The Wang Effect

It can be argued that the current level of purses and enthusiasm for the PGA Tour can be attributed to the “Tiger Woods Effect,” which started when he first teed it up at a golf tournament some 30 years ago and quickly became a marketing phenomenon.

While it’s still early in the process, the recent upward trend of higher purses on the LPGA tracks back to a fateful pro-am pairing in 2022.

Walter Wang, CEO of JM Eagle, played in a pro-am foursome at the 2022 LPGA Tour stop at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles. It was during the round that Walter expressed interest in supporting the LPGA Tour to one of his pro-am partners – David Tucker with Outlyr, the event management company that runs the event. Walter’s wife, Shirley, CEO of Plastpro, was equally enthusiastic to be part of the potential partnership.

Thus was born the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro.

Walter and Shirley have said their goal is to support the players, increase exposure of the tournament and help elevate the LPGA as a whole. And boy has that happened.

Right away in 2023, the Wangs raised the tournament purse to $3 million. In an all boats rise result, a number of other tournaments matched that level and in 2026, a total of thirteen tournaments have purses totaling $3 million.

Two years ago, the Wangs raised the total purse even higher to $3.75 million. Walter and Shirley also developed additional ways to provide support for the participants that conformed to the LPGA sponsorship guidelines. Beginning in 2024, the Wangs have covered the cost of hotels and transportation for all participants. They also hold a raffle at the pro-am that includes prizes that the LPGA players can put to good use (e.g., airline tickets; gift cards, etc.) that total around $85,000.

Off the course, Shirley and Walter are equally philanthropic, having donated significantly to various charities and schools. However, their generosity was never more evident than it was last year when they provided much needed funding and materials (totaling $6.5 million) to fire stations and personnel who were impacted by the devastating fires in the Los Angeles area. This first responder connection continues to this day and at a press conference kicking off this year’s tournament, it was announced that the Wangs are paying to help cover the rebuilding cost for five firemen who lost their homes in the 2025 fires.

The LPGA and all its members are very lucky to have the Wangs on their team as they continue to make a meaningful impact on the LPGA. It’s safe to say the “Wang Effect” is in full motion and more is yet to come.