Reading time: 5 min
Key Takeaways
- Riviera delivers a rare showcase. The US Women’s Open is being held for the first time on one of America’s classic tracks, bringing weekend prime-time coverage on NBC.
- Value is the hidden ace. LPGA tickets remain under $30 a day—a deal that’s too well kept. Getting fans through the gate is the real challenge.
- Walking beats tech talk. Even a US Open champion questioning AI about his swing tells you everything about the modern game’s disconnect.
A Women’s Open at the Right Time
The USGA is bringing the US Women’s Open to Riviera Country Club for the first time, and I’ll say it plainly—this is the biggest week women’s golf has had all year. A $12 million purse, with $2.4 million for the winner, is no small thing. But the real story isn’t the check. It’s where they’re playing.
Riviera is a George C. Thomas masterpiece. It hosts the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational. It will host the 2028 Olympic golf tournaments and the 2031 US Open. That’s the kind of venue that pulls in the casual fan who’d never otherwise tune into the LPGA. And with the event on the West Coast, you get weekend prime time on NBC. I’ve played that shot a thousand times—timing matters, and this time the LPGA caught the window.
Why Venues Like Riviera Change the Game
Here’s the thing nobody talks about: women’s golf has been on the rise for years. Nelly Korda’s 2024 season was something special, and Jeeno Thitikul, Hannah Green, Lottie Woad, Charley Hull—these players deserve the same eyeballs the men get. But the LPGA hasn’t turned that excitement into fans through the gates. Attendance still lags the purse increases.
The new leadership has done well to get sponsors to bump purses by a million here and there. The players feel it. But you need more than prize money. You need people to show up. That’s where this week matters most. Riviera gives the LPGA a second crack at building a real audience.
The Simple Fix: Get Them Through the Gate
Look, I’ve been to LPGA events. Tickets can be had for under $30 a day. That’s bonkers value in a world where everything costs a fortune. But relatively few people know about it. Bobby Jones figured this out in 1928—people will watch if you give them a reason to come.
Make Fridays $15. Let kids putt on the 18th green after play ends. Have a beer stand on a funky par-3. Minor-league baseball lets kids run the bases. Golf can do the same. The key isn’t the product—it’s getting people through the turnstile. Once they see Nelly hit a 3-iron, they’ll come back for the golf.
On a Separate Ridiculous Note: Bryson and AI
I wanted to talk entirely about Riviera, but I can’t help myself. Bryson DeChambeau told reporters at LIV Golf Korea that he spent the night chatting with AI about his swing. Specifically, he asked it about alpha torque and gamma torque—whatever that means—because his club wasn’t turning over.
Let me say this clearly: I’ve played that shot a thousand times. If your club won’t turn over, relax your grip pressure. That’s not a tip—that’s a truth. Hogan figured that out in the ’50s. You don’t need a language model for it. But here we are, listening to a two-time US Open champion treat a chatbot like Moe Norman.
I’m not an AI guy. I called a pizza place the other day and the AI assistant got my order wrong. If it can’t handle “and sausage,” it’s not ready to fix a golf swing. Bryson has 56 LIV pros on site—half of them are former major winners. Ask one of them. That’s the real game.
Walk the Course, Not the Chat
This week at Riviera, the LPGA is giving us a reason to watch. I’m walking that course in my mind, feeling the breeze off the Pacific, knowing the poa annua greens will give some players fits. That’s what matters. The game doesn’t owe you anything—but it offers everything if you show up.
Playing golf since before GPS rangefinders existed. Eddie covers the classic game — courses, technique, and the stories worth keeping.