Category: LPGA

Defending champion Lilia Vu withdraws from 2024 Chevron Championship with injury

Lilia Vu’s title defense of the Chevron Championship was over before it began.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Lilia Vu’s title defense of the Chevron Championship was over before it began. The world No. 2 had a nagging back injury flare up during warm-ups at the Club at Carlton Woods and withdrew from the event before her 1:10 p.m. CDT tee time, according to an LPGA official. Vu is expected to release a statement later in the afternoon.

Earlier this season, Vu withdrew from two events during the Asian swing. The former UCLA standout said during a pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday at the Chevron that she was 95 percent recovered.

Apparently things turned for the worse quickly.

“It’s been a rough couple months battling with my injury,” Vu said on Tuesday. “It’s been a little scary. I’ve definitely cried a lot on the range sometimes because my back just couldn’t hold up.”

Chevron: Photos

https://www.instagram.com/p/C56lA7kuQo2/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

In a statement posted on social media, Vu stated “I have been dealing with a back injury for a while now. Some days are better than others, and today was unfortunately not a good day. During my normal warm-up routine, I had severe discomfort in my back and I felt that I could not compete up to my standards and made the decision to withdraw from the tournament before my tee time.”

Vu won four times on the LPGA last season, including two major championships, and was the tour’s Player of the Year.

She was asked earlier in the week what she thought about during the time she spent in the scoring area last year at The Club of Carlton Woods, waiting to see about a playoff.

“I think it was cold, and I was a little worried about my back,” she recalled. “It was actually really clutch last year. My physio was actually out of here on her way to Dallas, and I think after 30 minutes on her drive there she turned around and came back and had enough time to help me on the range and get ready for the playoff.”

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1373]

Photos: Check out the Chevron Championship merchandise

The merchandise tent at the Chevron Championship features a number of high-quality products

THE WOODLANDS, Texas – The merchandise tent at the Chevron Championship, the first women’s major of the year, features a number of high-quality products. Just be sure to bring your Texas-sized wallet.

Baseball hats with “The Chev” scripted across the front are available for $50 and pin flags are $60. The kids’ clothes include a “Girls Rule” T-shirts and youth T-shirt hoodies. Small teddy bears are available (for $38) as are the ubiquitous autograph balls.

There are some fantastic leather trophy driver head covers to choose from. One of those will set you back $180. A tournament-logoed valuables pouch is a highlight, while a unique “Stars are Bright Here” trophy bag is also on full display.

Check out more of what’s on offer at the Club at Carlton Woods:

‘The Big Pickle’ LPGA podcast hosted by Beth Ann Nichols and Grant Boone debuts with guest Judy Rankin

Boone and Nichols have chatted inside LPGA media centers for years. Here’s what they’ve been saying.

For years, Grant Boone and Beth Ann Nichols have chatted inside LPGA media centers, sharing insider tidbits about the top tier of women’s professional golf.

Boone, who has been on-air for more than two decades and now handles LPGA play-by-play for NBC Sports and Golf Channel, has come to trust Nichols as a confidante, knowing he could bounce ideas off his friend when needed.

And Nichols, the first female president of the Golf Writers Association of America and a longtime Golfweek senior writer who is the only full-time independent LPGA beat writer, has done the same.

So, why not get two of the most important voices on the LPGA beat together?

That was the thought behind Golfweek’s newest venture, “The Big Pickle,” which will run on our YouTube channel as well as all podcast platforms.

Once a month, Boone and Nichols will dig deep into the women’s game, welcoming some of the top names to speak their minds about the direction of the LPGA and the season’s finest moments. For the podcast’s debut, World Golf Hall of Famer Judy Rankin hopped on with the duo, discussing this week’s first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, as well as Nelly Korda’s incredible run.

Aside from the monthly deep dive, on other weeks Grant and Beth Ann will drop an audio-only “Emergency Nine,” a 9-minute recap of the weekend’s events, to keep listeners up on what’s shaking inside the LPGA ropes and everything in women’s golf.

As for the name? Grant and Beth Ann will have to divulge that info.

Subscribe, comment and tell a friend. As the women’s game continues to gain momentum, “The Big Pickle” will be sure to keep you informed, enlightened and entertained on everything LPGA.

