Let’s be honest — most of us wouldn’t last a single week living like an LPGA pro. Imagine playing an event on Sunday in New Jersey, then hopping onto a flight to Ohio to be on the course Monday morning. And all while trying to make sure your game is in the right place. It’s exhausting as it sounds. But now, at last, someone at the top is listening and beginning to take player concerns seriously.
It was just a few months ago when Jessica Korda was asked for her opinion on why players get injured and if the LPGA’s hectic schedule has anything to do with it. And Korda wasn’t shy when she painted a picture that many of her fellow players know all too well. “Yeah, I mean, fatigue plays a huge role, right? If you’re tired and whatever, your whole body feels it. And we do play a decent amount,” she said. There were times when we were playing an event in Jersey, and we had a major the following week in Seattle, and then the following week we were in Ohio. Like, we were literally like What’s going on?” Korda confessed candidly. Her remarks raised an alarming concern. And it’s true. In 2025, the LPGA’s schedule features 35 tournaments across 14 states in the United States, 12 countries, which include two Asian swings and one swing in Europe.
But now, the newly appointed LPGA commissioner, Craig Kessler, has finally broken the silence on the issue. In a recent statement, Kessler made it clear that fixing the scheduling puzzle is now on his to-do list, and he’s aiming for more than just band-aid solutions. While his first priority is “to see some of our athletes become household names all over the world,” Kessler spoke of how delivering for players is also crucial. “Two, this is a member-based organization, and delivering for our players and for our professionals is critical. I think on the player side, if we can continue to optimize the schedule, play elevated courses, be thoughtful about the routing so we’re not whipsawing our players all across the country and the world, what a home run that would be,” he said.
Kessler mentioned the word ‘whipsawing.’ That’s not just a buzzword, but that’s exactly what’s been happening. Players have been shuffling from coast to coast and even continent to continent with barely enough time to breathe, let alone prep for a major championship. The result? Burnout, injuries, and perhaps worst of all — subpar performances on the game’s biggest stages. The LPGA has made huge strides in recent years in terms of prize money, visibility, and talent depth. This year, marking its 75th anniversary, the prize money was the largest ever in its history at $131 million across all events.
But no tour can sustain success if its players are running on fumes, regardless of how much you compensate them. While Kessler’s comments mark a moment of leadership acknowledgement, and if he pulls it off, it would be beneficial not just for the players but also for the long-term health of the tour. While Kessler finally admitted to working on the issue, besides the other complaints, Jessica Korda’s comments were a reflection of a deeper systemic issue that needs urgent attention. Her comments came from a viewpoint of her own experience on tour.
Jessica Korda’s battle with the demanding schedule
Korda’s honest admission that “fatigue played a big role” wasn’t just a throwaway line. She stepped away from the game in 2023, citing a back injury, and now we can’t help but wonder if the hectic schedule was one of the factors. From the moment Jessica Korda stepped onto the LPGA Tour in 2011, the travel demands were relentless. As a rookie, she played only 15 events out of the 24 and earned $50,000, recalling that she “finished 90th on the money list.” With limited playing opportunities, she had to hustle — even flying out across the continent and to qualify on a Monday. “I mean, they’re great memories, but it was very stressful because, like, the playing opportunities were not what they needed to be,” she admitted.
She highlighted the pressure to seize every chance amid a scarce and scattered schedule, but also added that former commissioner Mike Whan helped in growing the tour to 33 events across 14 countries. Still, the growth came at a cost. “The travel was insane,” Korda added, underlining how the expansion didn’t always come with smarter scheduling. Her comments revealed the exhausting realities behind the polished images of tour life. If Craig Kessler succeeds in improving the schedule and cleaning up other damages done by the former management, it will be a more sustainable future for one of the most exciting tours in professional golf. Because when players aren’t spending their energy fighting fatigue, they can focus on what they do best — lighting up leaderboards.
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