Follow: The Women's PGA Championship
Seven Australians, including former champion Hannah Green, will feature in the second women’s major of the year, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, to be held on the Lower Course of the Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey, starting on Thursday night (Aust time).
Last year’s event at Congressional was a strong one for the Australian contingent with Minjee Lee finishing equal second, one shot away from the winner, Korean In Gee Chun.
Hannah Green, who won the title in 2019, tied for fifth and Steph Kyriacou turned in four rounds of 72 to grab a share of 10th position.
THE COURSE
Baltusrol Golf Club is the latest in a long line of historic venues to undergo a restoration at the hands of Gil Hanse. The golf course architect led the efforts at the Lower Course, which was returned to its original, century-old layout. The one originally envisioned by its first architect, A.W. Tillinghast.
For the first time since its restoration was completed in 2020, Baltusrol will host a major championship with the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship being staged at the storied venue for the first time.
It’s only the third time in the history of women’s golf that one of its major championships will be played on the Lower Course, which twice hosted the US Women’s Open, most recently in 1981.
HEADLINERS
Jin Young Ko headlines the field as No.1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, a position that, as of Monday, she’s held for 158 weeks, tying Lorena Ochoa’s record.
New Zealand’s Lydio Ko is already a two-time winner this season, and will be seeking her third major championship and first KPMG Women’s PGA Championship title.
Lilia Vu, winner of the first major of the year at The Chevron Championship, joins Ko as the only other two-time winner so far this season.
The field also features seven other 2023 champions: Brooke Henderson, Ashleigh Buhai, Grace Kim, Hannah Green, Jodi Ewart Shadoff and last week’s winner, Leona Maguire.
Defending champion: In Gee Chun (Korea)
Prizemoney: US$9 million
Live scores: www.lpga.com
TV coverage
All live programming on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports. Highlights on Fox Sports 503. (AEST times)
Friday 2am-5am (live); 11am-noon (highlights); 6pm-7pm (highlights)
Saturday 2am-9am (live); 10am-11am (highlights)
Sunday 1am-8am (live); 10.30am-11.30am (highlights); 6pm-7pm (highlights)
Monday 1am-8am (live); 11am-1pm (highlights)
Round 1 tee times AEST
9pm Thursday Karis Davidson
9.11pm Gabriela Ruffels
10pm* Steph Kyriacou
10.17pm Hannah Green
10.22*pm Sarah Kemp
10.39pm Minjee Lee
2.27am* (Fri) Su Oh
2.44am Grace Kim
Australian Player Profiles
Karis Davidson
World ranking: 249
Age: 24
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: First appearance
The lowdown: In her second full year on the LPGA Tour, Davidson has made the cut in four of seven events, including the first major of the year, The Chevron Championship, with a best finish of equal 17th in the matchplay event in late May. Those results have her sitting in 91st place in the Race to the CME Globe standings.
Hannah Green
World ranking: 15
Age: 26
Major wins: 1
LPGA Tour wins: 3
Best finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: Champion in 2019
The lowdown: Green returned to the winner’s list on the LPGA Tour for the first time in over three years with a playoff triumph at the JM Eagle LA Championship in April moving her back inside the world top 20. Last year, Green recorded two top-10s in majors and at Baltusrol she’ll be keen to bounce back from a rare missed cut in the opening major of 2023, The Chevron Championship.
Grace Kim
World ranking: 82
Age: 22
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 1
Best finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: First appearance
The lowdown: It’s already been a memorable year for the Sydneysider who won her first LPGA title at the Lotte Championship in Hawaii in April. She followed up three events later with another top 10 at the Founders Cup. The Women’s PGA Championship will be her third start in a major and another chance to show her considerable progress.
Steph Kyriacou
World ranking: 113
Age: 22
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: T10 (2022)
The expectation: A consistent 2023 campaign has seen Kyriacou make the cut in all but one event, highlighted by a top-10 finish at the Mizuho Americas Open which featured a season-best 65 in the third round. Major golf has been good for Kyriacou. Her tie for 10th in last year’s Women’s PGA Championship at Congressional was one of two top-10s in majors in 2022.
Minjee Lee
World ranking: 5
Age: 27
Major wins: 2
LPGA Tour wins: 8
Best finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: T2 (2022)
The lowdown: The Women’s PGA Championship is one of three majors that Minjee has yet to win with her tie for second last year being the first time she’d made the top 10 in the event. Last year’s major season saw the West Australian finish three times in the top five and she’s again favoured to be among the main contenders at Baltusrol. Her best finish so far this year was second to Jin Young Ko in the Founders Cup last month – an indication she is approaching her best form.
Su Oh
World ranking: 236
Age: 27
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: T8 (2016)
The lowdown: Oh has played a mix of LPGA and Epson Tour events so far this year and there were some great signs a fortnight ago when she achieved her best result for 2023 at the Shoprite LPGA Classic where she tied for sixth. A good result here would provide a nice boost to her world ranking which has fallen outside the top 200 in recent weeks.
Gabriela Ruffels
World ranking: 222
Age: 23
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: T31 (2021)
The lowdown: Ruffels will bring her outstanding Epson Tour form, including two victories and three other top-15 finishes this year, to the big stage where she will be seeking her first top 10 at a major. It was at this event two years ago that Ruffels announced she was moving to the pro game after a fine amateur career.
Sarah Kemp
World ranking: 152
Age: 37
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship: T37 (2014)
The lowdown: Back-to-back 13th place finishes at the Founders Cup and LA Championship have been the highlight of Kemp’s LPGA season so far in 2023. Earlier in the year, she tied for fifth and was the highest placed woman in the mixed field at the TPS Sydney event at Bonnie Doon. Kemp comes into the PGA in 96th position on the Race to the CME Globe standings.