logo
LPGA Tour poised to sparkle with reboot

LPGA Tour poised to sparkle with reboot

Bangkok Post10-07-2025
As the LPGA Tour enters the back nine of its milestone 75th anniversary season, it is primed to capitalise on the global growth of women's golf -- thanks to recent leadership appointments and the continued rise of Asia‑Pacific golfers -- both of which should strengthen the tour's foundation for longevity and deepen its impact on its fans worldwide.
In recent months, the LPGA named its 10th commissioner in 40-year-old Craig Kessler, whom the search committee was wowed by his passion for the women's game and, more importantly, by his astute vision to take the organisation forward through four key pillars he has outlined.
Kessler, who holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, assumes his new role on July 15 and brings a broad range of leadership experience across sports and business, most recently serving as chief operating officer of the PGA of America.
Closer to home, the LPGA appointed Chris Madsen as its new Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific region, a critical market in its global strategy. The region will host eight tournaments this year, including upcoming stops in China, Korea (two), Malaysia and Japan beginning in October.
Since Pak Se-Ri's historic triumph at the 1998 US Women's Open -- where she became the first Asian golfer, male or female, to win a major championship -- women's golf in Asia has flourished. Currently, seven Asia-Pacific players sit inside the top 10 of the season-long Race to CME Globe points list, led by No.1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, No.2 Minjee Lee of Australia and third-ranked Rio Takeda of Japan. Of the 17 tournaments played so far this year, 10 have been won by women from the region.
"Asia is central to the LPGA's identity, not only because of the events we host there, but also because of the many world-class players from the region and our global corporate partners based there," said Liz Moore, who served as interim commissioner from December until Kessler's appointment.
The effervescent Jeeno, 22, a five-time LPGA winner, is part of a new wave of Asian superstars, and the talent pipeline remains strong. Japan's Mao Saigo, Takeda, and Chisato Iwai have all secured wins in 2025, while Korea's Kim A-Lim, Kim Hyo-Joo, Ryu Hae-Ran, Lee Somi and Im Jin-Hee have also triumphed. Minjee Lee recently claimed her third major at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, and Lydia Ko of New Zealand, the 2024 Olympic gold medallist, continues to be amongst the tour's marquee attractions.
The talent pool is also set to deepen further. When the Amundi Evian Championship, one of five LPGA majors, tees off this week in France, all eyes will be on Malaysia's Mirabel Ting. The 19-year-old phenom turned professional last week and will make her debut after a stellar collegiate season at Florida State University, where she won five of nine starts and ended the season ranked No.1 in the US. Ting was awarded the 2025 Annika Award presented by Stifel, which granted her an exemption into the Evian field. "In my 25 years, she's [Ting] by far the best ball-striker I've ever seen," FSU head coach Amy Bond told Golf Week.
The LPGA is also bolstering its development pathways. The newly launched LPGA Collegiate Advancement Pathway (LCAP) will create opportunities for top college golfers in the US to transition to the professional ranks, such as the Epson Tour. This complements the existing LPGA Elite Amateur Pathway (LEAP) which rewards top amateurs with LPGA memberships, mirroring the successful PGA Tour University model that has produced stars like Ludvig Aberg.
Once Kessler officially begins his role, his priorities will be to build trust, raise the visibility of LPGA stars globally, grow the fan base, and solidify the tour's financial foundation. Among future plans is hosting the largest fundraising initiative in the tour's history, a 75th anniversary Pro-Am at Pebble Beach Resorts next January, in support of the LPGA Foundation's mission to inspire the next generation of female golfers. Kessler has also hit the road in recent weeks to hold discussions with stakeholders and players to shape the LPGA's next chapter.
In golf, timing is everything, and for the LPGA, its 75th anniversary, also known as its Diamond Jubilee, arrives at a perfect moment. As the saying goes, diamonds are forever, and under Kessler's transformational leadership, women's golf looks set to sparkle for decades to come.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Investors urged to buy gold as price surges
Investors urged to buy gold as price surges

