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Hally Leadbetter is taking advantage of the rapid growth of golf.
The daughter of the famous swing coach David Leadbetter, Hally knew that her passion for the sport didn’t quite match her father’s route into it.
“My parents were very much like, ‘Listen, you pursue what makes you happy and what you’re passionate about.’ And I think for a long time, because my dad’s in golf, he set an example for me of what it looks like to be really passionate about your job,” Leadbetter told FOX Business in a recent interview. “And so for me, it was, ‘OK, well, what is that for me?’
“And I realized as I pursued golf professionally, played in college, played after school for a little bit, I was like, ‘I don’t have that love that my dad has for golf instruction for this. I really do love golf, but I don’t think it’s this part of golf.’
But being an entertainment and social content aficionado, she knew she wanted to attract a golf audience in some form.
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Hally Leadbetter swings during the final round of the American Century Celebrity Championship golf tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course in Stateline, Nevada, Sunday, July 14, 2024. (Tom R. Smedes/Special to RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK / IMAGN)
“That’s ultimately what led me to getting into the media side of things, because I love entertainment,” she said. “That’s why I moved out to Los Angeles, and I figured if I could combine my knowledge of the game and my love of the game with my passion for entertainment and entertaining, that could kind of be my magic combo, if you will. And it’s been awesome. It’s been really cool to, I guess, find my niche, if you will.”
Leadbetter’s content is a stark contrast to, say, Paige Spiranac’s, and she has a smaller following than Spiranac and other similar personalities.
But Leadbetter believes any woman trying to get into influencing the sport of golf should find out what they are comfortable doing.
“I’ve talked to a lot of young girls about this like ‘What is your end game?'” Leadbetter said. “If you are looking for a bunch of followers, and you want some brand deals that are coming through followers, and you’re mostly going to have a male following and are looking to show yourself off physically, by all means go for it. But if you’re trying to be a golf broadcaster, I might not recommend that, because people are going to put you in a box. It’s about what are your ultimate goals with social media…
“Absolutely no shade or no issue with anybody finding their direction. As long as it feels authentic and you feel good about it and you feel like it’s gonna help you get to where you want to go, then you need to go that path.”
Leadbetter said her content strategy is to “connect with people and help change the perception of golf and make it more welcoming to women.” In order to do that, she is launching a hidden-camera prank show titled “Fore Real” on YouTube, beginning Aug. 26.
Hally Leadbetter reacts on the first tee during the final round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions 2025 at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club on February 2, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images / Getty Images)
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In each episode, Leadbetter sets the tone for the prank-filled episode ahead, identifying targets and setting up hilarious hijinks designed to push the boundaries of believability.
“‘Fore Real’ is everything I love about golf, but flipped on its said,” Leadbetter said. “It’s about fun, surprise, and not taking ourselves too seriously. We created this show to celebrate the culture of the game and the people who make it great with a few wild twists along the way. I think golfers and non-golfers alike are going to love it.”
Simply put, Leadbetter wants to continue the push of making golf more relatable, especially to women.
“I feel like right now there’s just so much momentum [in women’s golf]. For the first time, in the history of our game, the largest group demographic of golfers that’s growing is young women,” Leadbetter added.
Hally Leadbetter provides on-air commentary for PGA TOUR LIVE during the 2024 Creator Classic prior to the TOUR Championship, the final event of the FedExCup Playoffs, at East Lake Golf Club on August 28, 2024 in Atlanta. (Keyur Khamar/PGA TOUR via Getty Images / Getty Images)
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“From the casual golfer perspective, the game is growing, professional golfer perspective, we have this new incredible commissioner that’s going to be very exciting to see what he does, his business acumen is amazing, all the players are very excited about him. So I feel like everything is working in women’s golf’s favor at every level and at every touch point, which is really, really exciting. You see Nelly Korda and Charley Hull’s popularity rising, you see them wearing the outfits from Nike Golf, Malbon Golf, young women see that and go, ‘Oh, I can dress cool. I can feel like myself on a golf course. I don’t have to wear a boxy polo and a long skirt. I can feel like an athlete, I can feel cute.’ Like it or not, as women, we care what we look like, we want to feel good and feel like we belong out there. It’s the perfect storm for women’s golf. …
“It’s really cool to see the perception of golf changing, even from the general public. I always thought golf was cool in my own little bubble. I was aware other people weren’t really into it. Now, the perception of golf is really shifting. That’s largely due to athletes making it their second sport, celebrities putting on their own tournaments, and whether you’re a good or bad golfer is kind of irrelevant.”
