Freezing temperatures and organizational issues shorten the LPGA season opener. Nelly Korda benefits and celebrates her 16th tour win.
The LPGA Tour’s season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions was scheduled from January 29 to February 1 at the Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. However, unusually cold and very windy weather in the Sunshine State forced the tournament officials to cancel the final round.
Two tournaments ran concurrently on the course: the LPGA season opener in a 72-hole stroke play format and a separate event featuring the top qualified amateurs from the week’s Pro-Am competition. Each professional player was paired with two celebrities or amateurs, who rotated every round. The celebrities and amateurs played using a Modified Stableford scoring system.
Nelly Korda Navigates Chaos to Secure 16th LPGA Title
Despite setting the pace on Saturday with an impressive 64 and a three-shot lead, the tournament’s organization deteriorated according to observers. Eight players had to suspend their third round due to cold and strong winds, only completing it Sunday afternoon. This allowed Nelly Korda to claim her 16th LPGA Tour title, with Amy Yang and Brooke Henderson finishing second and third, respectively.
The decision to end the LPGA tournament early on Sunday was delayed, drawing criticism over communication. The final day started with temperatures around -4°C and winds up to 24 km/h, causing multiple postponements of the final round start. When temperatures rose only to 4°C, officials confirmed the tournament could not continue, even though warmer weather was forecast for Monday.
The LPGA stated the tournament was unplayable as low temperatures combined with strong winds caused balls to roll uncontrollably on the greens. Meanwhile, the amateur tournament began earlier with a nine-hole round.
Confusion Over Unequal Treatment
Golf journalist Beth Ann Nichols from Golfweek was on site and noted journalists waited for hours without updates on why amateurs played more than nine holes while LPGA players awaited final round decisions in the clubhouse. After four hours, no information on continuation was provided. Later, the LPGA announced the event would be shortened to a 54-hole tournament due to similar weather forecasts preventing a full 72-hole completion.
Contradictory opinions emerged regarding course conditions. Annika Sörenstam, playing in the amateur event, expressed surprise at the cancellation, noting the course was playable despite the cold. Former tennis player and amateur Mardy Fish described the ground as feeling like walking on concrete during warm-up.
Criticism of LPGA’s Communication and Impact on Women’s Golf Excitement
LPGA Chief Business and Operations Officer Ricky Lasky explained that the hard ground severely affected shot trajectories during practice, justifying the early tournament conclusion to maintain fairness across competitions. However, Beth Ann Nichols criticized the LPGA on social media for poor communication and blamed organizational errors rather than weather alone, leading to fans missing out on a high-caliber golf event.
Professional golfer Danielle Kang also voiced frustration, stating that premature tournament shortenings under questionable conditions have become too common in the LPGA, reducing