Tag: Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge

Plenty of former college stars have won at Palos Verdes, site of this week’s new LPGA event

It’s not often that a new LPGA event is hosted at a course that has a long history in the women’s game.

It’s not often that a new LPGA event is hosted at a course that has a long history in the women’s game. The inaugural Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America takes place on a venue that has hosted the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge collegiate event for the past 25 years.

Past champions include Lorena Ochoa (2002), Natalie Gulbis (2001), Jennifer Rosales (1999) and a host of current LPGA players. The up-and-down course places a premium on accuracy and ocean views. Palos Verdes Golf Club opened in 1924 and was designed by the renowned team of George C. Thomas and William P. “Billy” Bell, who also designed Riviera Country Club, Bel Air Country Club and Los Angeles Country Club North.

This is the second consecutive week the LPGA is hosting an event in the Los Angeles area. Here are past winners of the Northrop Grumman who are in the field this week:

Wake Forest’s Rachel Kuehn wins Northrop Grumman at Palos Verdes, earns sponsor exemption to new LPGA event on same course

Kuehn will join a 144-player field headlined by seven of the top-10 players in the world.

Rachel Kuehn’s victory at the Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge came with a bonus for the Wake Forest junior: a sponsor exemption into the LPGA’s JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes.

The Northrop Grumman celebrated its 26th anniversary at Palos Verdes Golf Club in California with Oregon winning the team title by seven shots over Wake Forest. Kuehn’s 10-under 203 total broke the tournament record of 7 under set by Lorena Ochoa in 2002. This victory marks Kuehn’s second of the season and fourth of her career.

“This week has been incredible,” said Kuehn in a release, “and I feel fortunate to have won on such an amazing course. To receive a sponsor’s exemption into the LPGA tournament here in a couple weeks is a dream come true.”

Kuehn will join a 144-player field April 28-May 1, televised live on Golf Channel. World No. 2 Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko (3), Minjee Lee (4), Danielle Kang (5), Inbee Park (6), Sei Young Kim (7) and Nasa Hataoka (8) headline the early commitments.

“Palos Verdes Golf Club is thrilled by the opportunity to incorporate our 2022 Northrop Grumman Challenge Collegiate champion into the field at the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes,” said David Klein, Club President of Palos Verdes Golf Club. “The organic integration between the two events makes perfect sense and also highlights our club’s support of golf at the highest level.”

This year marks the first time in tour history that the LPGA schedule will feature back-to-back weeks in the Los Angeles area. The JTBC LA Open will take place at Wilshire Country Club the week prior, April 20-24.

To make it easy to follow, fans will be able to purchase an “LA LPGA Dual Ticket,” a weekly grounds pass for both events.

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