The 2023 KMPG Women’s PGA Championship is here, teeing off Thursday and running through Sunday with $9 million in purse money up for grabs.

The tournament, which is being played at the Baltusrol Lower Course in Springfield, New Jersey, features the second-highest purse of the year, with only the U.S. Women’s Open offering more at $10 million.

Women’s PGA Championship:
Schedule and how to watch

Thurs., June 22:

  • 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. — Golf Channel and Peacock
  • 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. — Peacock

Friday, June 23:

  • 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. — Golf Channel and Peacock
  • 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. — Peacock

Saturday, June 24:

  • 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. — Peacock
  • 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. — NBC

Sunday, June 25:

  • 11 a.m. – 2 p.m. — Peacock
  • 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. — NBC

Players to watch

Rose Zhang

All eyes are on newly-minted pro Rose Zhang, who announced following the 2023 NCAA season that she would be leaving Stanford for the LPGA. She won her professional debut at the Mizuho Americas Open in early June, beating Jennifer Kupcho in a playoff. Now she’ll make her major debut as a professional.

“This year, we’ve had a lot of really good golfers,” LPGA star and world No. 2 Nelly Korda said during a pre-tournament news conference. “Rose is one-for-one, so she’s pretty good.

“… It’s amazing to see that she won her first week out as a professional. I think it’s going to be really good for women’s golf. Hopefully, we have some great battles coming down the stretch over the years.”

The No. 1-ranked amateur in the world for 141 weeks (the most of any player ever), Zhang has had a big year, winning her second individual NCAA title and the 2023 Augusta National Women’s Amateur title. And the Women’s PGA Championship is the only major in which she has yet to compete, making it fitting that this will be her first major as a professional. But even as an amateur, she’s never finished below 60th at a major. Her career-high finish in a major came at the 2020 Chevron Championship, in which she tied for 11th place.

Nelly Korda

The No. 2 ranked player in the world, Korda has found her way back after missing significant time last season with an injury and beginning this season with a lower back injury. But that’s not a problem this week.

“I honestly wouldn’t be playing if I wasn’t 100%,” Korda said Tuesday.

She’s consistently been among the world’s best in recent years, but has won just one major: the 2021 PGA Championship. She finished last season on a high, tying for eighth at the Evian Championship, her highest-ever finish at that major. And the time away, she said, has left her “a little bit more hungry.”

Ashleigh Buhai

Buhai enters the major as one of the best players of late. She won the ShopRite tournament, placed third at the Founders Cup and tied for seventh at the Mizuho Americas Open. At last week’s Meijer Classic, she finished tied for 13th, but she has been successful in New Jersey. While she’s not been as successful at the PGA Championship, look for Buhai to capitalize on recent success.

Leona Maguire

Maguire is fresh off a win at the Meijer Classic and has put together three top-10 finishes to begin the 2023 season. If she were to win, she’d become Ireland’s first female major champion, joining the likes of Rory McIlroy and Padraig Harrington.

“Obviously to get my second win is obviously very nice, and I’ll try and give myself as best a chance as possible in the remaining majors this year,” she said. “I didn’t put any pressure on myself this week, so not going to do that for the rest of the season and just enjoy my golf as much as I can.”

Rose Zhang won her LPGA debut on Sunday, just 13 days after the Stanford golfer won her second NCAA title.

The 20-year-old, who became the first to win back-to-back NCAA women’s golf titles, followed up her historic sophomore season by becoming the first player in 72 years to win in her LPGA Tour professional debut. She did so at the Mizuho Americas Open, defeating Jennifer Kupcho in a playoff.

“I just can’t believe it,” Zhang said of the triumphant beginning to her much-anticipated pro career. “It was just last week when I won NCAAs with my teammates, and to turn pro and come out here, it’s just been amazing. I’ve enjoyed the journey.”

Beverly Hanson was the last woman to win in her pro debut, taking the Eastern Open title in 1951.

The performance from Zhang even drew the attention of fellow Stanford golfer Tiger Woods. Zhang tied his Stanford record for wins in a career (12), which had been held by Woods and three other golfers.

“Incredible few weeks for Rose Zhang, defends her NCAA title and then wins in her Pro debut. Go Card!” he wrote.

If you ask Zhang, who led from start to finish, there weren’t a lot of expectations to begin the tournament.

