Chijioke Nwuga’s Post

Love seeing the power of women making positive change. Brands continue to lead the way helping us move the needle for women's sports. The partnership between the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and Chevron is a perfect example of how brands are not just endorsing women's sports but actively driving positive change Women's sports is good business. #womenssports #womensportsbiz #sportsbusiness

Should be a fascinating discussion.

Women are shaping the future of golf—and the numbers prove it. 🏌️♀️ Last Week, I had the incredible opportunity to speak on a panel at Erin Hills Golf Course, addressing Wisconsin Golf Owners Association about the growing influence of women in golf. As a marketer and lifelong supporter of growing the game, I believe this: golf’s greatest current growth opportunity lies in welcoming more women to the fairways. Here’s why this demographic matters so much: 👉 Participation is skyrocketing Between 2020 and 2022, over 800,000 women took up golf in the U.S., raising the total to 6.4 million female golfers—a growth rate far outpacing that of male golfers (National Golf Foundation). 👉 The untapped potential is huge Over 7 million women are classified as “very interested” in trying traditional golf. That’s 35% of latent demand waiting for courses to create inviting and accessible programs. 👉 Spending power matters Women account for close to 20% of the $5.59 billion golf market. Between 2014 and 2021, their spending on golf goods surged 66% (Golf Datatech). Golf courses that cater to their needs—from apparel to experiences—stand to gain significantly. 👉 Representation inspires growth With more women excelling in the sport and leading in the industry, the game is becoming more inclusive. Creating spaces where women feel welcome and valued is essential to sustaining this momentum. 👉 It’s about community Women are drawn to golf not just for the game but for its social and wellness benefits. Golf courses that embrace these aspects will continue to attract this demographic. As we look ahead to the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills, it’s clear why Erin Hills is the perfect venue. A world-class destination for fans and players alike, Erin Hills blends championship-level play with unmatched beauty and hospitality. Having hosted prestigious tournaments like the 2017 U.S. Open, it offers a spectacular stage to celebrate the best in women’s golf and inspire the next generation of players. Honored to share the conversation with: Anne Krug Andrea Schoephoerster Kris Schoonover Brooke Napiwocki, CFP®, MBA How do you think the golf industry can better engage and welcome women to the game? Share your thoughts below! 👇 #WomenInGolf #ErinHills #USWomensOpen

''Women are still underrepresented on the coaching and refereeing side. For example only five sports (tennis, triathlon, canoeing, sailing, and hockey) have achieved gender parity in their judges. ''The Long Road to Olympic Equality For the first time ever, an Olympic Games has achieved gender equality. Half of all competing athletes at Paris 2024 are women. But how did we get here? This chart, via Visual Capitalist's Pallavi Rao, tracks the share of male and female athletes participating through the Olympic Games over the years. Paris 2024’s achievement comes more than a century after women were first allowed to participate in the games, as it happens, in Paris 1900.Back then, only 22 women took part in five sports: tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrian, and golf. They represented roughly 2% of the entire competition. Hélène de Pourtalès, a sailor representing Switzerland, became the first woman Olympic champion. Since then women’s participation has ticked up slowly. It took until halfway through the 20th century to reach 10%, and then another three decades to cross 20%. However, in the last four decades especially, the IOC has made a concerted effort to boost women’s participation. In 1976 for example, women were allowed to compete in three new sports: basketball, handball, and rowing. And then in 1991, the IOC mandated that new sports introduced to the Games had to have at least one event for women. Aside from opening up eligibilities, the IOC also set quotas for National Olympic Committees to meet, and created mixed-gender events. Beyond just the competition however, women are still underrepresented on the coaching and refereeing side. For example only five sports (tennis, triathlon, canoeing, sailing, and hockey) have achieved gender parity in their judges. https://lnkd.in/dd8G22e6

The WSJ has been publishing some great material on subjects very top-of-mind to Pirdie lately. 1. The changing/widening demographic of golfers is certainly something we get VERY excited about. Not just more golfers, but more females, younger athletes taking up the sport, people golfing in different formats and on their terms. This isn't a hobby for retirees anymore! Ultimately, all of these are signs of the sport becoming more approachable. 2. The focus on growing the sport for women. If women want to golf, they should. But, the WSJ also sheds light on the tangible benefits of golfing as part of a women's professional growth (as well as the potential deficits of not golfing). 3. Golf fashion. It's no longer an idea and an intuition we had, it's a real thing and Pirdie is on the train! Check out the articles below: https://lnkd.in/eDJ-QG-M https://lnkd.in/gDHxUarq https://lnkd.in/gm_QrcSh

Excited to share three BIG announcements today for the 776 Invitational, my new track event with 2x Olympic medalist Gabrielle Thomas that's bringing the fastest women together in the world to compete 💪 First, let's talk about the races we'll be hosting 🏃♀️ We're starting with six races – the 100, 200, 400, 800, and 1500 meters, plus the 100-meter hurdles – with six world-class women athletes competing in each. Next up, cash 💰 We're offering $$$ to *all* participants, ensuring that we're financially supporting athletes regardless of when they finish. Here's the full breakdown: 1st Place → $60k 2nd Place → $25k 2nd Place → $10k 4th Place → $8k 5th Place → $5k 6th Place → $2.5k Finally, let's talk returns 🤝 In addition to those cash prizes, we're also committed to reinvesting in athletes with a 10% giveback. What does that look like? 10% of all revenues (ticketing, commercial, broadcast) will be pooled & given *back* to participating athletes. Aligning what's good for our event with what's good for our athletes feels like a no-brainer. Lots more fun updates to share soon... as I always say, this is just the starting line 💪 Learn more about today's announcements via Front Office Sports ↓ https://lnkd.in/e5ukJeV8 Sign up for our mailing list for the latest updates ↓ https://lnkd.in/dRX-uitM

