LPGA star Lexi Thompson has officially pulled out of this week's 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club.
The PGA of America did not provide a reason for the 11-time LPGA Tour winner's late-Sunday withdrawal. However, the timing points to a familiar problem.
Lexi Thompson Injury Troubles Disrupt LPGA Majors Run
Thompson sat out this month's 2026 Meijer LPGA Classic with persistent hip pain, a decision she called heartbreaking in an emotional Instagram post.
This latest LPGA Tour exit only deepens what has been a difficult stretch for the 31-year-old US golfer.
Just weeks earlier, Thompson failed to qualify for the US Women's Open. That miss snapped a majors tournament appearance streak dating back to 2007. This latest withdrawal also ends a 15-tournament Women's PGA Championship appearance streak, a run that includes four-career Top 10 finishes.
Thompson is playing a limited LGPA schedule in 2026, with only six starts so far this season. Her best result came at the 2026 Chevron Championship, where she finished tied for 12th.
Her absence at Hazeltine leaves a clear gap in one of the LPGA's premier major fields.
Miyu Yamashita topped the Meijer LPGA leaderboard on Sunday, scoring a stunning playoff victory over Lottie Woad at Blythefield Country Club.
Woad held a one-shot lead heading into the par-5 18th in regulation. The 22-year-old former Florida State star subsequently lipped out a three-foot putt for the win, forcing the playoff.
Yamashita sealed the title by getting up and down for birdie on the first extra hole. The 4-foot-11 Japanese star — the shortest player on the LPGA tour schedule — fired a closing 8-under 64 to come from five back, finishing at 17-under.
"I honestly didn't expect it to end up in a playoff," said the 24-year-old, after entering the week at No. 8 in the LPGA rankings.
The win marks Yamashita's third title. She previously captured the 2025 AIG Women's British Open.
Wei-Ling Hsu and Yan Liu tied for third, with Hsu posting one of the day's best scores at 67. Rookie Riley Smyth made her first cut of the season in her 10th start, tying for 12th.
The KPMG Women's PGA Championship — the season's third major — is the next stop on the LPGA Tour schedule.
The PGA of America and the LPGA Tour announced the official field for the 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship this week ahead of the June 25th major at Minnesota's Hazeltine National Golf Club.
Every player inside the current LPGA rankings' Top 100 earned a spot in the 156-player lineup, making it one of the deepest major fields on the 2026 LPGA schedule.
Nelly Korda, Top-Ranked LPGA Players Head to Hazeltine
Defending champion Minjee Lee headlines a group that includes 12 past winners. 2021 champion Nelly Korda also returns to Hazeltine looking to add a second title. She's coming off a strong 2026 LPGA season that includes a first-time US Open win.
Together, the two former champions anchor a field loaded with experience.
Beyond the LPGA rankings regulars, Amari Avery received a special exemption after a strong showing on the Epson Tour. The young golfer will tee off alongside the sport's most dominant for the first time at a major, adding another storyline to an already stacked week.
However, one spot remains open. Officials reserved the final invitation for the winner of the Meijer LPGA Classic, meaning the full field won't be set until that event wraps.
Once it does, 156 players will converge on Minnesota for four days of championship-caliber golf.
Nelly Korda brought her US Women's Open trophy on a New York City victory tour this week.
The top-ranked LPGA Tour star hit Manhattan eight days after claiming her first title at Riviera, making the rounds across the city.
Nelly Korda's New York Victory Tour Highlights
The 27-year-old opened her week with an appearance on the TODAY Show. She then posed in front of a larger-than-life Nike billboard of herself in the heart of the city.
Korda shared the moment on Instagram alongside the tagline: "It's not easy making it look this easy."
The stop capped a whirlwind stretch that began with a record $2.5 million winner's check at the US Open, the largest purse in women's major history.
Up Next on the 2026 LPGA Tour Schedule
Korda now turns back to the LPGA Tour with two majors left to chase.
The Evian Championship and the AIG Women's Open are the final pieces standing between her and a career Grand Slam. With four major titles already in hand, the LPGA Tour's top-ranked player enters the back half of the 2026 PGA and LPGA schedule as golf's most promising storyline.
