Guardians of the Game

Photo: Minjee Lee, courtesy of Callaway Golf

By Mackenzie Puryear

There’s a quote from Mia Hamm that still echoes in the fields, courts, courses and locker rooms of women’s sports today.

“Somewhere behind the athlete you’ve become and the hours of practice and the coaches who have pushed you is the little girl who fell in love with the game and never looked back... play for her.”

That quote resonates because it taps into something universal: passion.

In my opinion, it resonates with the heart of how the sport of women’s golf was founded—by 13 women who fell in love with the sport and weren’t afraid to dream big.

The LPGA Tour, which started in 1950, remains the United States’ oldest continuous women’s professional sports organization. In 2026, the LPGA Tour features 33 official events across 13 countries, with players competing for a record-breaking $132 million in prize money.

From pioneers to modern investors, the continued rise of women’s golf hasn’t been shaped solely by one defining moment, but by many different pieces fitting together.

The Trailblazers Who Inspired Generations

Starting with Se Ri Pak. She didn’t just win golf tournaments; she changed what young Korean girls believed to be possible in golf.

Photo: Se Ri Pak courtesy of LPGA & Getty Images

When Pak arrived on the LPGA Tour in 1998, South Korean representation was minimal. Within a decade, a wave of Korean players had transformed the Tour. Grand Slam winner Inbee Park picked up a golf club for the first time only days after Pak’s U.S. Open victory.

While Pak transformed the game culturally, her fellow competitor, Annika Sorenstam, was quickly raising the bar of dominance and making a global name for herself. Sorenstam won 72 times on the LPGA Tour, including 10 majors. Together, the two icons helped globalize the LPGA. Sorenstam broke barriers including competing in a men’s tournament and carding the only 59 in an LPGA event.

Photo: Annika Sorenstam, courtesy of the LPGA & Getty Images

Before Pak and Sorenstam helped globalize and elevate women’s golf, Laura Davies was already expanding perceptions of the women’s game.

Davies, known for her big personality and unapologetic individuality, won the U.S. Open in 1987 as a rookie. The Englishwoman helped globalize the LPGA and became the face of the Ladies European Tour.

Other important pioneers of the game include Dinah Shore and Judy Bell. As the first celebrity involved with the women’s game, Shore helped bring mainstream visibility and cultural relevance to women’s golf with her association with what is now known as the Chevron Championship. While Bell helped drive leadership and institutional progress by becoming the first female president of the USGA in 1996, a position historically held by a male in a male-dominated sport.

The Mentors Giving Back

Julie Inkster is a pioneer of the game, but she is also one of golf’s most influential mentors. Her impact on women’s golf extended far beyond her Hall of Fame playing career. The American won 31 times on the LPGA, including 7 major wins, and she used this platform to create initiatives such as the Inkster Award. The Inkster Award recognizes leadership, character, and performance among collegiate golfers.

In addition, Inkster served as a mentor on the LPGA through her leadership. She’s the first and only American to captain the Solheim Cup three times, which alone speaks to how respected she was on tour. Inkster also increased visibility around motherhood on the LPGA Tour as one of the first highly successful mothers competing at an elite level. She won numerous championships, including majors, while traveling and competing with her children.

Photo: Julie Inkster, courtesy of the LPGA & Getty Images

Stacy Lewis emerged from a generation of players shaped in part by Inkster’s leadership. The American captained two consecutive Solheim Cup teams and became known as one of the LPGA’s strongest player voices advocating for larger purses, sponsorship support, and media coverage. The former world No. 1 also helped normalize family life on tour.

Suzann Pettersen played alongside Stacy Lewis as a fellow mother and opposing Solheim Cup captain. She used her platform to create VOXA, which is a female-focused athlete agency. Pettersen told Golf Business News that, “[VOXA] isn’t about management or representation, it’s about empowerment.” VOXA is derived from the Latin word ‘voice,’ reflecting the company’s emphasis on visibility and support for female athletes.

