LPGA commissioner says bridging the gender pay gap is a top priority | Golf news and tour information

NAPLES, Fla. – LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan’s initial response to a 45-minute media round table on Friday at the CME Group Tour Championship set the stage for her take on the great opportunity the LPGA has today.

“The way we have spoken around our world is that this is our time,” said Marcoux Samaan, “the momentum is with us.”

After 75 days of their 100-day opening at the LPGA, Marcoux Samann’s top priority has emerged in order to benefit from this dynamic. Princeton-based two-sport varsity athlete plans to go on the offensive to compensate for the gender pay gap for LPGA players at all levels, from the stars to the middle class to those who struggle every week to keep their tour card.

“I think if we can close this delta,” said Marcoux Samaan, “and if we can make sure that the top players in the world make a living according to their talent, I think that’s a really big goal for us. ”

Marcoux Samaan shared their plans to develop a multi-stage strategy to fill this gap.

It starts with growing wallets for the players. After this week, Marcoux Samaan plans to sit down and review the wallet distribution. Then she would like to drive similar initiatives like the Aon Risk Reward Challenge, in which the top man and the top woman of the PGA and LPGA Tour will be awarded $ 1 million.

Long term, it is building a larger base of partners to sponsor tournaments, and new sponsors step in to create bigger purses when availability shows up on the LPGA schedule.

This availability of the number of events can also be expanded. Marcoux Samaan’s predecessor Mike Whan considered 33 to 34 events to be the ideal number of tournaments on the calendar. The schedule for 2022 lies precisely in this sweet spot with 34 tournaments over the next year with a total budget of nearly $ 86 million. Marcoux Samaan believes there is more space for additional events to suit the tour’s goals and budget sizes.

“When you look at our priorities,” she said, “we’re trying to make sure we keep working on this schedule. We keep making sure we have the right number of events with the right wallets. So I think there is Growth.”

Then the LPGA would like to expand its fan base and, in turn, invest more in the communication of the tour to attract more attention to the tour, from more staff to more content. Marcoux Samaan plans to set up an official marketing department for the tour – something the tour has done piecemeal before.

Marcoux Samaan hopes to provide more resources for players on the tour, ensure more nutritional options and invest in an app similar to the one she used at Princeton to communicate more directly with the players on the tour.

There is no hesitation in the Commissioner’s belief in her team’s ability to deliver on her visions as she builds on the dynamic in women’s sport that is ready to begin after her first 100 days.

“I would say in previous jobs I had people who might say we are moving too fast and there is a little too much energy,” said Marcoux Samaan. “Hey, I have to slow down a little. Not with this team. I don’t think that’s what they worry about. They are used to moving fast and angry. “