“I honestly didn’t expect to make the cut,” Zhang said. “The reason why I say this is because I don’t think about my expectations a lot. I think about playing golf and shooting the best score I can. I never once think about where I finish, where I should finish. … The expectation for me winning did not even cross my mind. I was just playing my game.”

Women’s sports television viewership continues to grow, with the EuroLeague and LPGA the latest examples of the boom.

The EuroLeague shattered previous highs for engagement in 2022-23, reaching 3.4 million engagements and 124 million impressions for the season. Video views also increased on their YouTube channel, nearly doubling from 25 million in 2021-22 to 48 million this year.

Among the causes for the EuroLeague’s rise is a “rapidly expanding interest from the USA,” according to FIBA. Not only was the U.S. ranked first in the EuroLeague’s audience demographics, surpassing Turkey and Spain, but their use of the league’s website increased by 133 percent in 2022-23.

“We are extremely proud to see the continued rise in popularity of EuroLeague Women. The increased digital growth shows that there is a dedicated and passionate audience that keeps building,” said FIBA Executive Director Europe, Kamil Novak.

“As always, we must continue to push forward in order to reach greater heights and help raise the profile of the women’s game in line with FIBA’s key strategic pillars.”

Meanwhile, the Chevron Championship this past weekend — the first LPGA major of the year — was the most-watched edition of the tournament since 2010. It was also NBC Sports’ most-watched Chevron Championship on record.

The final round on NBC averaged 941,000 viewers, peaking at 1.54 million as Lilia Vu defeated Angel Yin in a one-hole playoff. It was the top-rated sports program on NBC for the week, featured among the top programs for the week across all broadcast networks and was among the top 10 sports broadcasts on Sunday — despite competing against the NBA and NHL playoffs.

The viewership also marked a considerable jump from last year, when the tournament drew 349,000 average viewers on the Golf Channel.

The positive numbers are a reflection of the overall growth in women’s sports attendance and viewership, with the most recent NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament shattering TV records in women’s college basketball.

Lilia Vu became a major winner Sunday at the Chevron Championship, capping off a wild weekend in The Woodlands, Texas.

The 25-year-old American birdied her last two holes, bringing her to a 4-under 68 for the day pushing her into a playoff for the title. Angel Yin also qualified for the playoff, but on the first playoff hole, Yin’s second shot came up short and left, splashing into the pond.

From there, Vu converted on the birdie putt to take the win.

“I knew on that last putt, all I had to do was just do my routine, read the putt how I usually do and just hit this putt because I’ve hit that putt a million times,” Vu said. “And I knew I could make it.”

Yin finished as runner-up in a major for the second time in her career after she tied for second at the 2019 U.S. Women’s Open. World No. 2 Nelly Korda finished in third at 9 under, rounding out the trio of American golfers in the top three.

Vu came into the tournament ranked No. 12 in the world. She earned her first-ever LPGA victory at the Honda LPGA Thailand in February. With her win in this weekend’s major, Vu takes home $765,000, the largest prize in the history of the event.

Angel Yin enters the fourth round of the 2023 Chevron Championship tied for first with Allisen Corpuz after a very lucky bounce.

On the 12th hole at The Club at Carlton Woods, Yin hit the ball into the water and then watched as it — miraculously — bounced out and rolled onto the bank (video embedded below). It was such a surreal shot that even the commentators were left wondering whether it had hit a turtle.

“That was TV-worthy… Bounced out the water and then chipped in for a birdie,” Yin told Golf Channel’s Amy Rogers at the conclusion of the third round, noting that she might also test her luck on a lottery ticket.

It was a lucky shot for a player who is in need of a lucky break. Yin entered the the 2023 Chevron Championship — the first major of the 2023 LPGA Tour — ranked 172nd in the Rolex world rankings. The 24-year-old has struggled with a combination of injuries and mental hurdles in recent years.

“A lot of low points (were mental) because when you play bad, you mentally get down on yourself before your game even does, and you’re just constantly trying to figure out what’s not working and why this is happening,” Yin said on Thursday.

Last year, the California native felt like she was on the verge of losing her LPGA status, but then caught a break when she tied for third at the Founders Cup in New Jersey. And then came even more injuries.

“The last two majors, (the AIG Women’s Open) and Evian [Championship], I couldn’t even move. I got super injured out of nowhere. That was really a low point for me because I couldn’t even get out of bed, and I tried to play still, and it was just impossible.”