Gina Kim and Yana Wilson claimed their first LPGA Tour victories on Sunday. The former Epson Tour teammates topped the LPGA leaderboard at the 2026 LPGA Dow Championship at Midland Country Club.
The pair built their partnership on the developmental Epson Tour before reaching the LPGA. That familiarity showed under final-round pressure.
Gina Kim-Yana Wilson Bond Fuels LPGA Dow Championship Win
Kim made an eagle on a par-5 to shift the momentum, and from there, both players leaned on each other's strengths through the back nine.
For Kim, 26, the victory caps a long stretch of ups and downs. She made just six cuts in 18 starts during the 2024 LPGA season. More recently, she entered the LPGA Dow Championship on a run of three consecutive missed cuts.
"This is a life changer," Kim said.
Wilson took a different path to get here. She had verbally committed to the University of Oregon but chose to turn professional out of high school instead. She earned her Epson Tour membership through LPGA Q-Series and worked her way up.
The LPGA team event win arrives for both golfer just as the 2026 LPGA Tour heads into a demanding run — three major championships fall within the next five weeks.
"I feel like the Epson Tour kind of paved the way for us just to be comfortable out here," Wilson said. "It really just teaches you how to win and be gritty out there."
Nelly Korda returns to the LPGA leaderboard this week at the Dow Championship in Midland, Michigan.
The world No. 1 captured her first US Women's Open title just days ago at Riviera, edging Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez by one shot. Now, after that demanding stretch of major tournaments, she's stepping away from solo play.
Instead, Korda is teaming up with German golfer Olivia Cowan, chasing the top spot on the Dow leaderboard. The pair has already nicknamed themselves "Team Legally Blonde."
LPGA Dow Championship Format Explained
The Dow Championship stands out on the LPGA schedule because the team tournament ditches standard stroke play.
Instead, squads compete for leaderboard spots over 72 holes in two alternating formats. In foursomes rounds, partners hit alternate shots that test player trust and chemistry. In four-ball rounds, however, both golfers hit their own ball, with the better score counting.
And Cowan's steady accuracy complements Korda's length off the tee.
Still, the real draw may be their friendship off the green. Korda said she wanted a lighter week after her solo LPGA Tour grind, and the Dow Championship format offers exactly that.
"It is really nice to switch it up, especially when we’re in the midst of major season," she said. "We have so many in a row where, after AIG, you’re just kind of like burned out, mentally. So, it gives you a little bit more of a boost where you’re maybe smiling a little bit more, having more fun on the golf course."
Korda and Cowan kick off their Dow Championship run at noon, looking to catch Denmark's Nicole Broch Estrup and Scotland's Gemma Dryburgh atop the LPGA leaderboard today.
Nelly Korda captured the 2026 US Women's Open on Sunday, building a wide lead in the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award race.
The world No. 1 closed with a 2-under 69 to finish at 8-under at Riviera Country Club, just one stroke ahead of Charley Hull and Gaby Lopez.
Nelly Korda Extends LPGA Leaderboard Dominance
Korda now holds two major titles this season, after lifting the 2026 Chevron Championship trophy.
That puts her in position for the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, which recognizes the LPGA player with the best record across all five majors. With three events left, it's unlikely for another competitor to catch up.
Beyond the award race, Korda now sits two points from LPGA Hall of Fame eligibility, holding 25 of the requisite 27.
A Career Grand Slam is also in play. Korda needs to win either July's Amundi Evian Championship or AIG Women's Open to earn the honor.
2026 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award Standings
As for the Rolex ANNIKA Major, the winner will be announced after the AIG Women's Open before being celebrated in November at the Rolex LPGA Awards during the CME Group Tour Championship.
Current Major Award rankings:
- Nelly Korda: 120 points
- Ruoning Yin: 30 points
- Charley Hull: 26 points
- Gaby Lopez: 24 points
- Patty Tavatanakit: 24 points
The next LPGA Tour next moves to the 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, teeing off June 24th in Minnesota.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda conquered the Open, scoring her first-ever US Women’s Open victory on Sunday to claim her second straight LPGA major this year.
The win came down to Korda’s final putt. She launched a birdie that kissed rim of the 18th hole to beat No. 7 Charley Hull and No. 22 Gaby Lopez by a single shot.
