The LPGA Tour remains in America’s heartland with the 18th edition of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.
Pinnacle Country Club, which has hosted the tournament since its inception in 2007, will play to a par 71 and stretch to 6,331 yards for the championship.
The tournament will be headlined by the newly-minted Solheim Cup winning captain, Stacy Lewis, a two-time winner in Arkansas. The former Razorback star will be joined by three other past champions in Haeran Ryu, Jeeno Thitikul and Nasa Hataoka.
Solheim Cup stars in the field include Lexi Thompson, Megan Khang, Jennifer Kupcho, Lilia Vu, Celine Boutier, Georgia Hall, Leona Maguire, Emily Pedersen and Madelene Sagstrom, among others.
Below are more details to get you primed for this week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
The LPGA Skinny
Sponsors: Walmart (Title), P&G (Presenting)
Dates:Â Sept 27-29, 2024
Tour Debut: 2007
Where: Rogers, Ark.
Course:Â Pinnacle CC
Distance: Par 71, 6,331 yards
Architect: Don Sechrest/Bruce Lietzke, Randy Heckenkemper
Format: 54 holes, stroke play, 36-hole cut
Field: 144 players
Purse: $3,000,000
Winning Share: $450,000
Defending Champion:Â Haeran Ryu
TV AND ONLINE
GOLF CHANNEL TV: Fri: 8-10 p.m. (TAPED); Sat-Sun: 2-5 p.m. (LIVE)
GOLF CHANNEL APP: Fri: 4:30-7:30 p.m. (LIVE); Sat-Sun: 2-5 p.m. (LIVE)
LINKS: Web | Instagram | X/Twitter | Facebook
Tournament History
The LPGA Tour will be making its 18th visit to the northwest Arkansas region with this week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G. Even as just a 54-hole event, it is among the most lucrative purses outside of the majors on the entire LPGA season schedule, with total prize money of $3,000,000.
The tournament got off to a tough start in 2007, its first year, when bad weather allowed only 18 holes to be played. Because less than 36 holes were completed, it was considered an unofficial event, although the champion could hardly have been a more popular choice.
Stacy Lewis, at the time a junior at the University of Arkansas and the reigning NCAA Div. I individual champion, shot her then career-best of 65 during the one round that was completed. Lewis won the full tournament as a pro in 2014, one of her 12 career LPGA Tour titles.
Other prominent past winners include Yani Tseng in back-to-back fashion (2010-11), Inbee Park (2013), Lydia Ko (2016), So Yeon Ryu (2017) and two time winner Nasa Hataoka (2018, 2021).
The title sponsor has been Arkansas-based Walmart since 2011. Another one of the world’s biggest corporations, Procter & Gamble, is the presenting sponsor.
History: Tournament Titles
2011-: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship (P&G)
2010: P&G NW Arkansas Championship (Walmart)
2008-09: P&G Beauty NW Arkansas Championship (John Q. Hammons)
2007: LPGA NW Arkansas Championship (John Q. Hammons)
History: Recent Winners
2023: Haeran Ryu (-19)
2022: Jeeno Thitikul (-17)
2021: Nasa Hataoka (-16)
2020: Austin Ernst (-20)
2019: Sung-hyun Park (-18)
2018: Nasa Hataoka (-21)
2017: So Yeon Ryu (-18)
2016: Lydia Ko (-17)
2015: Na Yeon Choi (-15)
2014: Stacy Lewis (-12)
2013: Inbee Park (-12)
History: Records
SCORING
192 (-21) Nasa Hataoka (2018)
WINS
2 – Nasa Hataoka (2018, 2021)
2 – Yani Tseng (2010-11)
The Field
Thai Jeeno Thitikul (7-1) and Haeran Ryu (8-1), the two most recent winners, are the pre-game betting favorites.
A trio of American Solheim Cup stars round out the bookmakers’ top 5: Lauren Coughlin (12-1), Lilia Vu (12-1) and Megan Khang (22-1).
A threesome of Japanese stars in Nasa Hataoka – a two-time winner here, Mao Saigo and Yuka Saso were among a group of six players offered at 25-1. Others included Koreans Jenny Shin and Jin Hee Im, along with American star Lexi Thompson.
Other marquee names to keep an eye on include Americans Allisen Corpuz (28-1), Jennifer Kupcho (28-1) and Ally Ewing (30-1). Major winners Celine Boutier (28-1) and Sei Young Kim (35-1) are another pair who could be in the hunt.
Top-10 Betting Favorites
Pos-Player (Odds)
1. Jeeno Thitikul (7-1)
2. Haeran Ryu (8-1)
3. Lauren Coughlin (12-1)
3. Lilia Vu (12-1)
5. Megan Khang (22-1)
6. Jenny Shin (25-1)
6. Jin Hee Im (25-1)
6. Nasa Hataoka (25-1)
6. Mao Saigo (25-1)
6. Yuka Saso (25-1)
6. Lexi Thompson (25-1)
Full Field and Odds
Credits: LPGA Tour Media, Getty Images
