The LPGA is hitting new heights this week, as the US Women’s Open takes over Riviera Country Club with a record $12.5 million on the line.

The tournament upped the ante after offering $12 million in 2024 and 2025, becoming the latest LPGA Tour event to raise its purse this year.

“We’re proud to lead on that front as we lift up the women’s game,” USGA Chief Championships Officer John Bodenhamer said.

Sweden’s Maja Stark returns after capturing the 2025 title, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda hunts the only major LPGA trophy missing from her shelf.

Michelle Wie West also joins the this week’s LPGA leaderboard, using her last year of exemption after stepping away from pro golf three years ago.

Where to Watch the 2026 US Women’s Open LPGA Major

The US Women’s Open tees off today at 9:45 AM ET, with live coverage across USA and Peacock.

Defending US Women's Open champion Maja Stark handed back her first major LPGA trophy this week.

As tradition dictates, the Swedish golf star had to physically return the Harton S. Semple trophy she won at last year's tournament before this week's 2026 US Women's Open kicks off.

However, rather than feeling a sense of loss, Stark admitted the exchange brought a wave of relief.

"It was fun to have it, but it's more fun to play for it," Stark told The Golf Channel.

Maja Stark Shows Renewed Focus Ahead of 2026 US Open

The symbolic gesture coincides with a significant mental shift for the 26-year-old.

After shocking the field with her 2025 victory at Erin Hills, Stark slid into a post-major slump. The breakthrough win secured her LPGA Tour card for five years, but the security unexpectedly dented her competitive drive. She subsequently struggled under the pressure, missing five cuts in her next seven starts.

To recapture her form, Stark explained she relied on a team of sports psychologists to get back on track. Her focus then shifted from defending a title to chasing a new one.

"I have so many people around me saying, 'This is okay,'" Stark said. "'You're going to get through this even if you don't feel like it, and you're going to get back to normal.' All of a sudden it happened."

And the adjustments are paying off.

Stark arrives at the historic Riviera Golf Course having made seven of her last eight cuts, while a recent putter change has also boosted her confidence.

With every major winner since 2021 gunning for this week's LPGA leaderboard, Stark will face steep competition in her quest to reclaim her championship title.

Where to Watch the US Women's Open at Riviera Golf Course

The 2026 US Women's Open tees off 9:45 AM ET on Thursday, with live LPGA major coverage starting at 2 PM ET on USA Network.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda clocked her best finish of the 2025 season at this weekend's US Women's Open, tying Japan's No. 14 Rio Takeda for second place as the decorated US golfer continues to hunt her first LPGA Tour win of the year.

"When you come so close and you kind of feel that adrenaline coming down 18, the one thing that you want to do is hold the trophy at the end of the day," Korda said afterwards. "And I'm not."

That said, Korda's second-place finish marks her best showing yet at the US Women's Open, and a significant boost from last year's edition in which she failed to make the cut following an 80-stroke opening round.

"To have that showing last year definitely put a dagger into my heart, but that's just golf," the 26-year-old said after the tournament. "You're going to lose more than you win a majority of the time."

"I feel like I actually learn a lot about myself and my game and where I need to improve playing the US Women's Open because it does test every part of your game," Korda added.

Stark, Cooper climb leaderboard at US Women's Open

While the second-place finish earned Korda and Takeda each a check for $1,052,621, it was Sweden's No. 6 Maja Stark whose two-shot lead had her walking away with both her first career major trophy and the $2.4 million winner’s purse — the largest payday in the sport.

"It feels so surreal, and it felt like it was so far away just a couple of weeks ago," said the 25-year-old after claiming the title.

Notably, another US golfer walked away with a large paycheck, as world No. 155 Hailee Cooper finished the tournament tied for seventh to take home $358,004.

The 25-year-old, who competes on the developmental Epson Tour in hopes of earning LPGA membership, banked just under $50,000 in her 2025 play before becoming the second-best US finisher in the 2025 US Women's Open on Sunday — Cooper's first-ever LPGA Tour event as a pro.

"I walked out and [the officials] go, 'So you want to see the money?'" Cooper said about her Top 10 finish. "I walked up and I immediately started crying when I saw the numbers. I'm like, 'Oh, gosh, there are six of them.'"

"It's life changing for sure," she explained. "It makes professional golf a lot easier financially now, so it will be really nice."