LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler has apologized to his membership following the controversial cancellation of Sunday’s final round of the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
With sub-freezing temperatures rolling through the Orlando, Florida, area last weekend, the LPGA decided around lunchtime Sunday to shorten the event to 54 holes, citing lack of an “optimal competitive environment.” However, the organization drew heavy criticism for incomplete and inconsistent messaging, failing to specify what exactly kept the LPGA pros from competing while celebrities were allowed to play nine holes and why a Monday finish wouldn’t have been possible with improving weather conditions forecasted.
“I don’t know why they’re not playing,” said Annika Sorenstam, a celebrity competitor and longtime member of Lake Nona Golf and Country, which was forced to clarify the LPGA’s initial cancellation statement: “Course conditions are not impacting play; weather conditions are the determining factor for competitive play to resume.”
The LPGA sent out another statement Sunday evening, saying “the combination of cold temperatures, wind, shaded areas and, in some cases, hardened ground made it increasingly difficult to ensure fair and consistent playing conditions.” Yet, eight players were sent out around 2 p.m. Sunday to finish their third rounds, and the tour still did not explain its inability to extend the tournament into another day, especially considering the LPGA’s next event doesn’t start until Feb. 19.
While all this unfolded, the LPGA compounded the issue by not making leadership available to reporters on site on Sunday, outside of a brief interview of Ricki Lasky, the LPGA’s chief tour business and operations officer, on the NBC Sports telecast.
In a memo sent to players, Kessler took full responsibility for the debacle.
“I made the decision to limit the event to 54 holes, worried that our athletes might be injured given the way record overnight low temperatures hardened the course,” Kessler wrote. “While the decision was a tough one and ran counter to prior statements we shared, I made a judgement call. With the benefit of hindsight, there were clearly other ways we should have managed the situation. I recognize this decision, and others we made in real time, were confusing and disappointing to our fans. And our communication around the decision wasn’t clear or timely enough. Your frustration is valid – I own that, and I’m sorry.”
Kessler noted two areas of improvement:
• Establishing clearer principles for play decisions in challenging situations, including strengthening weekly contingency planning.
• Communicating faster, more clearly, and with better real-time information.
He also told Golfweek that the LPGA was not prepared for a Monday finish, which it hasn’t had since 2020.
“We were not prepared fully for Monday,” Kessler said. “In hindsight, if we can do it over again, there are a number of creative solutions that absolutely could have worked. We should have explored those and been more prepared. We weren’t.”
Here is the full memo:
LPGA Athletes,
When I joined the LPGA last July, I said trust would be our highest priority – with all of you, partners, fans, staff and media. This weekend at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, that trust was tested.
I made the decision to limit the event to 54 holes, worried that our athletes might be injured given the way record overnight low temperatures hardened the course. While the decision was a tough one and ran counter to prior statements we shared, I made a judgement call. With the benefit of hindsight, there were clearly other ways we should have managed the situation.
I recognize this decision, and others we made in real time, were confusing and disappointing to our fans. And our communication around the decision wasn’t clear or timely enough. Your frustration is valid – I own that, and I’m sorry. We are already taking steps to improve:
Establishing clearer principles for play decisions in challenging situations, including strengthening weekly contingency planning
Communicating faster, more clearly, and with better real-time information.
Our thanks to the staff at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club who did great work to make sure the course was prepared and our partners at Hilton Grand Vacations who pulled out all the stops to celebrate great golf with their guests.
This is a special Tour with an incredible future ahead. We won’t be perfect, but we will be accountable, learn quickly, and keep earning your trust.
Respectfully,
Craig Kessler, LPGA Commissioner