NORTON, Massachusetts – Once upon a time Massachusetts used to host world-class sporting events and fans would gush over the chance to attend, while bringing to the competition three major ingredients: enthusiasm, knowledge and fun attitude.
Apparently, that observation might only apply to the four major New England sports: football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
When Rhode Island-based mutual property insurance company FM (Factory Mutual Global) stepped up to sign a five-year deal with the LPGA, the stage was set for world-class professional golf to be played back in New England, preferably at TPC Boston, the host of 17 PGA Tour events from 2003 – 2020.
FM committed tournament purses valued at the highest on the LPGA Tour outside the majors. Last year the purse totaled $3.8 million; this year’s value is $4.1 million and the promised purse for 2028 is $5 million. The 2025 LPGA Tour season offers a record-breaking total purse of over $131 million spread across 35 official events.
Not only did FM commit to huge prize purses, they do what no other professional golf tournament does or ever dreamed of doing. Here are the perks for the players (1) $615,000 first-place check (2) free hotel accommodations for the week (3) free meals all week (4) travel covered for those 70 players and ties who make the cut (5) free BMW for the week for top 30 ranked players (6) a $1,000 stipend to those players who miss the cut.
What’s the agenda for 2026?
Obviously, if you qualify as a member of the LPGA Tour, you will play this event, one of 35 on the LPGA global calendar.
But the reception from New England golf fans has been cool. Also, corporate partnerships are lacking and have not shown up to support the event. The Round 3 turnout was encouraging with Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson and Megan Khang drawing the most fan interest. Championship Sunday turnout was noticeably smaller than Saturday, although bigger than last year.
One of the most impressive and talked about features on Saturday was the extended interview with LPGA Hall of Famer Pat Bradley by The Golf Channel. She was in the booth as guest and commentator and Bradley once-again created compelling, must-watch Bay State golf history, without hitting a shot. Her personality and charisma radiates where ever she goes. https://www.facebook.com/LPGA/videos/pat-bradley-feature/1970477097100118/
Currently, there is no official announcement that the FM Championship will return to TPC Boston over Labor Day in 2026. The powers-that-be are exploring other golf markets and FM sent a statement for this story.
“What an amazing week at the FM Championship, which again delivered four thrilling days of golf,” states Rob Julavits, Vice President of Strategic Communications. “Congratulations to Miranda Wang on her incredible performance. We would like to thank the LPGA Tour and TPC Boston for their support and partnership in providing a world-class experience for athletes and fans. We can’t wait for next year!”
NAMES
Of the 144-player field competing in the 2025 FM Championship, only 38 were based from the United States. Of those 38, the most recognizable were Lexi Thomson, Nelly Korda and Megan Khang. Even though Jeena Thitikal holds No. 1 rank, and was in the hunt finishing second, she is virtually unknown by golf patrons in these parts. The winner, Miranda Wang, from the People’s Republic of China, has never played golf in New England before this week.
The LPGA Tour lacks star-power from women professionals based in the United States. The LPGA has evolved into a global tour far from the glory days from 1980 – 1997 when Jan Stephenson, Cindy Rarick, Pat Bradley, Nancy Lopez, Jane Blalock, et al showed up annually to play in front of huge, enthusiastic crowds at Ferncroft Country Club in the Boston Five Classic.
Those well-known, talented U.S. females were pacesetters at the time, but unfortunately today, the U.S. is not producing world class players. Even established golf media cannot identify some of the names in the field at LPGA events.
During Friday’s mid-day Round 2 rain delay, a check of the scoreboard showed 16 players listed before the first American name of Lauren Coughlin. It’s good that Korda, Thompson and Khang made the cut.
SLOW PLAY
Two things I always do at professional golf tournaments, which spans 30 years, is go the range to watch how players practice and I walk around the course. At TPC Boston I am particularly fond of hole Nos. 16, 17 and 18.
During Round 3 at FM Championship several players were put on the clock for slow play. Saturday was a long day for all players and fans with Round 2 starting at 7:30 a.m. and ending at 11:30 am due to rain delay from prior day.
Round 3 started at 11:30 a.m. in threesomes off both Holes No. 1 and 10. Thankfully, play was completed by 7:30 p.m.
