its promotional impact hasn’t kept pace. The tour’s official social media accounts generated 5.1 million engagements across Instagram and Facebook in early 2025, but individual players consistently outperformed tour-led content by significant margins.

Charley Hull‘s practice videos, such as her 2024 Aramco Team Series warm-up sessions, average 112,000 interactions per post—triple the engagement of comparable drills published on official LPGA channels. Hull’s YouTube collaborations with TaylorMade generated 2.3 million views in Q1 2025 alone, demonstrating the massive demand for unfiltered access to players’ preparation routines.

Network television exposure tells a similar story. At the 2025 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, 68% of surveyed athletes called for “urgent platform modernization,” citing frustrations like dated content approval processes that average 72-hour delays.

Herzig noted that Zhang hinted at new initiatives the LPGA is developing behind the scenes, including a potential documentary series following select players throughout the season. This builds on the success of the 2021 CME Group Tour Championship mini-series, which achieved 11.2 million cumulative views on YouTube. However, the overall sentiment among players reflects frustration with the pace of change.

As the landscape of women’s sports evolves, the LPGA faces both challenges and opportunities. The tour’s 4.6% average engagement rate across platforms—while surpassing the PGA Tour (3.1%), WNBA (2.8%), and NWSL (3.4%)—suggests there’s an audience ready for more content. The question remains whether upcoming initiatives will help bridge the gap between the extraordinary talent on tour and the broader recognition these athletes deserve.