How to listen

Click here for the Omny podcast

Click here for Apple podcasts

Click here for Spotify

Rose Zhang hires new instructor ahead of first 2024 LPGA major, the Chevron Championship

Zhang has a new instructor ahead of the first women’s major of 2024.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Rose Zhang told Golfweek that she has a new instructor ahead of the 2024 Chevron Championship.

Todd Anderson, director of instruction at the PGA Tour’s Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass, has stepped in to help one of the LPGA’s hottest young stars.

George Pinnell has guided Zhang for the better part of a decade, and the pair knew this day would eventually come once she got out on tour. Pinnell runs a successful academy in Rowland Heights, California, and that responsibility along with some health issues keeps him from being able to travel as much as Zhang might need.

“George is probably going to Wilshire next week,” said Zhang of the tour’s next stop. “We’re still so close. He’ll be a mentor. He’s seen my swing for the past nine years.”

Zhang’s best friend from high school, Nicole Zhang, recently joined Pinnell’s coaching staff.

2023 Masters
Billy Horschel jokes with golf instructor Todd Anderson on the practice range ahead of the 2023 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Network)

Rose said Anderson came recommended by her team and the pair met for the first time at TPC Sawgrass earlier in the year. Anderson also attended Capitol One’s The Match. They’ve mostly worked on short game and putting so far and are still getting a feel for each other. Anderson also works with Billy Horschel, whom Zhang met during her initial visit.

“He’s is very straightforward, which I appreciate,” said Zhang of Anderson. “He has a very genuine passion for helping players get better. And he’s very open-minded, so he’s not exactly very egocentric and is willing to hear what you feel and what your thoughts are. So that open mindedness helps a lot. Because, for me, I think it’s important for the player to understand what he or she is doing. And the coach aids to that.”

Zhang has two top-10 finishes in four LPGA starts and recently wrapped up her winter quarter at Stanford. She’s currently taking a break from classes.

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1373]

Photos: An inside look at Lilia Vu’s Champions Dinner at Chevron, featuring renowned chef Thomas Keller

What a night: A private helicopter, a world-renowned chef, Bentleys, Rolls-Royces and Bò Kho.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Lilia Vu didn’t see the menu for the Champions Dinner at the Chevron Championship until she sat down Monday evening. There was supposed to be a group phone call about it when Vu was playing in China, but a bad flareup with her back disrupted the plan, and she ended up conversing with renowned chef Thomas Keller via group chat.

“I told Chef Keller, hey, really love steak, made it my personality trait,” said Vu, who won her first major championship title last year at The Club at Carlton Woods.

“Then I also said that I’m Vietnamese, and I kind of want to do some Vietnamese flavors. You can do whatever you want. I know he’s so GOAT’ed, so like, just let him do whatever he wants.”

Needless to say, Vu was impressed when she saw that Keller, owner of The French Laundry and once named the Best Chef in America, had made Bò Kho, a dish her mom makes that’s her absolute favorite. Every single course, she said, was a home run.

The dinner began with a white asparagus panna cotta, followed by sweet pea agnolotti and Bò Kho, which the menu notes as “All Day Braised Snake River Farms American Wagyu Brisket.”

“For that Vietnamese dish he brought out,” she said, “I looked at my whole table, everything was clear. Everyone ate every single piece off that plate. Yeah, it was amazing.”

Jennifer Kupcho, the 2022 champion, had one request from Keller last year: macaroni and cheese.

Kupcho was one of several players who arrived to the dinner via private helicopter.

“Kupcho tried to convince me,” said Vu, “but I was like, no, you go do it. Send me a video after.”

Past champions in the field also received a Bentley courtesy car for the week. Past champions who weren’t part of the field were chauffeured around in a Rolls-Royce.

Every player in the field received a free Avis rental car.

There was a lot of angst when this event moved from beloved Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, to Texas. Even past champion Stacy Lewis, whose childhood home isn’t too far from the course, had mixed feelings.

But on a day when the championship’s purse moved to $7.9 million, up $4.8 million from when Chevron assumed title sponsorship in 2022, Lewis had nothing but praise.

“They’re pushing the envelope with this tournament, and I like it,” she said. “They want to make it special for us, and last night was certainly a testament to that.”

