Five Things to Know About the LPGA Drive On Championship

The LPGA Tour is stateside again and the LPGA Generate On Championship marks the start off of a 5 thirty day period extend in the states for the tour. This weekend’s competitiveness at Superstition Mountain and Nation Club is also a hugely expected return to the desert for the Tour, obtaining not played in Arizona due to the fact the 2019 Cognizant Founders Cup.

Elevated Admirer Practical experience

To rejoice the Tour’s return to Arizona, the LPGA Drive On Championship will give a variety of new supporter activities. The 19th Gap Beer Backyard garden, located around the driving selection, will feature DJs and flat display screen TVs that will broadcast the two the event coverage and some March Madness. There are also memento cups for admirers to choose property at the “You Glow Girl” concession stand at the 17th gap.

First Complete Industry

The LPGA Push On Championship is also the initially complete field event of the year, entire with 144 gamers, two Monday qualifiers – Yaeeun Hong and Celine Herbin – and a $1.75 million purse. Entire world No. 2 Nelly Korda tops that listing together with two-time HSBC Women’s Globe Championship winner Jin Young Ko. Lexi Thompson will also make her 1st start out of 2023 at Superstition Mountain this weekend.

Rookies Debut

This weekend’s festivities will also see a number of rookies making their 1st starts off. Epson Tour graduate Lucy Li is set to make her debut as a whole-fledged LPGA Tour player right after racking up two major 10 finishes on the Tour last season. Fellow graduates Xiaowen Yin, Kiira Riihijarvi, Grace Kim, Celine Borge, Gabriella Then, Yan Liu and Hyo Joon Jang will also make their debuts as LPGA Tour gamers this 7 days. There are also some Q-Collection graduates, like Alexa Pano and Bailey Tardy, that will tee it up for the very first time on tour this week as LPGA rookies. Tardy also competed in Arizona final 7 days at the Epson Tour’s Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golfing Vintage, just a limited 20 miles from Superstition Mountain.

A Rich Record at Superstition

The Tour has a large amount of recollections at Superstition Mountain, which hosted the Safeway Invitational from 2004-2008. Annika Sorenstam (2004, 2005), Juli Inkster (2006) and Lorena Ochoa (2007, 2008) have all claimed titles at the club, making it very well identified amid LPGA enthusiasts and gamers. The club has continued to winner women’s golf and whopping 40% of Superstition Mountain membership is feminine, which contains LPGA stars Carlota Ciganda, Jennifer Kupcho and Anna Nordqvist to title a handful of.

Exclusive Function, Distinctive Defending Winner

This yr marks the fifth enjoying of the LPGA Drive On Championship, which was created as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic. With its initially two iterations in 2020, the match observed Danielle Kang and Ally Ewing hoist the trophy and Austin Ernst followed in 2021. The event started out anew in 2022, expunging all its earlier records, and noticed Leona Maquire turn out to be the 1st participant from Eire to earn on tour. Following Ko properly defended her title at the HSBC Women’s World Championship a several months in the past, it would be unsurprising to see Maguire do the identical. The Irishwoman has been itching for her next profession get given that the close of 2022. In her past 5 commences on Tour, Maguire has nevertheless to finish outside the house the best 20. The 28-12 months-aged has not shed any steam because her runner up consequence at the CME Group Tour Championship and, with so many fantastic reminiscences from last calendar year to gasoline her, Maguire is a probably candidate for a get in Arizona.