Championship Sunday pairings featured twosomes starting at 7:50 a.m. and the leaders Miranda Wang and Rose Zhang teeing off at 1:50 p.m. to accommodate prime time TV coverage on The Golf Channel.
If I didn’t see this with my own eyes I would not have believed it. A player named Aditi Ashok from Banglore, India hit a drive and second shot on the par 5 18th leaving about 140 yards for her third. I was about 30 yards away so this is first-hand testimony of what I witnessed.
Aditi Ashok had a conversation with her caddy. Then she pulled out her notebook. Then she pulled out a club & took a few practice swings. Then she got over the ball and backed away. She started another conversation with her caddy. The she pulled out her notebook. Then she took a few practice swings and again backed off the ball. WTH? Then she looked up at tall pine trees to right of 18th fairway to gage wind direction. Then more practice swings.
After at least nine minutes, an eternity over the golf ball, Aditi Ashok hit her third shot and air-mailed the 18th green landing over and rolling up against the corporate chalet of FM. Fans in the area began grumbling in unison about her slow play.
Simply UNBELIEAVABLE. Both the LPGA & PGA Tour has a problem dealing with slow play and the field should be limited to 100 players.
PERSONALITY
In all my years of writing, witnessing and gabbing about golf in these parts I have concluded that even in the heyday of golf stardom at TPC Boston, many New England golfers are finicky and prefer to stay home and watch the action on TV. Even when Tiger, Phil and Vijay, who were ranked Nos. 1/2/3 in the world at the time were paired together in the mid-2000s rocking the fairways & greens at TPC, the place was not busting at the seams with fans. It was interesting to watch TPC empty out after the threesome completed 18 holes.
I have lost count of the number of times someone has told me they would rather play their own private course or Muni than travel down the highway to watch live world-class professional golfers over Labor Day weekend. Something I will never understand, but to each their own. Must be a New England “thing.”
Let’s just say during competition you don’t see many fist pumps on the LPGA Tour or many players with happy, smiling faces. If it’s entertainment you want, you won’t find it at an LPGA tournament featuring emotionless International players. Can the LPGA at least pipe in some music like they do at LIV Golf to create a pleasant, upbeat atmosphere?
MAURA HEALEY
In the last two years, TPC Boston, located close to the heart of the Bay State has hosted two major international golf tournaments featuring 144 prominent professional golfers representing nearly 30 countries. In any other state the Governor would play a noticeable role in assisting with promotion & success of the sporting event.
Not in Massachusetts. Here, you have a feeble Governor with weak personality traits & questionable business skills. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey couldn’t be bothered to get involved or even delegate the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism to do their job. Just shoddy behavior and bad vibes from the top elected official in the Commonwealth.
This is a complete and total failure on the part of Healey to not take advantage of a unique opportunity to promote the Bay State. By the way, The Golf Channel provided over 10 hours of live coverage on the weekend, including extended coverage on Saturday and repeated in late evening. There was barely any sports competition to watch on TV on the weekend.
Healey exemplifies perfectly why outside of Massachusetts, there’s an expression used to describe, ornery, crabby and uncooperative citizens: MassHoles.
VOLUNTEERS
The most valuable players in the success of every major golf tournament is the volunteers doing their job inside and outside the ropes for the entire four-day 72-hole competition. This was accomplished by FM providing over 200 employees to volunteer. They showed up and performed with exceptional graciousness, courtesy and good-humor despite a long rain delay early in Round 2 and many putting in 12-hour days during Round 3. Kudos to all the volunteers who showed up when asked and did what they were asked to do, but they were short-staffed all week.
If FM Championship returns in 2026, FM Global, which spent millions above and beyond the tournament purse entertaining local, national and international clients, should consider a music show or concert of some kind. Since the former Great Woods concert area, now known as Xfinity, sits empty all week, perhaps a major music show would entice a broader audience. A friend who attended Saturday and watched the telecast Sunday described the event as lacking “energy” as soon as The Golf Channel began coverage at 3 p.m.
The obstacles for the PM Championship returning to TPC Boston in 2026 are obvious. New England golf fans hope they can be overhauled, refurbished or fixed.
