Walter and Shirley Wang Elevating Women's Sports, the LPGA Tour and Championing Continued LA Fire Rebuild Efforts Through the JM Eagle LA Championship
By Amy Rogers
Walter Wang has never been one to settle for the status quo. And he’s hopeful that commissioner Craig Kessler will take the same approach in leading the LPGA Tour.
Wang has brought bold change to the LPGA Tour since taking over title sponsorship of the organization’s Los Angeles Tour stop in 2023. Wang, the CEO of JM Eagle, immediately did the unexpected in doubling the tournament’s purse, offering thousands of dollars worth of prizes and gift cards to players attending the pro-am party to help offset their travel expenses, and by providing complimentary hotel accommodations to all tournament competitors. Walter’s actions, along with his wife, Shirley, the CEO of Plastpro, made other sponsors across the Tour take notice, as tournaments across the schedule began raising their purses and offering travel perks for players.
Kessler has been quick to recognize the value that sponsors like Walter and Shirley have brought to the LPGA Tour. Walter says that within three weeks of Kessler taking the helm that he had already made a trip to Los Angeles to meet with him, and he pushed the commissioner for continued change across the organization.
“We don’t want to stay a status quo symbol. I communicate that very clearly,” Wang recalls telling the commissioner. “I know you have a strong background in marketing and sales. Really push for that. Be bold. Do something unique and step out.”
Within months of taking the helm, Kessler announced upgrades to the tournament broadcast, an improved television viewing schedule that would see all rounds broadcast live for the first time, and an increased focus by the organization on promoting the Tour’s stars. Kessler wants more eyeballs on the Tour, which is something Wang has been clamoring for for years as he’s sought enhanced local news coverage of his tournament and to bring more spectators on-site.
Like Wang, Kessler has seen the early growth potential of the LPGA Tour and all signs point towards Wang finding a Robin to his Batman in Kessler’s appointment.
The daring attitude that Wang tried to impart on Kessler is the same one that helped earn the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro the distinction of being named Tournament of the Year, which currently ranks as one of the top-three most lucrative tournaments outside the major championships at $3.75 mil. But that’s not enough for Wang, who is a member at Riviera Country Club, and saw first hand what sort of growth could be possible for his tournament while attending the PGA Tour’s Genesis Invitational, where he was overwhelmed by the number of hospitality suites available.
“I really wish one day we could be just as big as the PGA,” Wang said wistfully.
That constant desire for growth has been the underlying propulsion that has fueled JM Eagle and Plastpro’s involvement with the Tour for the past four years as each season the Wangs look for new ways to use their tournament as a vehicle for change, not just within women’s sports, but also within the greater Los Angeles community.
For the second consecutive year, the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro will offer complimentary admission to residents affected by the Palisades and Eaton fires of 2025. El Caballero Country Club, which is hosting the tournament for the second season, is located in the San Fernando Valley where nearby residents are still very much in need of assistance in the rebuilding and healing process. Following a $6.5 mil donation last year to fire relief efforts, JM Eagle has pledged an additional $1 mil towards rebuilding the homes of five firefighters and their families in Altadena, Calif. who were also impacted by the fires.
“One step at a time, just like one shot at a time,” Wang said about helping the firefighters rebuild their homes, which he says is expected to take two to three years to complete. “It’s great to be able to hear that they can start over and have hope.”
That’s exactly what Wang brought to the LPGA Tour four years ago. Hope. As he sought to even the scales of inequality between what women and men were earning in professional golf and to offset some of the financial burden that the women carried in order to compete across the globe. That infusion of hope has spread across the Tour as other title sponsors have brought that same spirit of giving to their tournaments, making the lives of players a bit easier for them to travel and compete.
With just one year remaining on a five year contract with the LPGA Tour, Wang will soon have to consider what the future might look like for him and his company’s involvement with the organization. But Wang has plenty of reasons to be optimistic about a renewed partnership as he says he’s heard from Kessler some “good new ideas, new strategies,” for helping to move the LPGA forward.
“What has to change for us to be better? You need a lot of effort,” Wang said. “The LPGA has a lot of work to do, which is good and healthy and it has ample room to grow.”
Whatever Wang’s decision, he’s already left an indelible mark on the LPGA tour, setting it up for a strong future and far from the status quo.
