The Annika 2024 saw a lot of media coverage and viewership last weekend. With the likes of Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang, and Charley Hull performing at their best. the tournament was a nail-biter till the very last minute. The last round saw the world no. 1 make a major comeback to score 5 birdies in the last 9 to capture her 7th title of the season. But that was not what caught the maximum viewership.

It was the events on Wednesday, during the Pro-Am tournament, that fans were most eager to see. And there was only one reason behind that, Caitlin Clark. The WNBA sensation crossed over to a different universe in sports as she partnered with Nelly Korda and Annika Sörenstam in the event.

On the same day, the CME Group announced the extension of their contract to sponsor the final event of the season, The CME Group Tour Championship. The contract was due in 2025 and has now been extended to 2027. What followed was an exciting event with a lacklustre broadcast.

Despite winning the trust of the $81.43 billion company, the LPGA Tour was still not able to secure a premier spot on the Golf Channel. A part of the event was not live on the Golf Channel because of the conflicting PGA Tour event. This didn’t sit well with the CEO of the CME Group, Terry Duff, as he voiced his opinion about the unfair treatment a couple of days ago.

As shared by @Josh Carpenter on their X account, Terry said, “I think that’s inappropriate for a tournament of this magnitude to be on tape delay. I have told Mollie I don’t like that. I will leave it in her hands to see where that ultimately ends up,” as he suggested that the commissioner of the LPGA; Mollie Marcoux Samaan will take care of the issue. He further added, “If you are going to continue to build women’s sports, you have to give them the same billing as men and stop the nonsense of saying we have to show the men’s tournament because they’re the men.” Terry’s statement is justified as the broadcasters have always prioritized men’s golf over women’s events.

The face of women’s golf, Nelly Korda, also shared similar views soon after her victory at The Annika 2024. She said, “I think we need primetime TV. We need more hours on TV. I mean, we have a great product out here. We have so many amazing stories. We just need to be on primetime TV.” Korda herself has tried to contribute to the exposure of the LPGA Tour by participating in the photo shoot for Sports Illustrated Swimsuit 2025 magazine.

While Terry Duff and Nelly Korda considered LPGA’s lack of TV time unfair, there were others who had differing opinions about the situation. Let’s see what they had to say.

Not everyone thinks like Nelly Korda

Mollie Marcoux Samaan, who was mentioned by Duff during his comments had a different outtake regarding the entire situation. The LPGA commissioner said, “We’re proud of the role that we’ve played in elevating women’s sports in general. I think we’re experiencing enormous growth.” She further added, “I don’t think anyone can say we haven’t captured on this momentum (in women’s sports) in the last couple of years.” With this, Mollie seems to suggest that the LPGA Tour is right where they are when it comes to broadcast.

The LPGA commissioner was not the only one with a differing opinion. Outgoing LPGA star Lexi Thompson also shared her thoughts regarding the issue by saying, “I think there is just more room for improvement. We’re improving right now, but there is a lot more to go,” as she hinted that the LPGA still has a long way to go before they can directly compete with men’s golf for TV rights.

While everyone’s stance might not be the same regarding the situation, one thing they all agree on is that the LPGA Tour has grown tremendously in the last few years. Do you think women’s golf events and the likes of Lydia Ko, Nelly Korda, Charley Hull, and Rose Zhang deserve much more respect from their broadcast partners? Share your views in the comments section.