World No. 1 Nelly Korda enters this week’s Chevron on a streak of four victories, including the last three scheduled events. She’s the undisputed favorite, and her trek toward rarified air takes a lot of eyeballs away from Vu, who prefers it that way.

Vu followed her breakout victory here in Texas with three more titles, including a second major at the AIG Women’s British Open. She ended the 2023 campaign as LPGA Player of the Year.

So far, her 2024 campaign hasn’t gone to plan.

“It’s been a rough couple months battling with my injury,” said Vu, who withdrew from back-to-back events in Asia this spring. “It’s been a little scary. I’ve definitely cried a lot on the range sometimes because my back just couldn’t hold up.”

Vu said she’s 95 percent there now physically and is focused on trying to enjoy herself. She’s under the belief that her body aches because she’s been internally angry inside, frustrated with her performance when she has been able to play. Vu has only one top 10 showing so far this season.

It helps that the California native likes the vibe here in Houston, calling it calming. Almost like home in a way.

“Even my parents were talking about it last night,” said Vu. “Could be a place to consider to move.”

Champions Dinner at the Chevron Championship

 

Chevron increases purse to $7.9 million at LPGA’s first major

Chevron has increased the purse by $4.8 million since assuming title sponsorship in 2022.

[anyclip-media thumbnail=”https://cdn5.anyclip.com/pcLM7Y4BeZE69oNic249/1713386820951_248x140_thumbnail.jpg” playlistId=”undefined” content=”PHNjcmlwdCBzcmM9Imh0dHBzOi8vcGxheWVyLnBvcHRvay5jb20vYW55Y2xpcC13aWRnZXQvbHJlLXdpZGdldC9wcm9kL3YxL3NyYy9scmUuanMiIGRhdGEtYXI9IjE2OjkiIGRhdGEtcGxpZD0ib2JydXl0anhsZTJlZXprMml1M2RzMzJvbmZydGVuYnoiIHB1Ym5hbWU9IjE5OTgiIHdpZGdldG5hbWU9IjAwMTZNMDAwMDJVMEIxa1FBRl9NODMyNyI+Cjwvc2NyaXB0Pg==”][/anyclip-media]

Chevron’s commitment to the LPGA went a step higher on Tuesday with the announcement of a purse increase to $7.9 million in 2024. The move brings the tour’s first major in line with the purses of other championships. The U.S. Women’s Open purse of $12 million paces the tour, with the KPMG Women’s PGA second at $10 million. The AIG Women’s British Open purse checks in at $9 million while Amundi Evian is $6.5 million.

Chevron, which moved the event away from Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, to Texas, last year, has increased the purse by $4.8 million since assuming title sponsorship in 2022. The company has committed to title sponsor the event through 2029.

Purses at the majors and CME Group Tour Championship have set the tone for the LPGA in reason years. In 2021, the LPGA’s five majors awarded $23 million in official money. This year’s tally of $45.4 million, which may yet increase as the season unfolds, represents a 97 percent increase in three years.

In addition, those who miss the cut at the Chevron will receive $10,000 to cover expenses, double what was given last year.

The LPGA’s total prize fund is up 79 percent in the last five years.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda comes into the Chevron fresh off of four consecutive victories. The event will be played April 18-21 at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. First place at the Chevron is good for $1.2 million.

Augusta National Women’s Amateur champ Lottie Woad chooses LPGA major over ACCs

Woad, ranked No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, hasn’t finished outside the top 8 in college golf this season.

Lottie Woad faced a tough decision in the aftermath of her Augusta National Women’s Amateur. The victory comes with special invitations to four major championships, including next week’s Chevron Championship, which overlaps the ACC Championship.

Woad, a 20-year-old sophomore at Florida State, has opted to make her major championship debut at the Chevron April 18-21 at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, in what will be her first LPGA start.

“I wasn’t really going to turn down a major,” said Woad, who had full support form her Seminole coaches.

The Englishwoman delivered a finish for the ages on Saturday in the final round at Augusta National, making birdie on three of the last four holes to beat USC’s Bailey Shoemaker by one stroke.

