This week, the LPGA’s season begins at the Hilton Grand Vacation Tournament of Champions. The locker room chatter will be kept to an absolute minimum.
Last year, LPGA stars and female celebrities started the week without lockers because a storm had damaged the permanent lockers in the locker room for women at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club.
The tournament had planned to place temporary lockers on the second floor of the clubhouse, next to the player dining area. However, that area didn’t include bathrooms. LPGA officials cancelled the lockers and decided to use this space for other uses by players.
After a few players voiced their concerns publicly, 36 temporary lockers arrived on the course on Wednesday, during tournament week.
Even though temporary lockers were provided, this area of the locker room was not reserved for players only. It was used by sponsors, VIPs, and tournament staff.
The tournament officials have announced that this year LPGA players, celebrities, and VIPs will all be assigned a locker in the clubhouse. However, the area will still be used by staff and VIPs.
Aaron Stewart, Hilton Grand Vacations’ VP of Sports Marketing, stated that “similar to other LPGA events, selected tournament sponsors and staff members will have access to the Clubhouse, including the restrooms within the locker rooms.”
The LPGA and female celebrities have their own private restrooms in the upper area of the clubhouse, adjacent to the player-only dining rooms. We have worked closely together with the LPGA in order to ensure that all security and access policies were followed.
Brooke Henderson poses in front of the trophy she won at the 2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions held at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, Orlando. (Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
The LPGA Tour responded to a question about how many events offer locker rooms that are accessible by non-players. “Each LPGA Tour event has its own clubhouse configurations and access rules, based on various factors.”
The locker room is also a place where security is in place to ensure our athletes’ safety.
The LPGA’s two previous season winners are invited to compete at the TOC for $1.5 million in prize money, while celebrities will be competing for $500,000.
World No. 1 Lilia Vu leads the field along with No. World No. Ruoning Yun, Lake Nona’s Lydia Ko, Nelly Ko and Rose Zhang.
Annika Sorenstam will also compete with NBC’s Dylan Dreyer in the celebrity category, along with Lando Donovan of U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame, Vince Carter of eight-time NBA All-Star, Chris Lane of country music, and World Series champion John Smoltz.
Annika Sorenstam watches her after she hits the ball on the 18th tee at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, held on January 20, 2023 at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images).
Stewart added, “We’re honored to be partnering closely with the LPGA Tour and its fantastic golfers.”
We always take their feedback into consideration when making decisions about the tournament. We want it to be a fun experience for them to return to every year. Many players told us that they were pleased with the speedy resolution of the locker issue last year, as we understood it wasn’t ideal.
