ABSTRACT
Recently, the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour had difficulty acquiring and retaining sponsors. Women’s professional golf struggled to gain fan interest and obtain financial support in the United States, especially with the economic downturn. The lack of a large fan base led to decreased television ratings. This caused sponsors to cut their LPGA investment. Contrary to public assumption, the United States Golf Association (USGA), the Professional Golf Association (PGA) of America and the LPGA are all separate entities. The USGA is the oldest organization and originated in 1894. The PGA was founded in 1916. In 1934, Helen Hicks became the first professional female golfer on a US tour (USGA history, 2013). In 1950, 13 female golfers created the LPGA (LPGA history, 2013). Their mission was to develop a year-long tournament schedule for female golfers. Thus, the LPGA Tour is designed for female professional golfers to compete in golf.
