Upward trend

Shirley and Walter Wang say their continued support of the JM Eagle LA Championship stems from their desire to promote a more equitable landscape for female golfers. Cris Hayes, Outlyr Last year, the LPGA Tour’s stop at Wilshire Country Club in Los Angeles received a significant boost under new title sponsor JM Eagle and presenting sponsor Plastpro. The L.A.-based companies doubled the tournament purse, becoming the first regular-season LPGA Tour event outside of the major championships and CME Group Tour Championship to be contested with a $3 million purse. Fellow LPGA Tour events took notice and have followed suit. Eleven non-major tournaments now feature purses of $3 million or more in 2024, up from just five in 2023. To continue the momentum this year, the husband-wife team of Walter and Shirley Wang – the respective CEOs of JM Eagle, which manufactures plastic pipe, and Plastpro, which produces fiberglass doors and millwork – announced Monday the purse for the 2024 JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, to be played Apri...