The 2024 US Women’s Open saw a record-breaking 135,000 fans come to LACC. With the major coming to Riviera for the first time, many would have expected a similar turnout. But mostly, that has not been the case, with the championship only attracting approximately 10,000 fans daily. Now, Charley Hull has offered a frank assessment of how she’d get more fans to attend.

“Yeah, we definitely need way more fans, 100%. Like, if you go to the British Open now and have that atmosphere, you feel so good. I wish we had this week in and week out. I don’t know how much the tickets cost, but maybe just have like the free tickets coming in. That’s what I’d do,” she said on the Quiet Please podcast hosted by Kira and Mila Reid when asked what she would change if she were the commissioner.

No matter how reasonable tickets may seem on paper, they might become a barrier for families or casual fans who aren’t already invested in the sport. Lowering or removing this barrier may be effective, especially when the LPGA is looking to attract new fans.

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01/10

On Which Hole Jordan Spieth’s Ball Got Stuck Under a Trashcan?

14th 15th16th 17th

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For instance, the U.S. Open Tennis Fan Week mainly focuses on free grounds admission, allowing casual fans to enjoy the celebration, meet players, and watch the qualifying tournament. But the LPGA currently has no comparative initiative for casual fans at a larger scale. Though at the US Women’s Open, fans under 16 could come to the event for free, this was because of the LPGA’s initiative of encouraging young golfers.

Under the new commissioner, Craig Kessler, the LPGA has started focusing on a way to find and grab attention. For example, now, there is a record prize fund of $128.5 million across 31 tournaments, with 14 events raising their prize pools. Additionally, live TV coverage was also secured for every North American event.

At the ANNIKA 2025, the LPGA had Kai Trump and Caitlin Clark to help with visibility, and it was a successful move as the event experienced a massive 60% year-over-year increase in overall on-site fan attendance. 

The on-site experience still lags, though.

“When I went to the Men’s Open Championship. I used to be like, Wow, this is so cool, this thing, 10TV Village. Even when you go to Wentworth BMW, the PGA, wow, the tent village—that’s where the whole atmosphere is. Then you get to keep going on to the golf course,” Hull added.

The point here is less about atmosphere and more about access, specifically how a well-designed fan environment converts people with no prior interest in golf. The 2025 U.S. Open at Royal Portrush would be a good example.

Royal Portrush had a fan village, and attendees described the atmosphere as like a music festival. It had a bar, food options, and live entertainment that drew in people who came for the experience as much as the golf. Even the attendance of the 2025 Open was a whopping 278,000.

Under the new structural changes, Kessler has also said that he is interested in “laser-focusing on building connections between players and fans,” and including a good fan environment and atmosphere for both the players and the audience could help bridge that gap.

LPGA Tour Can Follow The Solheim Cup Blueprint

The LPGA doesn’t need to look far for evidence that fans will show up for women’s golf.

The 2024 Solheim Cup at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia drew over 100,000 fans across the week. The field had the same players that play every week, Charley Hull, Nelly Korda, and Zhang, but the difference was everything around the atmosphere.

The match-play format created a direct team rivalry between the U.S. and Europe, giving fans a sight to cheer for beyond just a leaderboard. The event also came with a dedicated fan zone featuring interactive activities, simulators, and food activations. In fact, corporate investments were also a part of the event.

Comparing that to the 2026 Chevron Championship, the LPGA’s first major of the season, the galleries at Memorial Park were empty. Tour pro Mimi Rhodes, who played the event, said the location felt remote and the “organization did not do a great job of promoting it.”

Despite the quiet gallery atmosphere, the Chevron Championship drew strong television numbers, with Saturday’s round ranking among the most-watched in championship history and Sunday’s coverage peaking at over 1 million viewers on NBC.

The LPGA Tour knows what needs to be done; the question is how.