The 29 golfers playing in the LPGA’s season-opening tournament do not have access to a locker room, Golfweek’s Beth Ann Nichols reported Tuesday.

The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions is being played at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club. While LPGA players can use the bathrooms and showers in the women’s facility at the club, there are no lockers available, and the area is not private to players.

Finnish golfer Matilda Castren was shocked about the lack of a locker room for the tournament, she told Nichols.

“You should have a certain standard,” the 27-year-old said.

While tournament organizers had planned to provide lockers in another area of the club, the tournament team decided not to do so, the LPGA said in a statement.

“We are always open to player feedback and work with our tournament partners to allocate finite space,” the LPGA said in the statement.

LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan was unaware of the lack of locker room, an LPGA official confirmed to Nichols.

“I’m not mad at the club; I’m not mad at the sponsor,” American golfer Ryann O’Toole said. “I’m annoyed at the LPGA for that just being an overlooked factor.”

American golfer Jessica Korda revealed on Twitter that this marks the second year in a row without lockers at the Tournament of Champions, though lockers were available in years past.

In the aftermath of the Golfweek report, Hilton Grand Vacations worked in partnership with Lake Nona to order 36 temporary lockers, enough for each LPGA player and celebrity player. The lockers were set to arrive by 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, with the first round of the tournament slated to begin Thursday.

The LPGA is set to have a banner year in 2023.

After a 2022 season that featured record-breaking purse after record-breaking purse, the LPGA announced Friday that more than $101 million in prize money will be awarded in 2023 across 33 official events.

That number is an increase from the record $85.7 million golfers played for in 2022. The total also could climb even higher, as some purses could see increases throughout the season. During 2022, multiple majors increased their prize pools on the heels of new sponsorships.

Across the five majors, players will play for an average of $7.58 million per tournament.

Some of the events this season are new to the tour, while others will feature larger purses.

“Our athletes are playing for more total prize money than any time in history, and we have over 500 hours of broadcast television,” LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcous Samaan said. “All those things combine to make the LPGA the leading women’s professional sports property in the world.”

In the United States, the LPGA will play in 11 different states. The tour also will host competitions in 12 different countries and regions across the globe.

One of the locations making its debut on tour will be The Club at Carlton Woods in Texas. That club host the first major of the season, The Chevron Championship, which will feature a $5.1 million purse.

The U.S. Open will feature a purse of at least $10 million, with players competing at Pebble Beach for the first time. A historic course, it’s played host to seven men’s majors and is one of the most popular golf venues in the country.

Two team competitions feature on the schedule in 2023, with the International Crown returning to the tour for the first time since 2018. Additionally, the Solheim Cup will stake place in September in Spain.

The 2023 season will kick off the weekend of Jan. 19 at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida.

Ashleigh Buhai bounced back after watching her five-shot lead evaporate to claim her first major title Sunday at the Women’s British Open.

The South African golfer beat In Gee Chun in a playoff at Muirfield in Scotland, sinking a par putt on the fourth playoff hole to clinch her first LPGA Tour victory.

“I was surprisingly calm,” Buhai said following her win. “My caddie said to me on the last one, I don’t want to brag, but she said, ‘Show them why you’re No. 1 in bunkers this year.’ So, you know, she gave me the confidence. Maybe it’s got something to do with Muirfield and South Africans and bunker shots.”

Buhai kept her head to close out the tournament after surging to a sizable lead through the opening three rounds of competition. The 33-year-old carded a triple bogey on the par-4 15th to lose the lead, shooting 4-over 75 in a challenging final round.

“I know there are a lot of people in South Africa with lots of gray hairs right now after that 15th hole,” Buhai said. “But I’m very proud of myself, the way I dug deep and kept myself in it to get into that playoff.”

Buhai’s victory marks the first time a South African took home the British Open trophy since Alison Sheard in 1979.

Ashleigh Buhai charged to a five-shot lead at the AIG Women’s Open after firing a 7-under 64 in the event’s third round Saturday.

The South African golfer carded eight birdies despite the blustery conditions at Muirfield to amass a sizeable advantage heading into Sunday’s final round.

