The third Major of the LPGA season is upon us as the Tour heads to the northwest for this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
The second longest standing event on the LPGA schedule will take place this week at the storied Sahalee Country Club in Washington.
This event was first staged in 1955 and is only outdated by the U.S. Women’s Open on the LPGA schedule.
Outside of the chance to cement their names in women’s golf history by claiming a Major and claiming the $1.5 million prize, this week is the final chance to secure qualification for the Olympic Games in France later this summer.
The Field
This week’s field will consist of 156 of the world’s best women golfers.
Amongst them is World No. 1 Nelly Korda who looks to put her horrid U.S. Women’s Open performance behind her. Korda is a six-time winner on the season and also won the first Major of the season in the Chevron Championship.
Yuka Saso will also be back in action, after claiming the U.S. Women’s Open title in Lancaster a month back.
China’s Ruoning Yin comes in as the defending champion. She sunk a birdie on the 18th hole a season ago to edge Saso to claim last year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Lilia Vu missed the better part of three months due to injury, including the first two Majors of the season. She returned last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic where she won. She too will be teeing it up this week.
Other notable names teeing it up this week include Atthaya Thitkul, Ayaka Furue, Brooke Henderson, Jin Young Ko, Roze Zhang and Hannah Green.
Other former KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winners in this week’s field include Korda (2021,) Sei Young Kim (2020,) Green (2019,) Danielle Kang (2017,) Henderson (2016,) Yani Tseng (2008 & 2011,) Cristie Kerr (2010) and Anna Nordqvist (2009.)
The Course
Sahalee Country Club will play host this week and is no stranger to hosting PGA Championships.
The venue has hosted both the men’s and women’s PGA Championship in the past.
Sahalee Country Club was the venue in which Vijay Singh won his first Major in 1998 as he bested Steve Stricker by two strokes.
Eighteen years later it played host to the Women’s PGA Championship in 2016 that saw Henderson win her maiden Major title. She bested Lydia Ko in a sudden-death playoff to do so.
Sahalee Country Club was originally designed by Ted Robinson in 1969. It was remodeled by Rees Jones in 1997, prior to the playing of the PGA Championship.
It has been a staple in Golf Digest’s Top 100 Courses for more than 20 years.
It plays as a par-72 at roughly 7,007 yards.
It may best be known for its narrow tree-lined fairways that will take an accurate approach off the tee to attack.
The line of defenses are essentially endless as hazards are littered throughout the course. This too suggests that accuracy off the tee is a must.
The Weather
As of the time of writing this, the weather is on our side for this event. There is at most a 20-percent chance of precipitation across all four days this week. Winds too will average between six-and-eight miles-per-hour. Temperatures will range between 79-to-83 degrees between Thursday and Saturday before falling to 64-degrees on Sunday. In all, it looks like it’ll be a clear four days of golf.
Key Stats
Driving Accuracy
Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)
Putting Average
Sand Saves
Scoring Average
Par 5 Average Scoring
Betting Card
Ayaka Furue (+1800)
It’s easy to overshadow the season anyone is having with Korda on Tour. However, Furue has been one of the hottest golfers in not only the LPGA, but the entire world as of late. Leading up to this event, she has four straight top eight finishes. She placed T8th at last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic, T2nd at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, T6th at the U.S. Women’s Open and T7th at the Mizuho Americas Open. In total, through 14 events she’s played this season, she has placed top 25 in 12 of them, top ten in eight and top five in four of them. Furue is currently third on Tour in scoring average, fourth in driving accuracy, 16th in GIR%, 17th in putting average, 19th in par five average scoring, 72nd in sand saves and 117th in average driving distance. I’m playing two units on her this week.
Lilia Vu (+2200)
I know Vu missed the better part of three months with injury between March and June, but she returned last week for the Meijer LPGA Classic where she won. There doesn’t seem to be any rust or hindrance to her game. This will also be her first Major of the season but she is a two time Major winner for a reason. Vu is currently fourth on Tour in sand saves, fifth in scoring average, tenth in GIR%, 17th in driving accuracy, 30th in putting average, 56th in par five average scoring and 91st in average driving distance. I’m playing a unit on her.
Jenny Shin (+5000)
Shin comes into this week fresh off a T9th at the ShopRite LPGA Classic two weeks back. She also placed T19th at the U.S. Women’s Open. Through 11 events she’s played this season, she has six top 25’s and two top tens. Shin is currently tenth on Tour in par five average scoring, 21st in GIR%, 23rd in scoring average, 24th in driving accuracy, 34th in sand saves, 74th in putting average and 86th in average driving distance. I’m also playing a unit on her this week.
Marina Alex (+6600)
Alex has very quietly been one of the best golfers on the LPGA as of late. She placed T25th at last week’s Meijer LPGA Classic but prior to that went T6th at the ShopRite LPGA Classic, T7th at the Mizuho Americas Open and T25th at the Cognizant Founders Cup. She didn’t play in the U.S. Women’s Open but placed T30th at the Chevron Championship. Alex is currently second on Tour in driving accuracy, 13th in sand saves, 18th in GIR%, 19th in scoring average, 23rd in par five average scoring, 52nd in putting average and 143rd in average driving distance. I’m playing a unit on her.
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