In the reboot of EA Sports PGA Tour, the LPGA will be ‘in the game.’
Electronic Arts and the LPGA announced a partnership that will include LPGA players and tournaments in the newest edition of EA Sports PGA Tour, which will be released in 2022.
The announcement came the day before the start of the Amundi Evian Championship, one of five LPGA majors, as the major will be a part of the game for the first time.
“We’re thrilled that the LPGA Tour is coming back to EA SPORTS PGA TOUR especially with the inclusion of a major global tournament like The Amundi Evian Championship,” Brian Carroll, the LPGA’s senior vice president of global media distribution said in a press release. “EA SPORTS has done a great job in continuing to expand female representation in the various modes throughout the game and featuring women’s golf in an authentic and modern way.”
The last time EA Sports produced a golf video game was in 2014 with Rory McIlroy PGA Tour, in which McIlroy was the first golfer other than Tiger Woods to appear solo on the game’s cover since 1998.
Although there was an LPGA player feature in the game’s last edition, this will be the first time that the Evian Championship will be featured, joining the four men’s majors.
Another first within the game will be Sky Sports and GOLFTV broadcaster Iona Stephen becoming the game’s first female on-course commentator.
“I’m incredibly excited that EA SPORTS PGA Tour laid out a vision to represent female athletes and the LPGA in the game,” Stephen said. “My goal in helping EA is to give women the satisfaction of playing a quality golf game while seeing themselves in a variety of ways that go beyond a handful of female character models.”
EA Sports is following the footsteps of their competitor 2K Sports, which announced that Candace Parker of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky will be the first woman on the cover of NBA 2K. The game has had a WNBA feature for two years.
Although the cover of EA Sports PGA Tour has yet to be released, the roster of LPGA players in the game is headlined by Jin Young Ko, the No. 1 female player in the world and the 2019 Evian Championship winner.
“I’m beyond excited to be included as one of the female golfers in EA SPORTS PGA Tour,” said Young Ko. “Women’s golf is growing so fast and having us included in this game is a great opportunity to reach fans all around the world. I can’t wait to see how it turns out – and I can’t wait to play the game!”