Korda, 25, is having a “Caitlin Clark moment,” with her run bringing renewed attention to the sport. The Chevron Championship attracted about 950,000 viewers on NBC on Sunday.
Women’s golf has faced many of the same challenges as other women’s sports, including basketball: inconsistent TV broadcasts, fewer resources, arduous travel arrangements. Korda and her peers lug golf bags and suitcases through commercial travel and rental car shuttles for weeks at a time before big competitions. “I appreciate the airports so much that have the rental car places right there,” Korda joked. Women’s golf has endured an additional hurdle: the stereotype that the sport is only for old, white men.
Last fall, I connected with Korda and two other women’s golfers—2023 breakout champion Lilia Vu and former world No. 1 Stacy Lewis—while they were in New York. At the time, we talked about many of the themes that are now rising to the forefront with Korda’s historic winning streak. When asked on Sunday how her success can elevate the sport, Korda said her answer was “going to be the same” as before her streak started. “It’s a stage. We need a stage,” she said. “We need to be on primetime TV, we need to showcase the talent we have out here.”
Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle—Getty Images
Korda told me last fall that the tour has elite talent; women’s golf just needs the right resources to reach new fans. The success of other sports, including women’s basketball, helps with that. “The more that these other sporting events are on TV, it becomes more normal,” she told me. Golf has compelling player stories that aren’t yet reaching audiences, she said. “When we get the platform, we can showcase the talent.”
LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan agreed in a press conference on Sunday, saying that women’s players need “exposure and investment.” “There is no doubt that the product is world-class,” she added.
Golf is attracting more female players, thanks to a pandemic boom and new stylish golf clothes. “You are seeing more women come out with their girlfriends,” Korda said. Golf has faced more of an uphill battle to get women to tune in as fans; not as many are already watching the Golf Channel, compared to broadcast TV or ESPN. The push to get regular coverage on network TV combined with Korda’s historic run could be the boost the sport needs.
As Korda told me: “I think that we’re finally kind of getting recognition and respect from others.”
Emma Hinchliffe
emma.hinchliffe@fortune.com
The Broadsheet is Fortune’s newsletter for and about the world’s most powerful women. Today’s edition was curated by Joseph Abrams. Subscribe here.
ALSO IN THE HEADLINES
- Under wraps. The Biden Administration is banning insurers, health care providers, and health care organizations from disclosing whether a patient crossed state lines to receive a legal abortion for the purposes of a criminal investigation or lawsuit. The announcement comes as conservatives argue that they need such information to ensure their states' abortion laws are working. Washington Post
- Agency accused. A report from the House Intelligence Committee found that the CIA did not properly investigate cases of sexual assault among its staff and enforced “little to no accountability or punishment for confirmed perpetrators.” The agency said in a statement that it takes seriously sexual assault and harassment and is “absolutely committed to fostering a safe, respectful workplace environment for our employees.” Politico
- Sponsor in style. Caitlin Clark’s Prada outfit for the WNBA draft led to $581,000 in media impact value for the brand, according to Launchmetrics, and could lead to more high fashion-WNBA crossovers. Mary Gonsalves Kinney, who styled Cameron Brink that same night, says that fashion houses outfitting players could bring attention to the league that translates into higher player salaries. Vogue Business
- Fighting the pain. Neel Shah, the chief medical officer at virtual women’s care clinic Maven, says the Biden administration’s $12 billion investment into women’s health research is driving a wave of new initiatives addressing how women’s pain is treated and reported during medical procedures. For example, the American Society of Anesthesiologists this month issued new guidance on pain management during C-sections. Axios
- Primary predictor. A Democratic primary vote in Pittsburgh on Tuesday between Rep. Summer Lynn Lee, the first Black congresswoman from the state, and Bhavini Patel will be a litmus test for voters’ attitudes toward Israel in the swing state with the largest Jewish population. Patel has criticized Lee for supporting a ceasefire in Gaza and condemning the Israeli government. NBC News
ON MY RADAR
'I was blessed': Allyson Felix gives birth to second child, a son ESPN
Women in menopause are getting short shrift The Atlantic
The parents who regret having children Time
PARTING WORDS
“Today, I am a woman who feels strong and positive about the future. One day at a time.”
— Singer Céline Dion on her outlook as she fights stiff person syndrome
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