Bangkok Post

time17 hours ago

  • Bangkok Post

Investors urged to buy gold as price surges

DBS Vickers Securities recommends investors increase their exposure to gold and reduce their allocation of government bonds from developed economies, predicting the bullion price will hit US$3,765 an ounce by the fourth quarter of this year. Wey Fook Hou, chief investment officer at DBS Bank, noted that the first 100 days of US President Donald Trump's second term sent shockwaves across global markets, especially by escalating a global tariff war. While these moves aim to reposition the US geopolitically, ongoing policy uncertainty is raising the risk premium on American financial assets. In addition, the recent passage of sweeping tax reforms has intensified worries about the long-term fiscal stability of the US. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the US federal budget deficit is projected to reach $1.9 trillion this year, with debt levels rising to 118% of GDP by 2035. Moody's downgrade of US sovereign credit to Aa1, with 30-year bond yields exceeding 5%, underscores rising investor anxiety over the sustainability of US fiscal policy. Trump's "beautiful tariff war" has two main objectives, first to strategically counter China's influence, and also to generate revenue to address mounting national insolvency. "However, even with an aggressive 20% universal import tariff, the net revenue gain after dynamic economic effects would be just $185.2 billion, insufficient even to cover federal interest payments," Mr Wey noted. These fiscal constraints have prompted DBS to revise its investment strategy, he said. For equities, the bank has maintained a neutral stance overall, with expected performance divergence across regions and sectors. Belief in US technology stocks has also stayed intact, with services favoured over goods-based sectors. Meanwhile DBS suggests investors increase their allocation to European and Asia ex-Japan equities, citing fiscal stimulus, attractive dividend yields, and valuation discounts versus developed markets. For fixed income, developed market government bonds were downgraded to neutral amid persistent inflation and fiscal strain. DBS favours high-quality credit with A or BBB ratings, and has adopted a "duration barbell" strategy, focusing on those with 2–3 year and 7–10 year maturities, capital securities, and short-duration high-quality debts. DBS is overweight on alternative assets, especially gold, with a price target of $3,765 an ounce by this year's fourth quarter. The bank also recommends income-generating private equity, including infrastructure, as "a source of resilient returns in a volatile environment". "Investors tracking fiscal risks are expected to shift further away from US and Japanese assets. As capital diversifies from dollar-denominated holdings, Asian local currency bonds are emerging as beneficiaries," Mr Wey said. The US dollar is likely to continue weakening, pressured by inconsistent and controversial policies under the Trump administration. As a result, alternative safe-haven currencies are expected to gain favour, added Mr Wey. Chanpen Sirithanarattanakul, head of research at DBS Vickers Securities (Thailand), expects Thailand's GDP to grow just 1.8% in 2026 if US tariffs are 18%-20%, with a Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) index estimate of 1,300 points. However, if tariffs stay elevated at 36%, growth could slow to just 1%, and the SET index target would be adjusted, she said. Despite macro challenges, selected Thai sectors remain attractive, including hospitals and telecommunications. The baht is projected to appreciate slightly to 32.8 baht against the greenback this year, and to 32 baht to the dollar in 2026. The brokerage expects Thai interest rates to be cut once or twice this year, with another cut likely in 2026. "Domestic political developments, especially in August and September, as well as US tariff policy, will have a significant impact on investment sentiment," Ms Chanpen noted.

Impact of gold prices on baht monitored
Impact of gold prices on baht monitored

Bangkok Post

time2 days ago

  • Bangkok Post

Impact of gold prices on baht monitored

The Bank of Thailand and the Ministry of Finance are discussing ways to address currency moves that are not aligned with fundamental factors, including the impact of gold prices, according to a deputy governor. Gold prices are among the non-fundamental factors affecting the baht's movement and authorities are looking at ways to reduce the correlation between the two, Roong Mallikamas said in an interview. She declined to say what steps were being planned or how soon they will be announced. 'The baht should act as a shock absorber and not a shock amplifier,' Ms Roong, one of two contenders for the governor's position, said on Tuesday. 'So, definitely things that are non-fundamental should be addressed.' The Thai baht typically gets a boost when Thais sell gold, which is highly valued as an investment, as the dollar proceeds get converted into the local currency. The baht surged about 11% over the past year, making it one of Asia's best performing currencies, while gold climbed to a record in April. The baht has a much closer link to gold than other emerging Asian currencies do, with the two prices having a correlation coefficient of about 0.53 over the past 90 days. A coefficient of 1 would mean they are moving in lockstep. A strong baht is adding to risks to the Thai economy, which is already facing the threat of a punitive 36% US tariff on its exports. The rally has led some ministers and business groups to urge the central bank to weaken the currency to support exports and tourism, the nation's key growth drivers. The Bank of Thailand has said it doesn't target any particular level or direction for the baht and its gain over the past year is in line with regional peers. Ms Roong said the baht's outperformance over the dollar index and its high correlation to gold is something the central bank has noticed and trying to address. 'We don't try to stop people from being interested in gold, but we want them to do it in such a way that it doesn't affect the volatility of the baht or make the baht have higher correlation' with gold, she said.

Las Vegas Sands bets on Asia's young rich
Las Vegas Sands bets on Asia's young rich

Bangkok Post

time3 days ago

  • Bangkok Post

Las Vegas Sands bets on Asia's young rich

Las Vegas Sands Corp is targeting Southeast Asia's young and wealthy as it kicks off an ambitious US$8-billion expansion of its luxury resort in Singapore that is core to the casino operator's future growth plans. 'As those younger people create wealth for themselves, they want experiences that allow them the benefits of their success,' president and incoming chief executive officer Patrick Dumont said during an interview on Tuesday. Customers who visit the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort complex on business trips often then return with their families for a holiday, he said. The new Sands complex, which is expected to open in January 2031 subject to government approval, includes a new fourth tower with 570 luxury suites, about 18,600 square metres of conference space and a 15,000-seat live entertainment arena. The project underscores Sands' historic pivot to focus on its Asian operations — typically its biggest revenue earners — after the company said in 2021 that it would sell its iconic properties on the Las Vegas Strip. Singapore has emerged as a burgeoning luxury hub with a robust base of affluent locals, as well as a popular holiday destination where tourism spending has climbed to a record. Singapore overtook Macau as Sands' most profitable business after reporting a record adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation of $605 million in the first quarter. In February, Marina Bay Sands Pte secured a multi-tranche loan of $9 billion — the largest such financing ever in Singapore — to help fund the project, for which has costs have ballooned from the original estimate of $3.4 billion made in 2019. Still, Sands faces challenges to its regional ambitions. Macau, the world's biggest gambling hub by turnover, has an uncertain near-term outlook as China pushes the territory to diversify away from gaming to curb capital outflow and money laundering. And in 2020, Sands dropped plans to open a casino resort in Japan due to concerns over the terms of the country's legislation including the duration of gaming licences. Elsewhere, Thailand's government this month withdrew a bill to legalise casinos as political turmoil deepens, although Dumont reiterated that Sands would consider a potential expansion into the country. 'It would be a very different development than anything that would happen here in Singapore,' he said. 'If the opportunity is right, we'll consider it.' As well as selling its Las Vegas properties, Sands' push to streamline its operations has also led it to abandon a bid to develop a New York casino, partly over concerns that rising online betting would hurt the property.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store