Here’s a look at some of the best photos from Baltusrol.
Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey, is no stranger to hosting major championship golf. And this week, it adds yet another chapter to its storied history.
The 2023 KMPG Women’s PGA Championship begins Thursday at Baltusrol’s Lower Course. It’s the first time the best women in the world will try to conquer Baltusrol since 1961. The course first hosted a U.S. Women’s Amateur in 1901 and has been a staple in golf’s history since.
Incredibly, 75 percent of Chun’s LPGA titles are majors.
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — In Gee Chun won her third major title last year at the KPMG Women’s PGA, but that doesn’t mean she has the run of the place this week at Baltusrol Golf Club. Chun was denied access to the women’s locker room Wednesday morning after leaving her tournament-specific credential in her golf bag, which was with her caddie.
Chun tried showing her LPGA player badge to the security official but that wasn’t enough.
“But I’m sure I’m player,” Chun pleaded.
Right about then another person looking after the locker room came and out and identified Chun as the defending champion. The humble Chun was all smiles about the mishap as she was prompted by an LPGA official to relay the story to the media.
Chun, 28, is one of only three players in the field this week with three or more major titles. Anna Nordqvist (3) and Laura Davies (4) are the only other players with such a stout major resume. Incredibly, 75 percent of Chun’s LPGA titles are majors.
In Gee Chun celebrates with the championship trophy after winning the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. (Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
Chun’s first victory on the LPGA came at the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. In 2016, she won the Evian Championship with a score of 21 under, the lowest winning score for a men’s or women’s major. Last year, she clipped Lexi Thompson and Minjee Lee by one stroke at the first women’s major held at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland.
After representing South Korea in the Hanwha International Crown last month, Chun flew back to Korea to see her doctor about the inflammation in her back. She took some time off to rest and then went to work on strengthening her core. Chun returned to the LPGA last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic after a month-long break and reports that she didn’t feel any pain on the course. She’s reduced her pain medicine from twice a day to once.
“It just feels a little sometimes stiff and heavy,” she said, “but once I play golf on the course, it’s no problem.”
Chun tees off with Danielle Kang and Hannah Green at 8:17 a.m. ET on Thursday morning.
Sunday’s final round of 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA on NBC will be commercial free.
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — The television broadcast schedule for the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA at Baltusrol includes uninterrupted coverage presented by Callaway for the final hour on NBC on Sunday. This marks the first time the Women’s PGA will feature commercial-free coverage.
The overall broadcast package this year takes a big step as NBC Sports brings a record 26 hours of coverage from Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey. That’s almost double the number of hours (14) from last year at Congressional, where fans missed out on much of the final round as well as much of eventual champion In Gee Chun’s opening 64.
Last year, the weekend coverage was exclusive to NBC and featured three hours each day. This year, coverage starts at 11 a.m. ET on Peacock Saturday and picks up on NBC from 3-6 p.m.
In addition, there’s five hours of onsite pre-tournament coverage from noon to 5 p.m. E.T. on Tuesday and Wednesday as well as one hour of onsite pre-round and post-round coverage Thursday to Sunday.
“I think we were all like-minded on it,” said LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan on the priority of extending television hours for this major.
“Let’s do everything we can do to get more hours and get more exposure. I think there wasn’t pushback on any level. We all agreed it was something we needed to do and make a commitment to that, and I think we all know it really matters. I think we still have a ways to go.”
Nelly Korda tackles Baltusrol with a pain-free back and a new coach.
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. – Nelly Korda didn’t touch a club for several weeks after lower back pain resulted in a forced spring break. When the 24-year-old returned to work, it was with a new swing instructor. Jason Baile, director of instruction at Jupiter Hills Club in Florida, started working with the former World No. 1 a week and a half ago and this week is at Baltusrol Golf Club helping Korda prepare for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“A couple of my sister’s friends work with him,” said Korda, who noted that LIV’s Peter Uihlein is among them. “I heard he’s really good, so testing him out.”
They’ve mostly worked on setup, she said, moving closer to the ball and getting her right shoulder more through the ball rather than stuck behind it.
