Love
Though nonetheless significantly lower than what their PGA counterparts take pleasure in, the whole prize cash supplied at LPGA occasions has seen a major enhance over the previous few years.
A event that typifies this dramatic change is the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, set to end on Sunday at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.
When this identical championship was held at Hazeltine a mere seven years in the past, the whole purse was simply $3.85 million. This week, title sponsor KPMG has raised the whole purse in the occasion to an incredible whole of $13 million, making it the largest prize whole in the historical past of ladies’s golf.
A decade in the past, the whole prize cash for the complete LPGA season was simply $63 million. This yr, the whole has risen to greater than $134 million.
That’s nice information for ladies’s golf. And well-deserved for the world-class athletes who compete on the LPGA Tour on a weekly foundation.
The finest gamers in the recreation will likely be at Hazeltine this weekend, vying for the 2026 Women’s PGA Championship title and a first-place examine of $1.95 million.
American Nelly Korda will likely be a kind of on hand, competing to win her third straight main championship.
Down River
Anthony DeGol and Sean Brannan defended their title from final yr by capturing the 2026 Down River Invitational trophy final weekend in Everett.
DeGol and Brannan scored rounds of 66 and 63 to end with a 36-hole whole of 15-under par, 4 photographs away from three tea — Andrew Ferguson and Shaun Foor, AJ Corle and Brady Smith and Brady Goodling and Trey Heffelfinger.
I had the alternative to play in the event and was totally impressed by the situation of the course. The fairways, greens and tees had been all in nice form, which made the complete weekend an satisfying expertise.
Raystown Resort
It’s been just a little greater than a yr since Huntingdon’s Casey McGraw bought the previous Standing Stone golf course, renaming the membership “Raystown Golf Resort.”
McGraw has carried out an incredible job of upgrading the clubhouse services together with the golf course itself. The complete facility is in good situation and price the journey to see it in particular person.
With that stated, the membership has lately introduced they are going to be internet hosting a two-ball invitational event scheduled for mid-July (Standing Stone held a well-liked two-ball occasion throughout this identical timeframe in years previous).
The first annual Raystown Golf Resort Invitational event is scheduled for 36 holes of stroke play over Saturday and Sunday, July 18-19 (with a observe spherical and skins recreation on Friday).
More junior golf
Along with the common iRN junior golf occasions performed in our space, the Ridge Runner junior golf tour additionally permits younger golfers a spot to compete and be taught the recreation.
Upcoming occasions on the Ridge Runner tour embrace Windber CC (July 9), Summit CC (July 13), Scotch Valley CC (July 16), Philipsburg Elks GC (July 23), Park Hills CC (July 28) and Iron Masters CC (Aug. 4).
Entry may be made instantly to every membership’s professional store, not more than two weeks upfront.
90 years in the past
During the final week of June in 1936, Tyrone Golf Club head professional Walter Work set a brand new course document at the Tyrone hyperlinks, enjoying two instances round the nine-hole course.
Work scored six birdies and 12 pars en route to an 18-hole rating of 6-under, 66. His rating bettered the earlier document of 69 set by assistant professional Red Francis.
Ken Love covers native golf for the Mirror. He may be reached at [email protected].