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KPMG Women's PGA raises purse to $12 million, adds Featured Groups to broadcast lineup

KPMG Women's PGA raises purse to $12 million, adds Featured Groups to broadcast lineup

USA Today3 days ago

KPMG Women's PGA raises purse to $12 million, adds Featured Groups to broadcast lineup
The 11th edition of the KPMG Women's PGA will feature more bells and whistles than ever before, not to mention more money. On Tuesday, tournament officials announced a purse increase to $12 million, matching the U.S. Women's Open for the highest prize fund on tour. For perspective, just four years ago the purse was $4.5 million.
The 156-player field, which features the top 100 players in the Race to CME Globe rankings, will take on the Fields Ranch East course June 19-22 at PGA Frisco. It marks the second major championship for the young course, which opened in May 2023. Steve Stricker won the PGA Senior in a playoff against Padraig Harrington two years ago.
In addition to the strong purse and field, the championship's broadcast coverage will include nearly 100 hours of live, streaming and ancillary coverage across NBC, Golf Channel and Peacock. And, for the first time, Featured Groups presented by KPMG and T-Mobile for Business, will be available on Peacock. LPGA Hall of Famer Judy Rankin and Grant Boone will be in the booth for Featured Groups coverage.
For several years ago, KPMG has been the driving force behind the LPGA's enhanced stats offerings with the season-long KPMG Performance Insights.
Once again, the championship will offer KPMG Champcast, which uses the same ShotLink Pro technology from the PGA Tour along with new AI-enhanced features. This year, players will receive a KPMG Performance Insights Daily Recap that includes hole-by-hole AI-powered analysis and AI-generated scoring targets of where the cut might fall and the winning score.
'KPMG's commitment to excellence extends to women's golf, and through our collaboration with the PGA of America and LPGA Tour, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship is the best event on the LPGA Tour,' Paul Knopp, KPMG U.S. Chair and CEO said in a statement.
'The high purse, top courses, comprehensive broadcast coverage, and technology are all ways we are setting the standard. Technology is changing business and sports and, similar to the AI enablement we deliver for our clients, we're equipping LPGA players with new AI capabilities through KPMG Performance Insights, enabling them to take their game to new heights.'

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Jeeno Thitikul stays patient and goes on a birdie streak to take first-round lead at Women's PGA

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Here's why there were more doubles than birdies on the 18th at KPMG
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USA Today

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Yealimi Noh, Lexi Thompson finish strong despite six-hour round at toasty KPMG Womens PGA FRISCO, Texas – Yealimi Noh and Lexi Thompson birdied two of the last three holes coming down the stretch at the KPMG Women's PGA despite a grueling wait in the heat. There were four groups on the eighth tee at the Field Ranch East course when the marquee group came through Thursday evening. 'It was pretty brutal,' said Thompson of their six-hour round. 'I just drank a lot of water and tried to stay loose when we were in those waits on those holes and stay mentally in it.' The short par-4 seventh at 317 yards lured players into getting as close as possible, with a tricky green, and the par-3 eighth featured an unfriendly hole location. Add in a reachable par 5 to finish, and it all added up to a big backup. 'It was just like wait, wait, wait,' said Thompson. Noh, one of 15 different winners on tour this season, shot 2-under 70 to finish two back of leader Jeeno Thitikul, who made miles of putts in her morning 68. 'My umbrella was the only shade out there,' said Noh of a toasty Texas day. After a sluggish start, Thompson shot even-par 72 to sit in a share of 16th along with world No. 1 Nelly Korda and Rose Zhang. The KPMG marks Thompson's seventh start of the season. She tied for fourth at last week's Meijer LPGA Classic. A total of 15 players broke par in the opening round.

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