The LPGA Tour season kicks off today, launching a year which will see the world's best female golfers compete for US$75 million in prize money.
Sisters Ariya, left, and Moriya Jutanugarn during an event in Bangkok last month.
The 2020 season begins at the Tournament of Champions at the Four Seasons Club in Orlando, which features 26 LPGA champions from 2018-2019 along with 49 celebrities and amateurs.
Three Thais are in the field -- sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn and Jasmine (Thidapa) Suwannapura.
Ariya, Thailand's highest-ranked player at No.12, had an unconvincing spell last year as she failed to win a single title.
But the former world No.1 said winning is not everything.
"Success is not all about winning tournaments, becoming the world No.1 or earning a lot of money," Ariya said recently.
"My passion for golf is definitely still burning. I'll still try my best this year but won't put too much pressure on myself. I want to play golf happily."
Other players in the field this week include 19-time LPGA Tour winner Park In-Bee and six top-10 players -- No.3 Nelly Korda, No.4 Danielle Kang, No.5 Kim Sei-Young, No.6 Nasa Hataoka, No.8 Brooke Henderson and No.10 Lexi Thompson.
Meanwhile, the LPGA purses -- an average of more than $2 million per event over the 33 official money tournaments -- are nothing to scoff at, even if they are not comparable to the men.
Total prize money on the PGA Tour will be more than $400 million, including bonus money for the season-long FedEx Cup points race.
LPGA commissioner Mike Whan has long been sanguine about the disparity, which he said reflects the higher television ratings for men's golf in the US.
And LPGA player Pernilla Lindberg, the 2018 ANA Inspiration champion, said the women's circuit nevertheless can only focus on their own product.
"We can only focus on what we're doing and we're increasing our purses but as we're increasing them, the guys are still running away from us," said Lindberg, a member of the LPGA player board.
"We're doing our part trying to catch up but they're moving further ahead which in one way is sad but I'm happy with the purses we [have] and we're for sure going in the right direction.
"It is such a good time to be part of the women's game. It's going to be my 11th year on the LPGA Tour and I feel each and every year it's getting better." bangkok post/reuters