Korda, currently No. 2 in the world, hasn’t won this season but has notched six top-six finishes. She’s one of four players on tour ranked in the top 20 in both strokes gained off-the-tee (third) and strokes gained putting (16th).
Korda trails only Jin Young Ko in strokes gained total per round.
This isn’t the first time Korda, an eight-time winner on the LPGA, has dealt with lower back pain, which caused her to withdraw from the KPMG at Aronimink three years ago after the first round.
This time around, Korda couldn’t point to a specific shot or movement that caused the pain, but she immediately talked to her doctor about it and decided to take several weeks of rest before it worsened. Korda’s last round on the LPGA was May 12 at the Cognizant Founders Cup, where she missed the cut. She’s now pain-free.
“There’s a lot of torque in the golf swing,” said Korda, “so I feel like I’m not the only golfer that kind of struggles with the low back.
“Also, when you’re traveling four weeks in a row, different beds, flying out right after your round, sometimes you just tweak it and you just need to take rest.”
Nelly Korda walks the first fairway with her team during a practice round before the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club on June 19, 2023 in Springfield, New Jersey. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Nelly’s sister, Jessica Korda, 30, announced late last month that she was taking a break from the tour indefinitely to try to get her back healthy.
“I think coming from a family that has played sports throughout their entire life, it just comes with it,” said Nelly. “You look at so many athletes, they all go through something. I can only speak on let’s say tennis, where you see (Rafael) Nadal, who battled with so many injuries throughout his entire career.
“It’s something you constantly learn from.”
Korda said her split from her previous instructor, Jamie Mulligan, was about time management more than anything else, and they remain close. She also still considers David Whelan part of her team. She sees Whelan often at Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida, when she’s at home, mostly casually. Korda started working with Whelan at age 14.
“Even when he doesn’t say anything, just the fact that he is there with me at practice makes me very comfortable,” she said. “I am where I am because of him.”
As the world’s best women take on Baltusrol’s Lower Course for the first time since 1961, Korda said the first four holes will be crucial. Getting through them in even par is a big goal for the week.
“They’re big, monstrous kind of holes,” she said.
Baltusrol’s dual courses (the Upper and the Lower) have hosted 16 USGA Championships and two PGA Championships. The championship tradition began in 1901 with the U.S. Women’s Amateur. Jack Nicklaus won two U.S. Open titles on Baltusrol’s Lower Course. Mickey Wright and Phil Mickelson won here, too.
“The club just bleeds major championship golf,” said PGA chief championships officer Kerry Haigh.
Korda was blown away Monday by the condition of the A.W. Tillinghast design, which was restored in 2020 by Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner and reopened in 2021. The Lower ranks No. 35 on Golfweek’s Best list of classic courses in the U.S., and the Upper ties for No. 62. Both courses rank among the top 10 private clubs in New Jersey.
With rain in the forecast, players will face a different test than they’ve seen so far in sunny and dry practice rounds. The club’s new drainage and sub-surface air system might be put to the test before the weekend.
The rough, last cut on Sunday, is right where they want it. Korda said she tried to hit 6-irons from the rough and they came out as knuckle balls, dead left. Haigh said the PGA plans to top it off Wednesday and again Friday if needed.
“I enjoy these kinds of golf courses where you have to kind of think a little bit more,” said Korda, “and it’s a very demanding golf course as well … everything has to click for you this week in order to perform well.”
The Performance Insights relies on caddies to gather information and turn in a special card after each round.
SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Two years ago, KPMG launched an analytics platform to help narrow the information divide between the men’s and women’s games. The program, similar to what’s offered on the DP World Tour, relies on caddies to gather information and turn in a special card after each round. KPMG pays the caddies a small stipend.
It’s an evolving system that gets more useful over time as data accumulates.
Scorecard numbers can only tell so much of the story, and as the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship kicks off this week at historic Baltusrol for the first time, we take a closer look at the Performance Insights numbers of five players to keep an eye on in New Jersey.
