'The Talent Is There, But Where Are The Eyes?' - Mel Reid On How The LPGA Can Drive Real Fan Engagement

Whether playing or watching golf, interest in the women’s game is definitely at an all-time high. Just last month, NBC reported that its presentation of the US Women’s Open delivered a massive viewing surge, averaging 1.3 million viewers across NBC and Peacock. Driven by Nelly Korda’s victory, Sunday’s final round viewership was up 78% from last year, with the audience peaking at 2.2 million viewers.

But former LPGA and Solheim Cup star turned golf broadcaster and podcast host Mel Reid has strong, pragmatic views on the underlying reality of the women’s game. When I caught up with her, she was quick to point out that while the television metrics and purse sizes are soaring, there is still a massive gap to fill on the ground.

The Paradox Of Purse Sizes

When asked how the current state of the game compares to when she first earned her tour card, Reid is quick to praise the sheer talent on display, even if she acknowledges the conversation can feel a bit repetitive.

Latest Videos From

Watch full video here:

"It's amazing. The prize money is incredible," Reid says. "I think it's funny, the kind of respect that we have been craving for so many years, and now we're finally seeing it levelling out, which is good. The standard of golf - we talk about it every year, it's a bit of a broken record, but it's just insane. From a talent standpoint, the LPGA is in a really great place. We've always been a global tour, and that's more evident now than ever with Nelly rolling as World No.1, and Charley Hull and Lottie Woad playing amazing."

Yet, Reid isn't one to sugar coat the optics. For all the financial growth, walking out onto a quiet course during a multi-million-dollar event exposes a clear disconnect.

"The prize money is fantastic, but in a weird way, it looks strange when you're playing for 9 million at Chevron and no one's watching," she admits. "I see such a discrepancy between the prize money and actually the fans. To me, I'm like, how are we playing for 9 million if we have no one through the gate? It just looks odd to me.

Collaborative Solutions

It is a massive hurdle, but Reid is heavily encouraged by the forward-thinking approach of LPGA Chief Operating Officer Craig Kessler, with whom she has built an open line of communication.

"I really like Craig Kessler, I'm very impressed with him," Reid shares warmly. "He's very open. We actually talk quite a lot, and he's very open to ideas and how we can work together, which I absolutely love about him. He wants us all to uplift it together."

Reid has taken that open-door invitation seriously, actively putting radical new growth strategies right onto his desk.

"I've chatted to him and I basically said you need to get more people through the gate. I don't know how you're going to do that," she notes. "I've said for years that people should just go for free for a bit just to get people watching women's golf. And I think we could do a better job of getting the communities involved, getting local radio stations on the range, maybe... we do have to do something different, because with women's sport, we do have to be louder to get noticed. The talent is definitely there, but where are the eyes?"

Crucially, she believes the solution requires a financial pivot, even if it means a slight trim to the record-breaking purses.

"How are we going to be able to connect these amazing players with fans and get them wanting to come and watch the LPGA? I think it's a big marketing thing," Reid concludes. "That's their biggest issue now. I would love them to take some out of the prize money and put it into marketing. I really would, because these girls are playing for stupid money now, which is great. They 100% deserve the prize money, but what are we bringing in from a fan standpoint and atmosphere?

View From The Booth

As someone who now balances life inside the ropes with a growing media presence in the commentary booth, Reid sees first-hand how empty grandstands actively hurt the television product.

"It’s a challenge for us in the broadcast, too," she continues. "The greatest moments in sport are not naturally because of the shot; it's because of the reaction. The problem is we have so many great shots, but no reaction, so it's difficult for us to get energy through. We would look stupid as a broadcaster if we got really fired up for something and no one's there clapping."

Reid also targets the production style of modern broadcasts, noting that slow pacing and commercial breaks make it incredibly difficult to keep viewers engaged compared to the relentless speed of men's events.

"From a broadcast standpoint, it's very difficult to keep fans engaged. We watch a player do the whole routine, we try to tell stories... but then we watch them finish, they line it up again. Our job should be going to another player, and then seeing another player, and then seeing another player. When I work on the PGA Tour or the men's Majors, it's constant, quick, quick, quick. It's really exciting."

The Global Asset And Hurdle

Part of the issue, Reid believes, comes down to marketing strategy and the unique cultural tapestry of the LPGA. While the tour's international flavour is its greatest asset, it presents distinct marketing challenges when trying to build recognisable, outspoken stars.

"I think the players could do more with the media and showing their personalities, but the issue is that we are a global tour, so cultures are very, very different, and you have to respect that," Reid explains. "The South Korean players, for example, are amazing girls, but they get highly criticised if they don't play well, let alone if they say something that might not come across as culturally correct. They have to be very disciplined and in their own bubble. So that's our biggest asset, being a global tour, and it's also our biggest hurdle."

Revamping The Venue Strategy

Another way Reid believes the LPGA can fix the attendance issue is by being much more intentional about geographic strategy. She suggests the tour needs to stop playing in massive, saturated sports markets where they easily get drowned out by local baseball or basketball teams, and instead return to consistent, community-driven venues.

To prove her point, she looks to events that built deep roots in local communities over decades. A prime example is the former tournament at Kingsmill Resort in Virginia, which spent nearly 20 years cementing its place on the local calendar. Or the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, which has been hosted annually at Pinnacle Country Club since 2007 and hits a historic 20-year milestone of community loyalty this September.

"Having consistent venues is going to help, like Kingsmill or Arkansas - we get good crowds there because they know exactly the week it's going to be, they know exactly what course it's going to be at. At the minute, we're just a little bit sporadic," she explains. "It's difficult to get fans to an LPGA event like the Chevron in big cities like Houston because there is so much other stuff going on that they would much rather go and watch."

Ultimately, Reid emphasises that building this kind of structural continuity and prioritising tight-knit communities over over-saturated urban markets remains a vital step forward. Only by shifting focus away from sporadic, large-scale city hopping can the tour bridge the gap, establishing a permanent, passionate footprint that transforms surging television metrics into packed grandstands on the ground.