Tag: live-ladies-tours

Categories
Ladies Tours

Bitten By a Dog: Defending Champion Nelly Korda Cancels Aramco Tournament

Nelly Korda withdraws Aramco London event because of a dog bite. (Image: Getty)
Nelly Korda withdraws Aramco London event because of a dog bite. (Image: Getty)

There is a rather old joke in editorial circles about trainee training, which is the equivalent of an apprenticeship in the trades – yes, even in journalism you should learn and master the craft from the ground up. In any case, the gag goes like this: “Dog bites man” is not newsworthy; “Man bites dog”, THAT is newsworthy. Exceptions prove the rule, of course. Which brings us to Nelly Korda (25), who has had some eventful times on and off the fairways. Cue thrombosis in her arm, six victories, but recently also three missed cuts in a row and rounds in the 80s at the US Women’s Open and the Women’s PGA Championship, the worst scores of her career to date. Now the world number one has cancelled her participation in the Aramco Team Series event on the Ladies European Tour (LET) this week at the Centurion Club in England (3 to 5 July), where the LIV League celebrated its premiere in 2022. Korda would have been the defending champion after last year’s victory over Lokamatador Charley Hull, but: “I was bitten by a dog in Seattle on Saturday.” That is indeed a news story.

Did a fan jinx the dog bite?

The circumstances of the mishap are not known, neither the location or extent of the injury nor the breed of the dog. Although one prankster has already claimed that Korda’s run of bad luck must have something to do with the puppy he adopted six weeks ago and named Nelly:

This cute little puppy is the reason for Nelly Korda’s downfall.
byu/cavemansoup ingolf

“I need time to get treatment and fully recover,” Korda wrote on Instagram. “I apologise to the LET, the sponsors and my fans for my absence. Thank you for your understanding and I look forward to returning to the course soon.” After all, the Amundi Evian Championship (11 to 14 July), the fourth major of the season, is coming up next week.

Categories
Live

Ladies European Tour Live Blog: Alice Hewson Clinches Win in Playoff

Ladies European Tour Live Blog. (Photo: Flickr)
Ladies European Tour Live Blog. (Photo: Flickr)

VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open 2024 Live Scores

The VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open in the season 2024 is being played in Ennetsee, Switzerland at the Golfpark Holzhausern. The tournament starts at the Friday, 28th of June and ends at the Sunday, 30th of June 2024.
The VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open is part of the Ladies European Tour in the season 2024. In 2024 all players competing for a total prize money of €300,000.
The course for the tournament at Golfpark Holzhausern plays at Par 71.

The VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open, features top female golfers competing for a prize fund of EUR 300,000. The tournament has grown in prominence since its inception in 2020, playing a crucial role in promoting women’s golf in Switzerland and internationally. Last year, German golfer Alexandra Försterling claimed the title, adding to the tournament’s growing list of notable champions.

Ladies European Tour live

The Ladies European Tour is the leading professional golf tournament series for women in Europe. It is the European counterpart to the LPGA Tour (Ladies Professional Golf Association), which mainly takes place in the USA. The LET offers talented female golfers the opportunity to compete at a high level and serves as a platform for players to make a name for themselves internationally.

The tour includes a variety of tournaments in different European countries as well as outside of Europe. This international presence allows players to prove themselves on different courses and in different competitive conditions. For many players, the LET is an important step in their career.

Categories
Ladies Tours

Olympics 2024: Charley Hull and Georgia Hall Represent UK

Charley Hull and Georgia Hall represent the UK at the Olympics 2024. (Photos: Getty)
Charley Hull and Georgia Hall represent the UK at the Olympics 2024. (Photos: Getty)

The golf qualification for the Olympics 2024 is complete. After the men’s qualification phase ended last Monday, the women’s participants have now also been decided. While Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick represent the men, Charley Hull and Georgia Hall will compete in the women’s event. A look at the two female participants from the UK.

Olympics 2024: Charley Hull and Georgia Hall form UK’s Olympic Duo

Charley Hull currently travels to Paris in eighth place in the world rankings (Rolex Rankings). After two second places on the Ladies European Tour and consistently good performances, the Englishwoman is currently in good form and can therefore hope for a top ranking at the Olympics 2024. Although the 28-year-old’s last victory was almost two years ago, four top-ten finishes this calendar year and a recent good shared 16th place at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship confirm Hull’s form.

