Each summer, 156 of the world’s best female golfers gather to compete in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, one of five major championships on the LPGA Tour program.
Formerly known as the LPGA Championship, this long-running championship dates back to 1955 and is steeped in history. Past champions include LPGA founders Marlene Hagge and Louise Suggs, as well as some of the game’s greatest players in Kathy Whitworth, Nancy Lopez and Annika Sörenstam.
Like these pioneers who took the competition to new heights, KPMG became the lightning rod for increased exposure, financial compensation and leadership opportunities when it became the official Title Partner of the tournament in 2015.
In honor of the tournament’s 10th anniversary this week, here’s a look back at some of the highlights from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship:
Making a Statement
In partnership with KPMG, the PGA of America, the LPGA and NBC, the first-of-its-kind major championship officially launched in 2015 and immediately took the golfing world by storm.
First, the purse was drastically increased from $2.25 million to $3.5 million. That commitment to investing in players ultimately proved to be the catalyst for seven other LPGA tournaments to increase their purses that year as well.
In an effort to bring the LPGA Tour to major-caliber courses in top markets, the 2015 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship was held at Westchester Country Club in New York. The private club had hosted over 40 PGA TOUR events prior to hosting the LPGA major.
With the venue and wallet in place, KPMG helped facilitate increased coverage of the event. In addition to the Golf Channel coverage, the tournament received six hours of exclusive network television coverage on NBC.
KPMG’s influence also extended off the course as the US audit, tax and advisory firm hosted its first KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit during the week of the tournament. The summit gave emerging leaders from various fields the opportunity to network and learn from established industry leaders such as former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice and LPGA Tour star and KPMG brand ambassador Stacy Lewis.
Given all the ways in which KPMG had elevated this major league, it was only fitting that the competition produced a historic victory. LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park won by five strokes at 19-under-par to become just the second player after Annika Sörenstam to accomplish the feat of winning the major three years in a row.
Pedigree Championship
Following the success of the 2015 edition of the tournament, KPMG continued to raise the bar over the next nine years of competition.
The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has taken place at iconic venues including Olympia Field Country Club (2017), Hazeltine National Golf Club (2019), Congressional Country Club (2022) and Baltusrol Golf Club (2023). These venues alone have combined for 14 US Opens, seven PGA Championships, four women’s US Opens and one Ryder Cup.
These historic courses require players to be at the top of their game, and the champions have certainly lived up to that bill. Notable winners include Brooke Henderson (2016), Danielle Kang (2017) and current world No. 1 Nelly Korda (2021).
There are many luxuries that come with being a champion, but KPMG has made it a point to provide all players with a world-class experience year after year. For example, in 2019, the tournament ensured that every player in the field received a Cadillac courtesy car to drive throughout the week. KPMG took things a step further in 2020, becoming the first title sponsor to cover entry fees for all players. Then, in 2021, she launched the KPMG Performance Insights Program, which changed the way players, players, coaches, media and fans experience women’s golf by providing access to advanced statistics and critical insights for all stakeholders so that they can evaluate the performance of the players. The program was enhanced in 2022 with the addition of Strokes Gained and a Player Dashboard.
Escalating the Summit
As an industry leader in professional services, KPMG has remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting women in workplaces and boardrooms around the world.
At the annual KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit, leading women in business, politics and sports share their expertise with female leaders aspiring to reach the C-suite. Past speakers have included the likes of former PGA of America President Suzy Whaley. VP of Fitness Programming and Lead Trainer at Peloton, Robin Arzón. and four-time Olympic beach volleyball champion Kerri Walsh Jennings. KPMG women leaders also have the opportunity to share their knowledge with attendees.
In addition to the speakers, the KPMG Inspire Greatness Award is presented annually to an industry visionary who has demonstrated a personal commitment to the community to empower future generations of women and who recognizes golf as a tool for developing relationships. Past honorees include filmmaker Patty Jenkins, award-winning journalist Robin Roberts and retired US Navy Admiral Michelle Howard.
To further support this next generation of business leaders, KPMG launched the Future Leaders Program in 2016. Funded by proceeds from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit, the KPMG Future Leaders Program annually awards 22 deserving female students high school students the opportunity to enhance their personal growth throughout their college experience with annual scholarships, ongoing development and support, coaching and introduction to golf.
Finally, in 2019, KPMG launched the Women’s Leadership Summit Study platform, which explores a new theme each year. The first study, Advancing the Future of Women in Business: A KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit Report, revealed that 81% of female leaders believe that women need to be more adaptable than men in order to lead successfully and advance their careers. Coverage of the report was featured on Forbes, TODAY and CNBC.
A Lasting Legacy
Since KPMG signed on to the major league in 2015, the tournament’s purse has grown by 360%. KPMG’s concerted effort to increase its tournament purse was also a major driver of the tour’s overall purse increase of 109% over that period.
Not only did players have the opportunity to compete for more money, but they had the opportunity to do so in front of more viewers. Since 2015, there has been a 73% increase in total hours of live television coverage and streaming across NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship broke new ground in 2023 when it became NBC’s most-streamed women’s golf event and delivered the most live championship coverage in history with 26 total hours. This year, fans will have the opportunity to watch more than 26 hours of coverage.
Along the way, KPMG has used its expertise to nurture a new generation of female business leaders. Over 2,500 emerging leaders have attended the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit since the first event in 2015. Of those participants, 69% have been promoted since the program’s inception, with 38% moving on to the C-suite. Additionally, $6.2 million in scholarships have been awarded to a total of 188 Future Leader recipients since 2016.
Looking back over 10 years of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, it is evident how much of an impact this tournament has had on both women’s golf and the corporate landscape. With the latest edition of the tournament taking place this week, it’s only a matter of time before KPMG changes the game again.