With these dominant women paving the way, women’s golf became more competitive, global, and respected. As the talent expanded across the tour, elite coaching resources increasingly became a part of the women’s game too. Coaches such as David Leadbetter and Butch Harmon were coaching some of the best men and women players in the world.

The Organizations Building the Pipeline

The sport had pioneers and mentors creating pathways and raising visibility, and with this growth, a larger challenge emerged: how to create opportunities for more little girls to fall in love with the game.

To start, women’s golf needed to be more accessible.

LPGA * USGA Girls Golf (also known as Girls Golf) was founded in 1989 by LPGA professional Sandy LaBauve. What started as one site has grown to over 700 sites worldwide, reaching one million girls in 2023. The program focuses not only on creating future professionals but on making girls feel like they belong in the game.

Similarly, the LPGA Foundation was launched in 1991. While Girls Golf represents a visible grassroots initiative, the LPGA Foundation became the larger support system behind opportunity creation. When Girls Golf reached its one-millionth participant, the LPGA Foundation launched the #OneMillionMORE girls campaign to show its commitment to the next one million girls. The campaign aims to reduce financial barriers for junior golf participation. Former LPGA player Laura Diaz now helps oversee youth development initiatives and community programs at the LPGA.

Photo: LPGA kids clinic, courtesy of LPGA & Getty Images

Another important organization expanding pathways across junior and professional women’s golf is the ANNIKA Foundation. Created in 2007, the foundation focuses on providing golf opportunities for girls at all stages of development. The foundation was first known for creating a series of elite junior girls’ golf tournaments.

In 2022, the ANNIKA Foundation expanded its developmental system into the professional ranks by partnering with an already-established developmental tour. The tour, now called the ANNIKA Women’s All Pro Tour, has since increased visibility while emphasizing player development and mentorship.

Under the ANNIKA Foundation, a young girl can begin her career and feel supported all the way to the LPGA Tour.

Others, including Karrie Webb through the Karrie Webb Scholarship, have also helped expand educational and competitive pathways for young female golfers. Meanwhile, organizations such as the USGA and The R&A, alongside leaders including Mike Whan and Karen Lunn, have continued investing in the long-term growth and global visibility of women’s golf.

Perhaps the best symbol of the evolution of women’s golf is the Augusta National Women’s Amateur (ANWA). The ANWA created one of the most visible stages in women’s amateur golf, giving young players around the world the opportunity to compete—and dream—on one of golf’s most iconic courses.

Yet the ANWA emerged as a result of decades of growth and investment in the women’s game. The ANWA did not elevate women’s golf solely on its own. Rather, women’s golf evolved to a point where Augusta recognized its value, and the game has the hard work and dedication of all of these individuals and organizations to thank for that.

Who’s Betting on Women’s Golf

Photo: Jeeno Thitikul tees off at The Amundi Evian Championship, where Rolex serves as a Main Partner and Official Timekeeper. Credit: JD

PING: Longstanding supporter of women’s golf through LPGA player partnerships and equipment innovation.

Callaway Golf: Invested heavily in women’s golf through athlete sponsorships, apparel, and media visibility.

BMW: Continued expanding its presence in professional golf through global partnerships and tournament support.

Rolex: One of the most recognizable longtime partners in golf, supporting many of the game’s premier events and athletes.

KPMG: Helped elevate women’s golf through major championship sponsorship and leadership initiatives tied to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

PXG: Continued investing in women’s golf through player partnerships and increased visibility within the modern golf space.

WHOOP: Brought performance and recovery technology further into women’s sports and professional golf conversations.

Malbon Golf: Expanded women’s golf fashion visibility through lifestyle-driven apparel and modern cultural influence.

Justin Rose: Alongside wife Kate Rose, helped support women’s professional golf through the Rose Ladies Series during the COVID-19 pandemic.

ECCO: continually supports our sport by producing a dedicated, extensive lineup of premium women's golf shoes and accessories. A notable sponsor of female golfing talent around the globe.