The Tuesday night pro-am party at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro has to be one of Walter and Shirley Wang’s favorite nights of the year.

The husband-wife duo, whose companies, JM Eagle and Plastpro, are the title and presenting sponsors of the LPGA’s annual stop in Los Angeles, do their best game show host impersonations that evening, giving away thousands of dollars in gift cards and prizes to the LPGA Tour athletes in attendance.

It’s arguably one of the most well-attended pro-am events each season, and that’s not just because of the free swag. The Wangs’ continued commitment to the elevation of both the tournament and the LPGA is evident, and the athletes who participate in this event each year have taken notice in the seasons since the couple began supporting this championship back in 2023.

The first two editions of the event under the Wangs’ charge were contested at Wilshire Country Club, which has been undergoing renovation the last two years, a project to which the Wangs have supplied piping. And when they needed to source a new facility for the 2025 and 2026 editions of the JM Eagle LA Championship, the tournament briefly relocated to El Caballero Country Club, one of the more recognizable properties in the Los Angeles area.

But more importantly, Walter and Shirley doubled the purse when they first came on as sponsors, taking the total prize fund from $1.5 million to $3 million. They again raised the purse to $3.75 million, a benchmark that encouraged other tournament partners to follow the couple’s lead and an increase that then saw the winner of the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro pocket a first-place check for $562,500, one of the largest on the LPGA Tour at the time.

And now, in 2026, the Wangs have decided to bump that number even higher, announcing on Saturday of championship week live on Golf Channel that they would be adding an additional $1 million to the prize fund, effective immediately. That brings the total purse of the JM Eagle LA Championship to a whopping $4.75 million, the largest amount of prize money awarded for a single tournament on the LPGA Tour outside of majors and the CME Group Tour Championship.

“I can't believe how time flies,” said Walter before revealing the decision to increase the purse during the third round. “This is the fourth year being a title sponsor, and for the first year that we decided to double the purse. It's amazing to see that 11 other tournaments followed to adjust the purse to over $3 million. Now, the LPGA average purse has increased by 70 percent, so it's amazing to be a part of it. It is awesome to see.”

When it comes to that kind of money, every athlete on Tour knows how significant the Wangs’ financial backing is when it comes to their careers on and off the golf course. Alison Lee reflected on that fact at the media day for JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, recalling just how impressed she and her Tour counterparts were when the Wangs initially took on the title sponsorship of the event.

“I remember when they announced this partnership with the LPGA,” said the two-time U.S. Solheim Cup Team member, “and they announced that it was a $3 million purse, all the girls' jaws just dropped to the floor, because when I first came on Tour, a lot of our major events purses were $3, $4 million. Now, I think with them stepping up, you see a lot of our purses going up, you see the major purses up. I think everything has been a snowball effect.”

But the Wangs aren’t only interested in providing opportunity for the world’s best athletes. They are also invested in supporting the greater Los Angeles community, particularly after the devastation the region experienced when fires broke out across the area in 2025.

The Wang family donated $6.5 million and various kinds of equipment to fire relief efforts, and in 2026, they decided to partner with the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association to assist local firefighters who lost their homes to the blaze and fund the rebuilding of their properties. It’s an act the Wangs hope communicates their appreciation for the dedication of the first responders who put their lives on the line every day to protect their communities, especially in times of dire need.

“I think it's really important to understand that this is our home,” said Walter Wang Jr., son of Walter and Shirley, and who was also in attendance at media day. “I went to high school here. I live here. My wife and I, we were here during the fires, checking our phones and the Watch app, and getting the texts that say, hey, you might need to evacuate. I called my dad, I called my mom, and was like, ‘So I want to go to your house. What do you want to save because we're packing the car, putting everything in the trunk, so what is valuable to you?

“I think going through that lived experience, we realized that wow, the firefighters are there day in, day out, at night, 24/7 fighting these fires and leaving their homes. We realized that we needed to support. We needed to help rebuild LA. We needed to help the first responders do their jobs.”

Shirley agreed with her son’s sentiments, reinforcing the need her family felt to dedicate their resources to such an important cause.

“I have seen the families that come up to me and say, oh, it really made an impact to their lives. It warms our heart,” Shirley said. “It also breaks our heart what happened, but we're just so happy that we found a great partner and Chris (Stine, President of the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association) has been with us all along the way doing this. So, we appreciate all of you.”

The athletes who have competed in the JM Eagle LA Championship over the past couple of years have also been impressed with the Wangs’ willingness to step up, seeing their charitable efforts as another testament to the family’s commitment to bettering the lives of those around them.

Major champion Allisen Corpuz spent some of her formative years in Los Angeles and played collegiate golf at the University of Southern California. Having several contacts still in the area, she was well aware of the extent of the damage left in the wake of the Eaton and Palisades Fires and was happy to see what the Wangs are still doing to help those affected, even over a year later.

“I think the investment that the Wang family has put into not just women's golf but also the local community has been just really inspiring,” said Corpuz, who won the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open. “I had a few friends affected by the fires, as well, living up in Altadena. And to see how they've been approaching the rebuilding process, it's really inspiring to see what they've invested back into the community.”

Andrea Lee, who hails from Hermosa Beach, Calif., and who got to spend some time in 2025 with some of the firefighters who fought the blaze, spoke about how her gratitude for the efforts of first responders was bolstered by the experience she had last season, something that wouldn’t have happened without the JM Eagle LA Championship.

“It was an incredible experience to meet with the firefighters who fought the fires last year,” said Lee. “What they do every day is incredible, what they continue to do for our community. Got to see a little bit of the ins and outs and got to see inside an actual fire truck, which was pretty cool. The tools that they use to fight the fires, they're all so heavy, so they always have to be in such great shape.

“It was a really cool experience for me and a couple of the other players to see that firsthand. Just reminds us to be so grateful for you guys who continue to preserve our community and fight the things that we don't encounter every day.”

That type of grateful attitude is something the Wangs have helped foster via their support of this Championship. They continually show LPGA Tour athletes that they care about their lives inside and outside the ropes, and the Wangs make sure the Los Angeles community knows that they are here, that they support this area and that they are willing to show up and out for it in any way they can.

And that’s what continues to make the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro an athlete- and fan-favorite tournament each year on the LPGA Tour calendar, what continues to make Walter, Shirley and the rest of the Wang family friends with the world around them.

Wang Family's Commitment to Community Extends Beyond LA Championship

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