After 11 years, the LPGA’s annual stop in Texas has dropped off the schedule for 2024. Hyo Joo Kim won this year’s Ascendant LPGA benefitting Volunteers of America by four strokes.
The tournament debuted as the North Texas LPGA Shootout at Los Colinas in 2013 and was won by LPGA Hall of Famer Inbee Park, who repeated in 2015. The event was renamed the Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout in 2015. It moved to the Old American Golf Club in The Colony in 2018.
Three players who call Texas home have won the event: Stacy Lewis (2014), Cheyenne Knight (2019, pictured above) and Angela Stanford (2020).
“Outlyr and the LPGA tour remain committed to the Dallas market long term and will continue the search for a long-term partner to bring the event back to The Colony,” said tournament organizers in a statement. “We are thankful to Golf Clubs at The Tribute and The Colony for their tremendous support over the last six years.
“Volunteers of America has been a longtime partner of the LPGA Tour and will continue to support the LPGA Tour as they are re-allocating their resources in 2024. We thank Cypress Ascendant for their support over the last two years.”
“For me, it was just like an eye-opener,” said Muzi.
Katherine Muzi turned pro last June and shot 69 in a Monday qualifier one week ago to earn a spot in her first LPGA event. What followed was a shock to mostly everyone, including Muzi, who called making the cut at the Ascendant LPGA a “holy cow” moment.
“For me, it was just like an eye-opener,” said Muzi, “like, I can play at this level. Like it was just kind of crazy.”
After graduating from USC with a degree in business administration, Muzi traveled east to another USC – South Carolina – where she worked on a graduate degree and finished up her final year of eligibility. Over the summer, she played in the first stage of LPGA Q-School but missed the cut.
Katherine Muzi reacts to her birdie on the ninth green during the final round of the 2023 Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas. (Photo: Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, Muzi became one of the first players to benefit from the new Annika Development Program at Old Barnwell in Aiken, South Carolina. To be eligible, players must be a recent graduate of a four-year college program in South Carolina, North Carolina or Georgia or a resident of one of those states who recently graduated from a four-year college program.
Muzi was joined by Krista Junkkari, Lauren Walsh and Lois Kaye Ko as first-year recipients of the program.
Benefits Muzi and others received from Annika Sorenstam’s foundation include access to Old Barnwell’s golf amenities for three years, a $10,000 stipend to help cover tournament fees and travel as well as free housing for the first year in Aiken.
“It’s just been a huge deal,” said Muzi of the Annika program’s impact. “Just by me going to South Carolina, it really opened the door.”
Last year the LPGA changed its regulations to allow a non-member who finishes in the top 10 in designated events to tee it up the next week. Unfortunately for Muzi, her top-10 in Texas won’t get her into this week’s event in China because it’s a limited-field event. Nor will it get her into the next domestic stop on the schedule – The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican – because that Florida field is filled using the CME points list.
Muzi has signed up for the Monday-qualifier at Pelican next month, but there’s also a possibility that she will receive a sponsor exemption.
“The whole thing has been surreal,” said Muzi, who felt a little out of place at the Old America Golf Club with her carry bag. “Especially this being my first ever LPGA event. Like ever. And then I just a happen to be a pro just playing in it. It’s crazy.”
Weaver-Wright said she plans to return to the tour in March.
Lindsey Weaver-Wright ended her 2023 LPGA season on a high when she holed out for eagle from the 137 yards on No. 18 on her home course in Texas. Now seven months pregnant, Weaver-Wright heads into maternity leave with a fun highlight to share with the family.
“Honestly, it was unbelievable,” she said. “Just so surreal to end my season like that and start maternity leave.”
Weaver-Wright, who announced on July 4 that she’s having a boy, shot 1-under 70 and currently sits in the top 20 at the Ascendant LPGA benefitting Volunteers of America. She’s been a member of Old American Golf Club for several years now and lives in the area with her husband Zach.
