The LPGA Tour is in Bethesda, Maryland for the 68th staging of the Women’s PGA Championship at the Congressional Country Club.
The 156-player field will compete for a $9 million purse, including a $1,375,000 payday, with the chance to hoist the LPGA’s biggest and best-looking trophy.
Headlining the field this week will be 12 of the season’s 13 winners, including last week’s Meijer LPGA winner Jennifer Kupcho.
The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is the season’s third of five majors, and the 16th event of the 34-tournament LPGA season.
2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
The Skinny
Tournament: KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Tour Debut: 1955
Dates: June 23-26, 2022
Where: Bethesda, MD
Course: Congressional Country Club
Distance: Par 72, 6831 yards
Architect: Robert Trent Jones
Purse: $9,000,000
Winning Share: $1,375,000
Defending Champion: Nelly Korda
How to Follow the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
TELEVISION: Thu-Fri: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (GOLF), 5-7 p.m. (Peacock); Sat-Sun: 1-4 p.m. (NBC)
LINKS: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Women’s PGA History
The third major of the LPGA season is also one of the Tour’s major mainstays, ranking second in longevity after first being staged in 1955.
Formerly known as the LPGA Championship, with McDonald’s as the title sponsor for nearly two decades. In 2014, the LPGA announce that the PGA of America would become a partner of the event, and that it would be renamed the Women’s PGA Championship, and become a sister event to the men’s PGA Championship (in a similar manner to the U.S. Women’s Open being a sister event to the men’s U.S. Open).
The partnership included a new title sponsorship agreement with KPMG, an increase in purse, a commitment by NBC to provide network television coverage of the weekend rounds, and a vision for the event to be contested on some of the nation’s most proven championship venues.
With Congressional Country Club playing host in 2022, it marks the eighth straight iconic venue since the PGA of America took it over: Westchester (2015), Sahalee (2016), Olympia Field (2017), Kemper Lakes (2018), Hazeltine (2019), Aronimink (2020) and Atlanta Athletic Club (2021).
Many of the most iconic names in women’s golf have their names engraved on the silver trophy, including Mickey Wright, who’s legacy as one of the LPGA’s all-time great champions is tied to the Women’s PGA.
Wright won the title four times, all in a six-year span – with her first in 1958, back-to-back in 1960 and ’61, and then her final title two years later in 1963.
Five more of the all-time LPGA greats each won the title three times including Nancy Lopez, Se Ri Pak, Annika Sorenstam, Kathy Whitworth and, most recently, Inbee Park.
Park and Sorenstam won their titles in three consecutive years.
Other marquee names to have won the LPGA major include Betsy Rawls, Beth Daniel, Betsy King, Juli Inkster, Laura Davies and Cristie Kerr.
Recent superstars to win the KPMG include Brooke Henderson (2016), Danielle Kang (2017) and Nelly Korda (2022).
With the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open already in the books for 2022, the two remaining majors after this week are: the Ricoh Women’s British Open and the Evian Championship.
History: Tournament Names
- KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (2015–)
- Wegmans LPGA Championship (2011-14)
- LPGA Championship by Wegmans (2010)
- McDonald’s LPGA Championship by Coca-Cola (2004-09)
- McDonald’s LPGA Championship by AIG (2001-03)
- McDonald’s LPGA Championship (1994-00)
- Mazda LPGA Championship (1987-93)
- LPGA Championship (1973-1986)
- Eve-LPGA Championship (1971-72)
- LPGA Championship (1955-70)
History: Recent Winners
2021: Nelly Korda (-19)
2020: Sei Young Kim (-14)
2019: Hannah Green (-9)
2018: Sung Hyun Park (-10)
2017: Danielle Kang (-13)
2016: Brooke Henderson (-6)
2015: Inbee Park (-19)
2014: Inbee Park (-11)
2013: Inbee Park (-5)
2012: Shanshan Feng (-6)
History: Records
Wins
4 – Mickey Wright (1958, 1960-61, 1963)
3 – Kathy Whitworth (1967, 1971, 1975)
3 – Nancy Lopez (1978, 1985, 1989)
3 – Se Ri Pak (1998, 2002, 2006)
3 – Annika Sorenstam (2003, 2004, 2005)
3 – Inbee Park (2013, 2014, 2015)
Scoring
267 – Betsy King (1992)
-19 – Inbee Park (2015)
-19 – Yani Tseng (2011)
-19 – Cristie Kerr (2010)
Women’s PGA Field and Odds
The betting favorite this week includes Nelly Korda (9-1), Jin Young Ko (10-1) and Lydia Ko (12-1).
Lexi Thompson (14-1) and Minjee Lee (14-1) round out the top-5 favs.
Top-5 Betting Favorites
1. Nelly Korda (9-1)
2. Jin Young Ko (10-1)
3. Lydia Ko (12-1)
4. Lexi Thompson (14-1)
4. Minjee Lee (14-1)
Full Field: Odds To Win
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship | Bethesda, MD | Congressional CC
Carey Hoffman contributed to this preview of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
