Blue Bay LPGA 2025 prize money: Full $2.5 million purse payout in China
Rio Takeda earned her second LPGA win — and first as a tour member — at the Blue Bay event in China.
With it, she collected $375,000 of the $2.5 million purse. Here's a look at the full payout from the LPGA's final tournament of its early-season Asia swing:
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
After losing LPGA card, Maria Fassi learned how to look inward and stop self-sabotaging
After losing LPGA card, Maria Fassi learned how to look inward and stop self-sabotaging Maria Fassi hit rock bottom last year when she lost her LPGA card. Then came the hard conversations – with herself and her team. "I think I was sabotaging myself a lot," said Fassi ahead of the 2025 Meijer LPGA Classic. Six years ago, the powerful Mexican player was on top of the world. She didn't win the Augusta National Women's Amateur but became a fan favorite and overnight star after finishing runner-up to Jennifer Kupcho. A month later, she won the NCAA championship in front of a home crowd in Arkansas and kicked off a professional career that many thought might change the tour. Perhaps it's not surprisingly to learn then, that the now 27-year-old put a lot of pressure on herself. Fassi now finds herself in Grand Rapids, Michigan, playing on a sponsor exemption due in part to the actions of Brittany Lincicome. After the two-time major winner accepted a sponsor exemption of her own to the Meijer, she learned from her friend and former caddie Michelle Simpson that Fassi wasn't in the field. (Simpson now loops for Fassi.) Lincicome realized that she could get in the field using her status as a past champion and didn't need the exemption. She called the tour to make the change and offer a suggestion. "Her and my caddie are very good friends and they were just trying to help me out," said Fassi. "I know I needed a little more this year, the extra help, and it's nice to know that I don't only get it from sponsors, but from fellow competitors and players." The Meijer mark Fassi's fifth LPGA start to the season, and while the scores aren't yet where she'd like them, she's starting to regain some of her confidence. Fassi credited her team for helping to hold herself accountable. For example, when she'd practice last fall, she might be at the golf course for several hours, but wasn't putting in the work in the right places. Her team got right to the point: Stop wasting time. Identify what needs to improve and get to work. "Drills are very boring," Fassi said. "It was not what I wanted to do, but it was what I had to do. "You know, that's more on the golf side. On the mental side, just like stopped lying to myself about things that I was not doing and I was, again, lying to myself, saying that I did do them or something like that. Instead be like OK, you can't expect for something different if you're continuing to go down the same hole ... it was painful looking inward because there was a lot of things I didn't like to see, and I was very angry with myself." But the hard process was worth it, and on the other side, one of the most naturally talented athletes on tour found a way to enjoy the game again. "I'm just proud that I'm showing up for myself and showing up for my team in a positive way," said Fassi, "and not kind of shooting myself in the foot before I even start."
USA Today
3 hours ago
- USA Today
Lexi Thompson addresses non-retirement, begins three-week stretch of LPGA events at Meijer
Lexi Thompson addresses non-retirement, begins three-week stretch of LPGA events at Meijer Lexi Thompson makes her first start of three in a row at this week's Meijer LPGA Classic. The Grand Rapids, Michigan, stop is one of her favorites on tour and it's easy to see why. In 10 appearances, the 2015 Meijer champion has six top-five finishes at Blythefield Country Club. This week marks Thompson's sixth start to the season and next week in Frisco, Texas, she'll tee it up in her third major of 2025 at the KPMG Women's PGA. Given how much she's played so far this season, the schedule certainly doesn't have the feel of a part-time player, but Thompson said she'll probably play around 10 times total this year, meaning the next half of 2025 should be substantially lighter. At last week's U.S. Women's Open, Thompson wrote a post on social media in which she reacted to the slow-play accusations of early in the week and reminded folks that she never used the word retire. 'I feel like once I made the announcement I feel it really got misconstrued that I was retiring,' said Thompson when asked about the post, 'but I never said that word. I just said I was stepping back from a full-time schedule. 'Big picture, I probably shouldn't have said that I was stepping away because people thought I was retiring. Just really wanted to dial back my schedule and have more of a life balance, but at the same time, if I went through a phase where I didn't want to play at all, I left that door open as well.' There certainly was no shortage of press conferences and farewells in 2024, beginning with a thank you letter to golf video she posted during the U.S. Women's Open at Lancaster, in which she said "While it is never easy to say goodbye, it is indeed time." At the Dana Open, Friday was deemed "Lexi Thompson Day," complete with hats, "Thank you, Lexi" buttons and an F-16 flyover from the Ohio Air National Guard. "There could be a point where I go through a few months of not teeing it up," said Thompson of her initial announcement. "I didn't want to just do that to my fans, just disappear on them. That's not right or fair. "I wanted to give the tournaments or the fans an opportunity to watch me possibly the last time at that tournament or in their home city. So I was just putting everybody's thoughts into the announcement as well." After the KPMG, Thompson plans to tee it up in the Dow Championship, a team event in Midland, Michigan, though she didn't think it was the right time to reveal the name of her partner. As for the last two majors of the season, she plans on taking a bit of a break. Thompson last played in the Amundi Evian in 2019. 'Not set in stone right now, but there are some personal things that I have to do when I'm home in the next few months,' she said. 'So we'll see.'
