The LPGA returns to the Midwest for the Kroger Queen City Championship after consecutive events in Vancouver and Portland on the West Coast.
Kenwood Country Club, in Madiera (Ohio), is the official host venue for this second event. Ally Ewing was the winner of the first tournament last year.
The field includes 13 of the top 25 LPGA players in the CME point race, including No. Rose Zhang, ranked 28th in the world, will be playing. The field will include 144 players competing for a prize pool of $2 million. $300,000 goes to the winning player.
Here are some of the most important stories to watch this week. , courtesy of Golfweek’s USA TODAY Partner, the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Strong field
Twelve of the 18 winners from the LPGA 2023 have come to Queen City. The top-ranked golfer is No. Ruoning Yin, KPMG Women’s PGA champion. She is joined by No. Allisen Corpuz, the U.S. Open champion, and Linn Grant (No. 15) are also in the top six. Linn Grant won her first LPGA event earlier this year, in Toledo. Chanettee Wannasaen (19 years old), who won last week’s LPGA tournament in Portland as a qualifier on Monday, will be there.
The home stretch
The Queen City Championship will be one of the last eight events in the LPGA 2023 season. The tour has hosted 10 events since the U.S. Women’s Open at the beginning of July. Golfers have been able to play in six different countries. Since June, many golfers haven’t had a weekend off.
The LPGA will return on September 29 after a short break.
Grant is on a roll
Grant, 24, a Swedish golfer, plays the best of her career in her first Kroger Queen City Championship. She is currently No. She is currently ranked No. 15 in the Rolex Rankings, and No. 17 in the CME Rankings. CME Rankings: 17 She has had six top-20 finishes in a row since her victory in the Dana Open. She also placed in the top 10 at the CPKC Women’s Open, and the Portland Classic.
“I don’t feel that it has changed at all.” Grant explained that he felt more confident in the regular weeks, but that he still needed to be able perform without getting too excited. “I’m pretty good about resetting every week and figuring out how my game feels and how I feel,” Grant said.
Ohio native Hammond is looking forward to a promising future
Mia Hammond, who turned 15 just five months ago, made her LPGA debut this summer. She won her qualifier and became the youngest player at the Dana Open.
Hammond is a native of New Albany, Ohio and a sophomore in New Albany High School. She tied for 26th place as the only amateur on the field. Tom Hammond, Hammond’s dad, will be her caddie this week at Kenwood Country Club. Hammond received a sponsor invitation.
My goal is to make it through the first two rounds, and then move on. Hammond stated, “I’m trying to soak up this experience and enjoy it as much I can.” I don’t have high expectations of myself for this week. “Just to have fun, and soak up all the experience.”
Xiyu lin hopes to break through
Xiyu Lin, of China, was unable to win the trophy last year with a score of 21-under-267. She lost by just one stroke to Ewing. Lin is a world-ranked golfer, but she has never won an LPGA tournament. Lin has been a runner up four times in the past two years, including Cincinnati last year.
