The 2023 LPGA season is primed and poised to get started this year when the tour invades the town that Walt Disney built as the tour kicks things off in Orlando, Florida. Being played at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club the Hilton Grand Vacations (#HGVLPGA) is this tour’s Tournament of Champions.
The field is star-studded, as one would expect, featuring winners from both the 2021 and 2022 seasons respectively. The field features top-ranked Rolex OWGR players that includes 2022 Champion Danielle Kang, World #2 Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson (both Korda and Henderson recently signed with TaylorMade Golf), Charley Hull, Patty Tavatanakit, Ariya and Moriya Jutanagarn and others. In total, there will be 29 players teeing off on Thursday when play begins.
These aren’t the only stars that will be teeing it up in Orlando this week as celebrities will be teeing it up, most of whom are champions in their own sports. Annika Sorenstam, World Series champions Joe Carter (Toronto Blue Jays), Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and past winner of the event John Smoltz (Atlanta Braves). The NFL will be well-represented as well by the likes of Emmitt Smith (Dallas Cowboys), Larry Fitzgerald (Arizona Cardinals), Marcus Allen (Oakland Raiders) to name a few. Vince Carter (formerly of the NBA’s Toronto Raptors will also be in the field along with a host of other celebrities from other walks of fame. In total there will be 53 amateurs and celebrities in competition.
The tournament features Modified Stableford scoring format while the professionals will be playing stroke play. A purse of $1.5M is up for grabs for the professionals with the winner collecting $225,000.
Until The Next Tee!!
The Next Tee (TNT) 