“If I’d been told before this week that I’d be two back with four to play, I would have been like, yeah, perfect, that sounds great,” said Woad. “To be in the mix on the back nine at Augusta is something that everyone dreams about.”

Woad, ranked No. 4 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, hasn’t finished outside the top 8 in college golf this season, with co-medalist honors at the Annika Intercollegiate.

With her parents and English national coach/caddie back home in England, Woad will be on her own in Texas, though former FSU player Frida Kinhult did have an extra room in her Airbnb. Woad is in the process of trying to find a local caddie for next week.

On Sunday at Augusta, Woad met Nancy Lopez and Tom Watson as she handed out awards at the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals. She also met 2016 Masters champ Danny Willett for the first time in the clubhouse.

It’s back to class for Woad this week in Tallahassee. On Tuesday night, she’ll throw out the first pitch in the sold-out FSU vs. Florida game on ESPN2. While Woad hasn’t played baseball, she did play cricket back home in England.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda headlines the field at Chevron after winning her fourth consecutive start on Sunday at the T-Mobile Match Play. Korda is the first American to win four consecutive starts on the LPGA since Nancy Lopez won five consecutive starts in 1978.

Woad received a warm welcome-home reception when she returned to Tallahassee. Kinhult made cupcakes. Check out the photos from the surprise gathering:

 

2024 T-Mobile Match Play prize money payouts for each LPGA player

Korda’s 12th win pushed her career winnings on the LPGA to more than $10 million.

Nelly Korda has won again on the LPGA.

A fourth straight win, as a matter of fact, the first to do it since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.

And she’s added another $300,000 to her bank account. Her 12th win pushed her career winnings on the LPGA to more than $10 million. Korda is the 25th golfer to hit that mark, doing so in her 132nd start. She tied the mark set by Lorena Ochoa in 2008 for fastest to surpass $1 million in a season.

For her latest win, she had to navigate the five-day, multi-format tournament. The Match Play had 54 holes of stroke play over three days before switching to three days of match play.

Check out the prize money payouts at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.

Position Golfer Earnings
1 Nelly Korda $300,000
2 Leona Maguire $187,584
T3 Sei Young Kim $120,673
T3 Narin An $120,673
T5 Moriya Jutanugarn $65,729
T5 Rose Zhang $65,729
T5 Minami Katsu $65,729
T5 Angel Yin $65,729
T9 Hae Ran Ryu $41,936
T9 Brooke Henderson $41,936
T9 Yuka Saso $41,936
T12 Mone Inami $33,754
T12 Ally Ewing $33,754
T12 Nanna Koerstz Madsen $33,754
T15 Jennifer Kupcho $28,209
T15 Anna Nordqvist $28,209
T15 Minjee Lee $28,209
T18 Marina Alex $22,829
T18 Stephanie Kyriacou $22,829
T18 Caroline Masson $22,829
T18 Hye-Jin Choi $22,829
T18 Ayaka Furue $22,829
T18 Lydia Ko $22,829
T18 Jodi Ewart Shadoff $22,829
T25 Linn Grant $18,897
T25 Andrea Lee $18,897
T25 Stephanie Meadow $18,897
T28 Gabriela Ruffels $16,774
T28 Stacy Lewis $16,774
T28 In Gee Chun $16,774
31 Albane Valenzuela $15,508
T32 Madelene Sagstrom $12,927
T32 Lauren Coughlin $12,927
T32 Ariya Jutanugarn $12,927
T32 Paula Reto $12,927
T32 Emily Kristine Pedersen $12,927
T32 Lindsey Weaver-Wright $12,927
T32 Megan Khang $12,927
T32 Carlota Ciganda $12,927
T40 Elizabeth Szokol $9,492
T40 Yu Liu $9,492
T40 Yan Liu $9,492
T40 Jiwon Jeon $9,492
T40 Allisen Corpuz $9,492
T40 Kristen Gillman $9,492
T40 Maja Stark $9,492
T47 Isabella Fierro $7,394
T47 Hyo Joo Kim $7,394
T47 Jenny Shin $7,394
T47 Eun-Hee Ji $7,394
T47 Celine Boutier $7,394
T47 Mi Hyang Lee $7,394
T53 Ryann O’Toole $6,367
T53 Alison Lee $6,367
T53 Angela Stanford $6,367
T56 Ashleigh Buhai $5,460
T56 Cheyenne Knight $5,460
T56 Roberta Liti $5,460
T56 Bianca Pagdanganan $5,460
T56 Jeongeun Lee6 $5,460
T56 Auston Kim $5,460
T62 Aditi Ashok $4,776
T62 Pajaree Anannarukarn $4,776
T62 Esther Henseleit $4,776
T62 Danielle Kang $4,776
66 Gemma Dryburgh $4,519
67 Chanettee Wannasaen $4,417

