Nelly Korda won his second major at the Chevron Championship on Sunday.
This made her the third player to win five consecutive LPGA events, joining Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez. This victory propelled the 25-year-old into a new stratosphere.
However, it is still clear that LPGA coverage is lacking. Despite winning four races and winning the first major on the calendar, coverage was inadequate. This wasn’t the first time Korda’s accomplishments were overshadowed by poor television scheduling. When she won her third straight, fans complained about her because they only saw her last few holes.
“We need a stage. We need to be on prime time TV and show off the talent we have here, which is tough,” Korda said afterward. Told. “We need support not only from the audience but also from the television networks.”
She took the position that women’s golf needed stages, and it wasn’t the first time she’d said that either. Korda expressed similar sentiments on ESPN ahead of his Chevron Championship appearance.
The 13-time LPGA champion has made her opinions known to the public. For women’s golf to continue to grow, we have to show that.
This argument may feel uncomfortable after NBC aired at least seven hours of coverage over two days. But anyone watching this coverage noticed that it was overshadowed by the production values of his RBC Heritage on CBS.
Chevron didn’t have many photographers, so it lacked the kind of advanced technology typically seen during PGA Tour events to draw viewers onto the course.
Korda was in the final group of the women’s major, but her round was barely visible due to a lack of camera operators. But the pace of play meant viewers spent hours watching people walk the course.
It literally took players six hours to complete the final round. This is clearly not the network’s fault and something the LPGA needs to address.
However, the result was empty television coverage with no substance. The ratings back it up.
Corda wants change, but can the network and LPGA find a solution?
Savannah Lee Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through.For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough On all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirls and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.