“It’s even sweeter, especially with that ice cream swirl on the last hole,” Korda said afterwards.
“This week was definitely a grind,” she continued. “I was just grinding out there, and that’s what I guess major championships are all about, right? It doesn’t matter if you have your B or C game. You have to be there mentally.”
The 27-year-old’s long-awaited US Women’s Open win cements a recent return to form. With the win, Korda picked up her fourth 2026 title across eight starts.
“I didn’t feel my best on the back nine,” Korda said. “I had a lot of emotions swirling in my stomach. [But] it’s a dream come true. I’ve dreamt about this moment since I was a little girl.”
World No. 7 Charley Hull made LPGA leaderboard moves over the weekend, nearly leapfrogging eventual winner No. 1 Nelly Korda at the 2026 US Women's Open.
The English golfer shot a 65 on Saturday and a 67 on Sunday at Riviera Country Club, climbing from outside contention to the top of the standings. Her two-round total of 132 matched the championship record Meg Mallon set in 2004.
Charley Hull's Scores Record Weekend at Riviera Tournament
Hull started the weekend well-removed from the LPGA leaderboard's top spot.
She then cut 10 putts from her total over the final two rounds. Sunday's eagle and five birdies pushed her to seven-under par. And on the 18th hole, she sank a putt to post the clubhouse lead.
"I just love playing in the majors," Hull said afterwards. "I feel like sometimes, the first two days, I'm in a 'keep my head in the game' [mentality]. You can't go for everything because it's just early on, but now I have nothing to lose. I can just go at everything and play free golf like I do at home and it's more fun."
Despite the history-making performance, however, Hull's push wasn't enough to seal the win.
Clutch Nelly Korda Finish Secures US Women's Open Title
World No. 1 Nelly Korda birdied the par-five 17th to break a tie at seven-under, before making par on the 18th to win by a single stroke. The victory gave Korda her fourth-career major title — and her second in a row after taking the 2026 Chevron Championship.
Hull andNo. 22 Gaby Lopez shared second-place at seven-under.
The result marks Hull's fifth-career LPGA major runner-up finish. Her previous near-misses came at the 2016 ANA Inspiration, 2023 US Women's Open, 2023 Women's British Open, and 2025 Women's British Open.
The next major LPGA tournament stop will be the 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship in Minnesota. That event tees off on June 25th at the historic Hazeltine National Golf Club.
Jennifer Kupcho shot a 5-under par 66 on Thursday, securing the opening-round lead at the 2026 US Women's Open.
The 29-year-old made seven birdies at Riviera Country Club to hold a one-shot edge over South Korea's Sei Young Kim on the day's leaderboard.
Jennifer Kupcho Surges Up the LPGA Leaderboard
Kupcho led the field in approach shots on the day with an iron play on the second hole that landed within a foot of the pin. She then built momentum with three consecutive birdies during the afternoon stretch.
According to the world No. 26, a pre-tournament scouting trip helped her read Riviera's greens and angles ahead of time.
"I just really, really like the golf course," she said after Round 1. "It's kind of a ball-striker's paradise. Just hit it down the fairway, hit it on the green and make the putts."
A victory would give Kupcho her fifth career LPGA Tour win and her first major title since the 2022 Chevron Championship.
However, she faces stiff competition in Mexico's Gaby Lopez and Japan's Hinako Shibuno, as both ended the day just two strokes back after carding opening rounds of 3-under-par 68. Lopez made five birdies through her first eight holes before three bogeys pulled her back.
No. 1 Nelly Korda Faces Early Hurdles at Riviera
While Kupcho thrived, US star Nelly Korda endured a frustrating opening day, finishing at 2-over par 73 after struggling with accuracy off the tee.
She swapped out a pair of custom Nike shoes sent by NBA superstar LeBron James mid-round, but said the footwear wasn't to blame.
"It wasn't a great day," Korda told reporters. "I hit it really good Monday through Wednesday, so I have honestly no idea where this came from. I'm going to go to the range."
Where to Watch the 2026 US Women’s Open LPGA Leaderboard
Coverage of the second round of the US Women's Open begins today at 2 PM ET, live on USA Network.