[lawrence-auto-related count=4 category=1373]

Four in a row: Nelly Korda tops Leona Maguire in 2024 T-Mobile Match Play final

Korda has won for a third week in a row and for a fourth straight start in 2024.

Nelly Korda has won for a third week in a row but more importantly for a fourth straight start on the LPGA. A record-tying fifth would have to come in a major championship, but that’s a concern for a later date.

For now, Korda is shipping home yet another trophy after her 12th career LPGA win, defeating Leona Maguire, 4 and 3, in the final of the 2024 T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek Golf Course.

It’s Korda’s second straight 4-and-3 victory after opening the match-play bracket, 3 and 2.

The five-day event in Las Vegas came on the heels of wins near Phoenix and before that, Los Angeles. Her first win in 2024 was back in January. She’s the first to win four in a row since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.

“It’s just been a whirlwind,” she said of her 2024 season so far. “It’s been an amazing time, and to do it here as well in match play has been so much fun.”

Only Nancy Lopez in 1978 and Annika Sorenstam over the 2004 and 2005 seasons have won five LPGA tournaments in a row.

The match-play event started last Wednesday and the new format this year called for 54 holes of stroke play before three rounds of match play.

Korda won $300,000 for the victory and became the 25th LPGA golfer to surpass $10 million in career earnings. She also joins Ariya Juntanugan, Sei Young Kim and Hollis Stacy with 12 career victories.

“Playing the first two events, going down the stretch, there is a different type of adrenaline,” Korda said of her first two wins this year coming in a playoff. “But I feel like with match play you have that from the first hole so it was a great day playing against Leona. Always such a great competitor. Happy to get my fourth.”

The LPGA is off next week and then it’s the first women’s major of 2024 at the Chevron Championship, starting on Thursday, April 18, in The Woodlands, Texas, on the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at The Club at Carlton Woods.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1373]

Nelly Korda, aiming for a fourth straight LPGA win, faces Leona Maguire in final at T-Mobile Match Play

Korda is one match-play victory away from a fourth straight win on the LPGA.

Can Nelly Korda make it four in a row?

On Sunday, she won’t need to fend off an entire field to claim another LPGA title. This time, she’ll need to outduel Leona Maguire in the championship at the T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas.

Maguire has been the best golfer this week. After 54 holes of stroke play, she was at 6 under, three better than the field. When the format flipped to match play Saturday, Maguire beat Sei Young Kim 3 and 2 in the semifinals after knocking out Moriya Jutanugarn 4 and 3 earlier in the day.

Korda, meamwhile, was 1 under after the first three days but then topped Angel Yin 3 and 2 in the quarterfinals and Narin An 4 and 3 in the semis.

2024 T-Mobile Match Play
Leona Maguire plays a shot on the seventh hole in her semifinal match against Sei Young Kim at the 2024 T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas. (Photo: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images)

The match play event stretched over five days and had a new format in 2024, with the first two days consisting of 36 holes of stroke play with a cut to the top 65 and ties. After the third round Friday, there was a second cut to the top eight players, who were then seeded in a match-play bracket with No. 1 taking on No. 8, No. 2 taking on No. 7 and so on.

If Korda can win Sunday, she’ll make it four wins in four straight starts, including three in the last three weeks after winning the Ford Championship in Arizona and the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship near Los Angeles. She also won in January at the LPGA Drive On Championship.

The longest winning streak on the LPGA is five, with Nancy Lopez first doing it in 1978 and Annika Sorenstam over the 2004 and 2005 seasons.

The LPGA is off next week and then it’s the first women’s major of 2024 at the Chevron Championship.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1373]