USA Today
8 hours ago
- USA Today
Epson Tour heads to new territory in Michigan this week
Epson Tour heads to new territory in Michigan this week HARBOR SPRINGS, Michigan — Northern Michigan in the summer transforms into a golfer's paradise. Well, summer feels like it's arrived, and come this Friday to Sunday, June 13-15, some of the best women's golfers in the world will hope to turn The Highlands of Harbor Springs Heather Course into paradise. The inaugural Great Lakes Championship at The Highlands presented by Johnnie Walker and part of the Epson Tour will tee off this weekend on The Heather Course. The Epson Tour, once known as the LPGA Futures Tour, is the official qualifying tour for the LPGA Tour, much like the Korn Ferry Tour for the PGA. Events are taking place throughout the week by BOYNE Golf and The Great Lakes Sports Commission, including a pair of Pro-Am events on Wednesday and Thursday, June 11-12. 'The Highlands and BOYNE Golf are honored and excited that the Great Lakes Sports Commission and the Epson Tour have selected The Heather golf course at The Highlands to host the Great Lakes Championship,' said Josh Richter, Boyne Resorts' SVP of golf. 'The Heather was the first BOYNE Golf course and is widely credited as the spark that started the golf boom in northern Michigan. "The Heather launched the region as America's summer golf capital and has hosted many prestigious championships, including five Michigan Amateur Championships since it opened in 1966. We look forward to the test it will provide the outstanding golfers on the Epson Tour on their journey to the LPGA.' From Epson to LPGA: Here are 15 of the most successful LPGA players to graduate from the Epson Tour since 1999, including two Hall of Famers Play will take place from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, and 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The Great Lakes Championship will feature a field of 144 golfers competing for Epson points, of course, as well as a $250,000 purse, of which $37,500 goes to the winner. The field will be cut from 144 to 60 on Sunday, with a 5 p.m. awards ceremony and trophy presentation taking place. General admission is free to attend the 72-hole tournament, though there is a VIP ticket package available at $100 per day or $250 for the full weekend. Slots for the Pro-Am event are full. More: Michigan's best 20 public golf courses rankings: Arcadia Bluffs remains No. 1 More: Best Michigan private golf courses ranked: Alister MacKenzie gem still No. 1 It comes as the third Epson Tour event taking place in Michigan, following the recent FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship in Battle Creek, along with the Island Resort Championship in Harris to follow, with the three making up the new Pure Michigan Cup. The highest points earner within the three events receives extra prize money from the Epson Tour. 'Bringing the Epson Tour to The Heather Golf Course at The Highlands at Harbor Springs will have a big impact on the Petoskey area and the northern Michigan region,' said Great Lakes Sports Commission Executive Director, Eric Marvin. 'The expansion of the Tour's Michigan stretch will not only showcase the unparalleled beauty and unique charm of northern Michigan but also promises to create significant economic impact and international exposure. We are confident that adding another high-profile Epson Tour event will enhance our reputation as a premier destination for golf and we look forward to welcoming the world's top women's golfers to northern Michigan in 2025.' The inaugural field of the Great Lakes Championship will feature many of the top Epson Tour's current top points leaders, including the top five. Current No. 1 with 1,176 points, Gina Kim, will be included in the field, with two wins to her credit already this season. The field will also include second ranked Sophia Schubert and third ranked Laetitia Beck, both with over $200,000 in career earnings. Yana Wilson, an 18-year-old with four career top 10 finishes and a May victory to her credit, will also be in the field, along with No. 5 ranked Minji Kang, who currently leads the Epson Tour with five top 10 finishes in eight events. All-Americans: Golfweek's 2024-25 Women's College Golf All-Americans Michigan natives will also take part in tournament, including BOYNE Golf ambassador and East Kentwood graduate, Sarah White. With an average driving distance of 270.48 yards, White is currently the Epson Tour leader. The former Western Michigan and Texas State golfer earned a 2014 MHSAA Division 1 state championship at East Kentwood and has been with the Epson Tour since 2020. Many of the current top golfers of the LPGA Tour have made their way to the top ranks through the Epson Tour, including current LPGA No. 1, Nelly Korda. Korda has 15 career wins and over $15 million in career earnings. LPGA standouts Inbee Park and Lorena Ochoa are also former Epson Tour competitors, among others. More information on the Great Lakes Championship can be found at: Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@ Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
