GOLF.AI • Nov 12, 2025

The LPGA's New Celebrity Playbook

While the debate over Kai Trump's sponsor exemption into The Annika has centered on merit, it overlooks a broader, more deliberate strategy emerging from the LPGA. The tour, with Hall of Famer and tournament host Annika Sorenstam at the helm, is actively leveraging high-profile personalities from outside golf's core to generate buzz and attract new audiences. This isn't just one controversial invite; it's a calculated playbook using the massive followings of figures like WNBA star Caitlin Clark and the cultural curiosity around Trump to elevate a regular-season event into a mainstream media moment.

Sorenstam's defense of Trump's inclusion reveals this growth strategy. She explicitly stated Trump "brings a lot of different people to the sport," and the resulting "exposure" is precisely the goal. Drawing a parallel to her own controversial PGA Tour invite in 2003, Sorenstam frames these exemptions as a long-standing tool for growth. The strategy extends to Caitlin Clark, whose involvement is far from accidental. This is her second year at the pro-am, and the Golf Channel broadcast her round live. Sorenstam painted a vivid picture of Clark's drawing power, noting, "they were standing on the first tee at 7 a.m. waiting for her," a crowd separate from traditional golf fandom.

This approach isn't limited to just two names. The participation of US Soccer Hall of Famer Brianna Scurry reinforces the idea that the LPGA is building a cross-sport coalition of high-profile female athletes to collectively raise the tour's visibility. The connection is even acknowledged by the participants themselves. Kai Trump’s own words powerfully link the two headline-makers under a shared mission: "What Caitlin is doing for women's basketball is amazing... I'm just trying to grow women's sports." This moves the conversation beyond fairness and into a clear analysis of the LPGA's business strategy. In a crowded sports landscape, the tour is prioritizing eyeballs and engagement by borrowing equity from other stars, a move that could define its future.