“Obviously I’m very pleased. To be able to I think shoot that score in those conditions, you have to be able to pat yourself on the back,” said Buhai after her impressive third round. “So much so that I thought I was 6-under, not 7, so I was 8-under playing the last, which I think I have to look back is probably one of the best rounds of golf I’ve ever played.”

At 14- under, Buhai sits in front of Hinako Shibuno and Chun In-gee, who are tied for second at 9-under. With the British Open trophy within reach, Buhai will need to keep her head to close out the final round and clinch her first major title.

“I don’t think you can ever be comfortable in a major whether you’re coming from behind or leading. It’s going to be another tough day. The wind is going to blow, which is good. I prefer it that way,” said Buhai “But they say big leads are often more difficult, and I think because you try to maybe play defensively. But I think I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and sticking to those steps.”

The AIG Women’s Open would mark Buhai’s first LPGA Tour win in 221 starts.

The cut line for the AIG Women’s Open has been drawn, with South Korea’s In Gee Chun leading the pack at 8-under.

This year’s PGA Championship winner, Chun has been driven to the lead this week by her caddie, who bet on Chun recording bogey-free rounds. While she has yet to achieve the feat, that hasn’t stopped her from vaulting to the top of the leaderboard.

“Before the start of the tournament my caddie Dean and I talked about the course, and after that we had a little bit of betting,” Chun said. “If I make a bogey-free round he’s said he’s going to buy me dinner and pay me 100 dollars each day. So before each round it’s like setting another goal. That mindset helped a lot on the course. I had two bogeys over the last two days, but I want to keep trying to make a bogey-free round.”

Seven-time major winner Inbee Park sits in the mix, two shots back of the lead after shooting a 67 on Friday. Others will also look to make a run over the weekend as they battle the Scottish winds.

Just Women’s Sports has three golfers to watch as the tournament enters the weekend.

Celine Boutier

Celine Boutier entered the week having finished second at the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open. While she shot a 3-under 69, LPGA Tour rookie Ayaka Furue had an outstanding round to win the tournament.

Now, Boutier sits tied for seventh entering the weekend, four shots off the lead. The confidence she gained from last weekend’s finish has shown, with the Frenchwoman posting back-to-back scores under par (68 on Thursday, 70 on Friday).

Currently ranked 17th in the world, Boutier has finished in the top 10 six times this season, including tied for fourth at the Gainbridge LPGA and third at the Honda LPGA. A two-time LPGA Tour champion, including last year at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, Boutier has what it takes to fight her way up the leaderboard and, come Sunday, could find herself holding the winner’s trophy.

Rose Zhang

The weekend isn’t over and Rose Zhang already has a trophy. While Zhang sits eight shots off the lead heading into the weekend, she’s the lone amateur in the field to make the cut, meaning she’s won the Smyth Salver for the tournament’s top amateur.

After shooting a 72 on Thursday, she improved by two shots on Friday to shoot 1-under for the day. It’s an improvement from last year, when she didn’t make the cut.

The reigning NCAA individual champion and a member of Stanford’s 2022 NCAA Championship team, Zhang has the abilities to make a run in Scotland. She chose Muirfield over the U.S. Women’s Amateur for her third major start of the season, all three of which she has made the cut.

While the world’s No. 1 amateur tied for 40th at the U.S. Women’s Open and shared 65th two weeks ago at the Evian Championship, Zhang — who currently sits tied for 35th — has an opportunity to place even higher this weekend and will be aiming to do so.

Madelene Sagstrom

Madelene Sagstrom is no stranger to the top of the leaderboard at the AIG Women’s Open, having finished tied for runner-up last year when the tournament was in Carnoustie. Meanwhile, fellow countrywoman Anna Nordqvist claimed the crown.

This year, Nordqvist sits on the outside looking in, having not made the cut, as Sagstrom — who has just one LPGA Tour victory from the 2020 Gainbridge LPGA under her belt — surged on Friday with a 65. She tied with South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai for the best round of the day and now sits one shot back of the lead.

So far this season, Sagstrom has found herself in the top 10 four times, at the DIO Implant LA Open (T3), Palos Verdes Championship presented by Bank of America (T9), Cognizant Founders Cup (T3), and Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play presented by MGM Rewards (T5). She’s found herself near the top of LPGA ranking categories in driving distance, eagles, and birdies — all of which have contributed to her world ranking of No. 32. If anyone in the top 10 has the ability to break through this weekend, it’s Sagstrom.