Weaver-Wright said she typically brings a chair on the golf course so that she can sit down in between shots to help with back pain. This week, however, she managed to play a round without it.
“It’s been tough, to be honest,” said Weaver-Wright of playing pregnant. “I have a lot of different ailments day-to-day it seems like. But, I mean, I’ve taken the last two weeks with just the mindset that I’m just happy to be out here, lucky my body has allowed me to take it this far into pregnancy.”
Weaver-Wright said she plans to return to the tour in March.
Lexi Thompson has a big week ahead in Las Vegas. But first things first.
Lexi Thompson has a big week ahead in Las Vegas. But first things first.
Thompson shot a second-round, 6-under 65 at the 2023 Ascendant LPGA benefitting Volunteers of America and will head to the weekend tied for third.
She is at 6 under, four shots back of Hyo Joo Kim at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas, but Thompson’s game is definitely trending.
She posted a 3-1-0 Solheim Cup performance and then had a tie for eighth, her best finish on the LPGA this season, at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. That was her first top-10 finish since November 2022. A month ago, she posted a tie for 19th at the Kroger Queen City Championship. But prior to that, she missed five straight cuts. She has eight MC’s in all in 2023.
“It’s definitely gotten a lot better,” she told Golf Channel after her round. “I’ve been working hard the whole year. It’s just been a matter of time and putting in the productive work that’s needed, and to see it pay off truly means a lot. I’m going to continue to work hard.”
Kim, now at 10 under after 36 holes, also held the solo lead after the first round. The five-time LPGA winner hasn’t found victory lane in 2023 but she does have eight top-10s, including two runner-up finishes.
“I was at the top of the leaderboard couple times this season but weekend plays haven’t been as good some times,” she said. “This week, I’m hoping to focus more on my play and play as well as I did on the first day and today and finish strong.”
Thompson said her No. 1 goal is to have an impact on the Shriners kids.
Lexi Thompson got word from her manager last Sunday in Arkansas that she’d been extended a sponsor’s invitation to next week’s Shriners Children’s Open. Thompson will be the seventh woman to compete in a PGA Tour event.
The 28-year-old, who is teeing up in this week’s Ascendant LPGA benefitting Volunteers of America event in Texas, said it’s the first time she’s been offered a spot in a PGA Tour field.
“I mean, growing up with two older brothers and around their friends I’ve always grown up playing alongside the guys I guess,” she said.
“Can’t say it’s been like a dream of mine to play on the PGA Tour. Of course, I’ve wanted to. I learned so much playing alongside the guys and am very inspired by them, so it’ll be a great opportunity for me.”
Lexi Thompson talks with her caddie and brother, Nicholas Thompson, during the pro-am prior to the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 16, 2022 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The event will be played Oct. 12-15 at TPC Summerlin, which last year played 7,255 yards with a par of 71. The field of 132 will compete for a purse of $8.4 million.
Thompson, whose two brothers have held PGA Tour cards, said she’s trying to get as much information as she can about TPC Summerlin and planned to reach out to Las Vegas resident Danielle Kang for some tips.
The invitation, she said, caught her by surprise, and she had to rearrange the plans she had for next weekend but couldn’t pass up what she called a “once-in-a-career opportunity.”
When asked about her expectations for the week, Thompson said she only hoped to embrace it all.
“Like I said, leaving a bigger impact and interacting with those kids, that’s my number one,” she said.
“Of course, I want to play good golf. I know my game and how I’m playing right now and how much work I’ve been putting in, so playing within myself and my game is all I can do. Not try to force anything on a longer golf course.”
Brittany Lincicome was the last woman to compete in a PGA Tour event five years ago. Babe Zaharias was the first to do it in 1935 at the Cascades Open. In 1945, Zaharias made the 36-hole cut at what’s now the Genesis Invitational in 1945. She remains the only woman to make the cut in a PGA Tour event.
