Inaugural events do not often have the ability to create an instant impact, but that is exactly what the PXG Women’s Match Play Championship is hoping to accomplish.
That was the message presented during the media day for the two-week event scheduled to be played at World Golf Village Oct. 26 to Nov. 4.
“This is a women’s initiative in a golf wrapper,” said Mark Berman, managing partner with MediaShare Consulting Group. “Hopefully this will launch a whole new movement.”
Berman stated that he is a “girl dad,” which is one of the reasons the initiative seems so much to him and why he wanted to do his part to make it happen.
He saw the limited number of avenues for female golfers to take to reach the LPGA Tour after their college careers end and wanted to do something to change that.
“This has been a two to three year project for me,” Berman said.
Currently, female golfers have the option to play on four developmental tours en route to one day becoming a member of the LPGA Tour.
The four tours include the Women’s All Pro Tour, the Symetra Tour, Ladies National Golf Association in Florida, the Cactus Tour based out of Arizona.
However, the number of tours available for women are far less than the men’s side, which has about 30 “mini” tours for golfers to explore on their path to the PGA Tour.
“It has to start somewhere,” Berman said. “We want to use this as a platform for women moving forward. It’s all about creating opportunities.”
The tournament is collaborating with non-profit Generation W to help showcase some of the best up and coming female golfers in the world.
Generation W founder Donna Orender, who knows a thing or two about the realm of big-time athletics, having been the former president of the WNBA and vice and senior vice president of the PGA, was on hand during the media day forum and spoke about what it means for the future.
“The philosophy came about from our work around women and the game,” Orender said. “This feels like just one more extension of the value of women to the game (of golf) and the value of the game to and for women. All it takes to create real change is a passionate belief.”
She saw that passion in Berman, which is what made the partnership between the two entities such a natural fit.
“We’re not off to the side, we’re vital and vibrant contributors (in the community) from the time we are young girls to the time we are grown women,” Orender said. “That is in the precepts and concepts of what this whole tournament is about.”
As part of the tournament festivities, Generation W will be hosting a Links to Leadership Summit on Friday Oct. 29 beginning at 1 p.m.
The summit will feature an array of esteemed female speakers who have found success in multiple avenues.
“It will be energizing, informative and inspirational,” Orender said.
PXG is the title sponsor of the event and Vice President of Brand Communications and Engagement Leela Brennan was on hand to make sure the message is clear.
“The idea of inclusivity is part of the core value at PXG and this is a wonderful opportunity to articulate that,” Brennan said. “We don’t make golf clubs for men, and we don’t make golf clubs for women…. we make golf clubs for golfers.”
