LPGA looks to cash in on Taylor Swift effect as women’s golf grows

Taylor Swift and her Eras Tour has taken over the world.

She left quite an impact on the male-dominated sport of football. The question is how much influence could she have on a female sport like women’s golf?

She doesn’t necessarily play, but Swift consistently uses a neon golf club when she sings the song “Blank Space” at her shows.

Her boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, is very familiar with playing though. He paired with teammate Patrick Mahomes in last year’s Capital One’s The Match, and plays in the annual American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.

Knowing what her relationship with Kelce accomplished for the NFL, her influence could be an incredible tool for women’s golf to use.

LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan is aware of this.

LPGA thinking outside the box

The LPGA’s Singapore event ended Sunday, which matched up perfectly with Swift’s schedule. Marcoux Samaan shot her shot and extended an invitation to Swift, per the Washington Post.

“There is nothing wrong with a good Taylor Swift effect,” the commissioner said. “Taylor, come join us. Our doors are wide open for you.”

Swift may not be a huge golfer, but if she were to attend an LPGA event, it would only mean good things for the game.

We all witnessed as she helped make history in NFL viewership.

Super Bowl LVIII was the most-watched TV event of all time. It averaged 120 million viewers on CBS alone and 123.4 million, including the other platforms that aired it, per the LA Times.

Last year’s average was 115.1 million viewers on Fox.

That might not sound like a huge jump. But historically speaking, when the same team appears seemingly every year, there is a team-fatigue seen in ratings. The Chiefs were in the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five years, yet their final appearance broke all records.

Anyone with a pulse is aware that is because of the Swift-effect.

Her relationship with Kelce didn’t just boost Super Bowl ratings, it was felt all season.

She altered the NFL’s viewership by supporting her boyfriend. From the time she began going to the games in Week 3, females flocked to the screen. Viewership increased among 18-34 year olds by 9%. It also increased by 6% among men, per Front Office Sports.

Furthermore, as of Jan. 22, she also helped make the Chiefs $331.5 million in additional revenue.

Marcoux Samaan recognized her impact, which seems to be why she extended that invite to the pop star and her boyfriend. While Swift didn’t show up in Singapore, there is no telling what could happen if the LPGA remains persistent.

The LPGA and women’s sports in general are on the rise. The tour’s revenue has increased by more than 65% in the past four years.

They’ve increased purses including the largest ever U.S. Women’s Open purse this year, added bigger sponsors and seen more people watching the best women in the world tee it up.

Ford Motor Company recently partnered with the women to sponsor the Ford Championship at the end of March. The next nine LPGA events will see purses $2 million or higher.

LPGA Featuring Stars

Marcoux Samaan also knows it’s time to elevate the stars from the LPGA to help grow the game. Like professional tennis, she wants to make more ladies household names.

“It’s really important in any sport, but more so in individual sports, that our athletes are household names,” Marcoux Samaan said. “We believe this is our time.”

Rose Zhang, who burst onto the professional scene in 2023, has drawn eyes as she recorded a historic amateur career that Tiger Woods couldn’t even accomplish. Then she won her LPGA debut after taking home back-to-back NCAA individual championships.

Lexi Thompson’s appearance on the PGA Tour increased viewership to the fall event. She and Zhang played with Max Homa and Rory McIlroy in the 9th edition of The Match. The world witnessed their personalities on full display.

That’s a big step in the right direction for women’s golf.

Those aren’t the only ladies that are considered “big names” either. Nelly Korda and Brooke Henderson were the two female golfers on the 2023 Forbes list of the world’s highest-paid female athletes.

Marcoux Samaan has implemented the steps to get more names on there, but wouldn’t it be wild to see what a Taylor Swift-supported LPGA could do? Hopefully it happens because women’s golf deserves the attention.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.