We need to hear from all female triathletes! SheRaces and Fund Her Tri UK need your help! https://lnkd.in/eq-Zx-q8 We need your help to fully understand the considerations on how to make Triathlon a more gender-inclusive sport so we can create guidelines to support every triathlon and welcome all female athletes. Our research stats from surveys are great for getting attention. Our original finding that almost 90% of women would be more likely to enter races that committed to inclusivity got race directors thinking 💰 But we find it is your race stories that provide the real insight. They help us drive change with races by explaining how issues have affected athletes.  WHY we didn’t sign up for a triathlon, or WHY we felt uncomfortable on the start line. What it was that gave us a less-than-perfect race experience or made us feel less valued. We also want to hear what races have done well – what has made a positive difference so we can help other races do the same. Every response is valuable and we need to hear views of a diverse range of athletes – from novice to experienced, of all ages, abilities, ethnicities, backgrounds and preferred triathlon distances.  Please support us by sharing with any clubs you are part of and nudging any triathletes you know.

Female Strong’s Golf Outing is fast approaching! We are seeking sponsorships for our 3rd annual outing, which will be held at Ravinia Green Country Club on May 20th. In the spirit of #WomensHistoryMonth, we’d also like to share important findings by women-owned golf apparel company KINONA around the gender bias in the sport on various levels: - In a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. adults over the age of 18, 58% of respondents recognized gender discrimination in golf, and 1 in 3 respondents had seen or experienced gender bias firsthand - 30% of official Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour events were broadcast in 2022 compared to 78% of PGA TOUR Events - 67% of respondents believe women are judged more on appearance than male golfers It’s clear that there is tons of improvement that needs to be made in order to reduce the bias and barriers women in golf face, and we know that one of the greatest ways to do that is by getting more women in the sport! Whether you’re new to golf, an advanced player, or just a Female Strong supporter, you belong on the course. Join us on May 20! View sponsorship opportunities and more information around this year’s outing here: https://lnkd.in/g3pWz--q Source: https://lnkd.in/gjCY3jQv

Join me and the BAFTSS Performance & Stardom SIG for our latest event, an online roundtable on the topic “Sporting Celebrity” on Wednesday, 11th December 2024 at 5:00-6:30pm (GMT)/12:00-1:30pm (EST).   2024 has been a remarkable year for sports, featuring big international events such as the Men’s UEFA Euros 2024, which saw Spain take the win, and the Paris Olympics and Paralympics during the summer. At the Olympics, GOATs like gymnast Simone Biles have had a triumphal comeback, others such as diver Tom Daley have announced their retirement, and returning stars like swimmer Katie Ledecky and pole vaulter Mondo Duplantis have broken their own records. A similar success has marked the Paralympics, which saw the first ever medal for the Refugee Team with tae kwon do athlete Zakia Khudadadi’s bronze, 7-months pregnant archer Jodie Grinham go for bronze, and the highest ever number of women representatives. However, these events have been also mired in controversies, from the infamous breakdancing competition featuring Australian breaker (and academic) Rachel Gunn to the backlash over the gender identity and bodies of boxers Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-ting.   As sportspeople increasingly claim the spotlight and the status of celebrity, either for their professional achievements or their public persona beyond the competition (e.g., American football player Travis Kelce), issues regarding their stardom and performance come to the forefront. Taking the past summer of sports as a springboard for discussion, the online roundtable will examine issues such as the performance and labour required from sports celebrities, on the field and beyond; gender, race, ability and embodied performance; structural inequalities in sports; and negotiating authenticity in sport performances and media (self-) presentation, among the others.   We have invited a panel of experts who will be in conversation on the topic, including Dr Thomas Alcott (Aberystwyth University), Dr Courtney M. Cox (University of Oregon), and Professor P. David Howe (Western University). If you'd like to attend the roundtable, please get in touch for the Zoom link. Hope to see many of you there!

ALL ABOUT WOMEN'S GOLF! We are looking for companies, designers, creators, manufacturers and distributors in the golf industry who want to promote their products to thousands of women who play golf. According to the National Golf Foundation, from 2020 to 2022, more than 800,000 women in America took up the sport, bringing the total to 6.4 million female golfers. While the number of female golfers rose about 15 percent, the male golf pool increased by just 2 percent during that same time frame. In 2019-2020, the number of women golfers was 22% of the industry players, and in 2021, that number rose to 25% and today has reached almost 33%. Between 2014 and 2021, female golfers' spending on golf goods surged by more than 66%. Experts say the numbers are considerably higher now with no signs of slowing. Young girls are learning to play at increasing rates, while women in their 50s and 60s are taking up the game for the first time. My goal is to continue growing the game for women with the LPGA Amateur Golf Association—Myrtle Beach. My greater goal is to connect with creators, designers, manufacturers and distributors of equipment, apparel, and accessories to promote your products to thousands of women golfers who live and play in the Myrtle Beach area and the millions of women who visit. Myrtle Beach is the golf capital of the world, with 17.6 million visitors in 2023. As per the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, visitors spent $10.1 billion on retail trade, and of that, $59.6 million was spent playing golf. I am working on a project that will bring women from all over the U.S. together and captivate them with all the good things in golf. I would love to connect with you to grow my database and present this project to you when all the details are in place. I look forward to learning more about you. PGA Golf Shows, #inviteHER, WomensGolf.com, GolfCourses