The 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship announced on Tuesday that the purse for this week’s LPGA major at Congressional Country Club has been doubled to $US9 million. While this changes the payouts throughout the field, notably, the winner will receive $US1.35 million. That’s double what Nelly Korda earned when she won the tournament in 2021. Australia’s Hannah Green won the event in 2019.
“When the PGA of America partnered with KPMG and the LPGA Tour in 2015, we promised to elevate this event by increasing the purse, conducting it at venues with a history of hosting men’s major championships such as Congressional Country Club, and delivering broadcast network coverage with NBC Sports,” Jim Richerson, president of the PGA of America, said in a statement. “As part of our shared commitment to support and showcase women’s golf, we have delivered on those promises.”
This isn’t the first Major to announce a huge purse increase on the LPGA Tour in 2022. In January, the USGA announced an increase from $5.5 million to $10 million for the US Women’s Open. The Chevron Championship, the first Major of the year, also had a massive increase, growing from $3 million to $5 million. The Amundi Evian Championship, which will be played in July, increased its purse from $4.5 million to $6.5 million.
These increases, along with others on the schedule, have made 2022 a record-breaking year for the LPGA: In 2022, the players on the LPGA Tour are playing for $97.1 million.
FIVE PLAYERS TO WATCH
The Women’s PGA Championship is being played at Congressional Golf Club, marking the first time the iconic venue will host a women’s professional golf tournament. Two LPGA majors have already been played in 2022, with Jennifer Kupcho winning her first major at the Chevron Championship and Minjee Lee winning the US Women’s Open at Pine Needles. Below, we’ve mapped out five players who we’ll be watching at the third major of the year:
Minjee Lee
Can the Aussie win consecutive Majors? Lee won most recent women’s Major, the US Women’s Open at Pine Needles. Combined with her 2021 Evian Championship victory, the US Open triumph catapulted her into an illustrious group of Australians to have won multiple golf Majors in their careers. All eyes will be on the world No.3 to see if she can bag a third Major and second this year.
Brooke Henderson
At the ShopRite LPGA Classic, just a few weeks before the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Henderson won her first tournament of 2022. In a season where a rule change required her to change the length of her driver shaft, Henderson’s been looking for the right driver setup. In New Jersey, it was clear she’d found it. She hit every fairway on Sunday and said she’s gotten her driver distance back up where she likes to see it. Another change which seemed to be working was her putting grip: She’s switched to left-hand low. With the driver and putter dialed in, Henderson is worth watching at the KPMG, a championship she won in 2016.
Jin Young Ko
The No. 1 player in the world is worth watching at any tournament, but she’s especially interesting at Congressional because as we enter the second half of the LPGA season, Ko has only won once and hasn’t won a major since 2019. In other words, she’s due for a win and it only feels fitting for it to happen on a big stage like Congressional. Though her driving distance is relatively low (108th on tour) she makes up for it with accuracy, hitting 82 percent of fairways and 74 percent of greens. That level of accuracy keeps her out of trouble and greatly diminishes the potential for big numbers, which is key at any major championship.
Nelly Korda
Korda is defending this championship, having won the 2021 edition at Atlanta Athletic Club. Her 2022 season has not gone as anyone could have expected. In March, Korda’s season came to a halt when she was diagnosed with a blood clot. She later underwent surgery to get the clot removed. At the U.S. Women’s Open, Korda made her return and the time off didn’t appear to have slowed her down: She finished T-8. Now, having gotten back into the rhythm of tournament golf, she could be primed to defend at Congressional.
Ashley Grier
There are eight PGA and LPGA teaching pros in the field at Congressional, and while it’s fun to watch each of them to see who might make the cut, eyes will be on Ashely Grier because she’s a local. She teaches not far from Congressional, at Ying Ling’s Golf Center. This is her sixth major championship, and when interviewed by the PGA before the tournament, she’s full of confidence and belief. Her second-round 72 at the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is a sign of her ability on the major stage.
