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When the 2026 LPGA Tour schedule was released a few weeks ago, it felt like déjà vu. It was essentially a rerun of what has frustrated players for years: a packed 33-event season with crisscross travel across continents. Many players and insiders spoke out, calling it hectic. But now, for the first time in a while, Tour’s chief, Craig Kessler, has stepped forward to address the elephant in the room.

“Inside the ropes, we’re in the middle of an exercise now, perhaps similar to the PGA Tour, to define the optimal schedule for us. I think about, in addition to routing courses and purses, how we ensure our athletes have logical breaks throughout the season so that they can rest and recover. How do we create a schedule that builds drama as we head towards the end of the season so that fans tune in and can’t wait to find out, you know, who our CME tour champion will be at the end of each season? So we’re spending an enormous amount of time trying to define that optimal schedule…” Kessler stated on the 5 Clubs podcast when asked about his 3-5 year vision for the tour.

His vision? A calendar that doesn’t just deliver events and purses but also ensures players get enough breaks so they can rest and recover. But in recent times, and even the 2026 schedule screams something starkly different from what Kessler is talking about. There are 33 events with three majors in six weeks. That doesn’t give players any room to breathe. Some inside voices have been pointing this out for a while now.

For instance, former Tour pro Brittany Lincicome compared the travel schedules of the PGA Tour and the LPGA from a year ago and noticed a stark contrast. LPGA players move from one end of the continent to another. She wished that LPGA players could get to “drive everywhere” like on the PGA Tour, where events are closer. But she did highlight that implementing these changes involves the collective efforts of sponsors and organizers.

Even Jessica Korda’s take on this issue was pointed and personal. She recalled the endless flights she took between the East and the West Coast and between the U.S., Europe, and Asia when she played. In fact, earlier this year, she made remarks about players getting injured frequently because the hectic travel demands were eventually leading to fatigue.

But there are other issues with the scheduling as well.

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 LPGA Tour’s Schedule Conflicts with the PGA Tour

Scheduling challenges for the LPGA go beyond travel and fatigue. The LPGA often finds its events clashing with men’s tournaments, limiting visibility when players need it most. The 2025 U.S. Women’s Open, for instance, ran head-to-head with the PGA Tour’s Memorial in May. Even the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June coincided with the Travelers Championship, where only 45 of the top 50 male players competed. These overlaps make it nearly impossible for women’s majors to capture the spotlight they deserve.

Sure, broadcasters naturally prioritize the larger audience drawn by men’s events. But many argue that a little consideration could go a long way. This constant schedule overlap leaves women’s golf consistently overshadowed and shows how scheduling affects the golfers’ visibility.

The number and flow of events are one part of the problem, but the other part is ensuring most events get the media attention and fan engagement they deserve. Over time, the lack of consistent exposure can impact sponsorship opportunities, fan growth and become a catch-22 situation that the LPGA would never get out of.