Watching women's golf might be the best bargain in sports | For The Win - For The Win

By: Luke Kerr-Dineen | July 9, 2015 11:13 am

LANCASTER, Pa. â€" Men’s professional golf events are undoubtedly fun, but if you’ve ever been to a women’s golf tournament, you’ll know that they’re probably best kept secret in sports. Why, you ask?

The players are super nice

At PGA Tour events, players have lots of rules. You can’t ask for autographs until after their rounds, you can’t talk to them, and it’s tough to get close to them. LPGA Tour players are far more laid back. I followed Lexi Thompson during her practice round on Wednesday and she was signing autographs and snapping selfies with fans all day. When somebody shouted “Good luck, Lydia!” to World No. 2 Lydia Ko on the first hole of her first round, she smiled politely and waved.

(Gene J. Puskar/AP)

It’s cheap

The 2015 U.S. Women’s Open is projected to smash attendance records â€" crowds are expected to reach over 20,000 â€" so tickets are in high demand. But even with that being the case, at any given point during the tournament people can just walk up and purchase an all-day ticket for $45. Practice round tickets went for $20, and you could watch golf all day in the sunshine with a two-day pass for about $70.

You can get front-row seats

Literally. Unlike some of bigger men’s events where all the best areas are roped off, you can pretty much get a prime spot at any given point during women’s tournaments.

It’s full of exciting young talent

Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko and Michelle Wie are three of the biggest names in women’s golf, and they’re all under the age of 25. And they’re surrounded by a host of other exciting prospects.

(Gene J. Puskar/AP)

The tour is growing

Purses, events, attention; women’s golf is an exciting place to be right now. The purse for this week’s U.S. Open is a record $4.5 million, up from $4 million last year

“It’s amazing to see the purse go up that much,” Brittany Lincicome said. “Women’s golf is going up, and it’s a great time to be a part of the Tour.”

It’s acutely tailored to fans

Thursday at the U.S. Open is a perfect example: The USGA paired World No. 2 and 3, Lydia Ko and Stacy Lewis, together for the first two rounds. Paula Creamer and Jessica Korda, two high-profile American players, are also playing together. The tee sheet is full of good pairings like these as a way of boosting fan interest.

It’s diverse

Players come from all over the world, from all ethnicities, to play in tournaments. There’s a strong contingent from a variety of countries in Asia, Europeans are well represented as are, of course, Americans.

(Frank Franklin II/AP)

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