By Amy Rogers
LOS ANGELES – Walter Wang wasn’t sure what came over him, but he suddenly realized that it was time for him to make a change.
During the third round of the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, Wang, the CEO of JM Eagle – the world’s largest manufacturer of plastic pipe and based in Los Angeles – made his annual visit to Golf Channel’s television booth during the telecast where he was expected to answer a few questions from play-by-play host, Grant Boone, and reflect on his company’s involvement with the LPGA.
That’s when Wang decided to shock players, tournament staff, and television viewers alike with a surprise announcement.
Live on national television, Wang revealed that JM Eagle was increasing the purse of the tournament by $1 million, effective immediately. It was a staggering boost that lifted the tournament’s total purse to $4.75 million, and once again, made it the largest purse on the LPGA Tour outside the major championships and the Tour Championship.
“I was quite shocked because when I walked back to the hospitality tent suite, everybody was clapping and everybody was excited,” Wang said about the reaction he received to his announcement. “Everybody was clapping and gave me some encouragement.”
Not everyone was in the dark when it came to Wang’s news. The CEO says that he did his due diligence to make sure that raising the tournament’s purse at the last minute was feasible. Wang says he reached out to Craig Kessler, the LPGA Tour Commissioner, to ensure that he wasn’t breaking any of the organization’s rules. Wang says it took just five minutes for the Commissioner to get back to him with a thumbs up to go ahead.
News of the purse hike broke while play was already underway during the third round of the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, so players only learned of the increase after they finished their round. The prevailing reaction? Gratitude.
“Amazing news for all us players,” said Hannah Green, a three-time winner of the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro. “They’ve definitely been the trendsetter for other events on Tour. I’m not surprised that Walter announced that today.”
And for those like Green, who have followed what Walter and his wife Shirley have done to elevate the LPGA Tour, they weren’t entirely surprised by Walter’s decision either, because this wasn’t the first time that the husband and wife duo had sent shockwaves through women’s golf.
In 2022, when Walter and his wife, Shirley, the CEO of Plastpro, took over title sponsorship of the LPGA Tour’s tournament in L.A., the duo immediately elevated the event’s status by doubling the tournament’s purse. That move sent a message of sorts to sponsors across the LPGA Tour that declared the Wangs’ commitment to providing a purse commensurate with the talent of the best golfers in the women’s game. Walter and Shirley also sought to ease the burden of travel expenses incurred by players by providing them with complimentary hotel accommodations along with gift cards. The Wangs’ message was clearly received by the other tournament sponsors, 11 of which followed the couple’s lead and raised their purses, too.
The latest increase by the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro has resulted in a ripple effect once more.
Since Wang’s announcement in April, four of the LPGA’s major championships have followed the CEO’s lead by raising the purses of the Chevron Championship, Amundi Evian Championship, the AIG Women’s Open and most recently, the U.S. Women’s Open.
“I wasn’t shocked or surprised,” Wang said about watching other companies follow his example. “I know that sometimes you just need a little bit of the push, somebody sort of leads the way a little bit. So that little bit of push makes a huge difference.”
That wasn’t the only way that Wang made a difference in players’ lives during tournament week. Tuesday’s ever-popular pro-am party once again garnered a major turnout, with players who were excited to have a chance to win a gift card to help defray their travel expenses. Wang said the highlight of the night came when he looked over at one player who had just won a $1,000 gift certificate that was wearing a huge smile across her face while shopping on Amazon before she had even left the party.
“All of us work so hard so we can do a little bit more for other people,” Wang said about his contributions to the LPGA Tour. “You become a good person by doing good, right? You become a good person because you have the heart to do so, but not for the reward, but the smile on people’s faces. I think that’s enough for me.”