Hull is accompanied by Georgia Hall, who is also 28 years old. She is currently ranked 36th in the world and is currently struggling a little with her form. The Englishwoman has yet to secure a top ten finish this year and her best results were T12 at the Meijer LPGA Classic two weeks ago and the Aramco Ladies International. Georgia Hall celebrated the biggest success of her career in 2018 with a major victory at the Ricoh Women’s British Open.

Olympics 2024: Qualification Process and Criteria

The Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) determines qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics, scheduled from August 1-10 at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The top 15 golfers in the OGR automatically qualify, with a maximum of four players per National Olympic Committee (NOC). Beyond the top 15, the highest-ranked players are selected until the 60-player field is complete, ensuring no more than two players per NOC unless they are within the top 15.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is igf.jpg
The qualification criteria for the Olympic Golf Tournament. (Photo: IGF)

Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick have secured their tickets for Paris in the men’s competition.

Categories
Ladies Tours

Olympics 2024: Korda, Vu and Zhang form US Olympic Trio

Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang and Lilia Vu represent the US at the Olympics 2024. (Photos: Getty)
Nelly Korda, Rose Zhang and Lilia Vu represent the US at the Olympics 2024. (Photos: Getty)

The golf qualification for the Olympics 2024 is complete. After the men’s qualification phase ended last Monday, the women’s participants have now also been decided. With Elly Ewing missing the Qualification for the first time since golf’s return to the Olympics in 2016, no country will send four players. A look at the female participants from the USA.

Olympics 2024: Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang form Olympic Trio

The bitter failure of Ally Ewing means that the US women’s golf team will be represented three times at the Olympics 2024. The trio consists of world number one Nelly Korda, her direct rival Lilia Vu and ninth-placed Rose Zhang. Korda in particular has dominated this year on the LPGA Tour and has already won six of her ten tournaments. She has won five of them in a row. But Lilia Vu has nothing to hide either: She recently won the Meijer LPGA Classic and followed it up with a shared second place at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Rose Zhang also secured a win on the LPGA Tour this year at the Cognizant Founders Cup.

The rankings in the world rankings alone make it clear that the USA will also be the big favorites at the Olympics 2024. The fact that only three women’s golfers are competing this year will not change this. What’s more, Nelly Korda has already won the Olympics 2020 in Tokyo and will travel to Paris full of confidence.

Ally Ewing narrowly misses out on the Olympics 2024 in Paris

Qualification for the Olympics 2024 was particularly bitter for Ally Ewing. The 31-year-old had to finish the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in fifth place or better to qualify for the competition in Paris later in the summer. Near the end, Ewing was in a tie for second place and qualified, but over the next 90 minutes Lilia Vu, Jin Young Ko and Miyu Yamashita each birdied the 18th to get to four under, pushing Ewing into a tie for fifth place. The American thus narrowly missed out on 15th place in the world rankings, which would have qualified her for the Summer Games.

Olympics 2024: Qualification Process and Criteria

The Olympic Golf Ranking (OGR) determines qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics, scheduled from August 1-10 at Le Golf National in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. The top 15 golfers in the OGR automatically qualify, with a maximum of four players per National Olympic Committee (NOC). Beyond the top 15, the highest-ranked players are selected until the 60-player field is complete, ensuring no more than two players per NOC unless they are within the top 15.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is igf.jpg
The qualification criteria for the Olympic Golf Tournament. (Photo: IGF)
Categories
LPGA Tour

Nasa Hataoka Got Disqualified at LPGA Tour Event

Nasa Hataoka got disqualified at last weeks LPGA Tour event. (Source: Getty)
Nasa Hataoka got disqualified at last weeks LPGA Tour event. (Source: Getty)

In an unusual turn of events, Nasa Hataoka was disqualified after the first round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic due to a timing issue with locating her lost ball, underscoring the stringent nature of the Rules of Golf. Hataoka, a prominent figure on the LPGA Tour, started her first round on the back nine and was performing admirably. However, on her final hole, the ninth, she hit her second shot into the long fescue surrounding the green. Despite her efforts, and those of her caddie, to locate the ball, it was eventually found outside the three-minute search limit imposed by Rule 18.2a.

LPGA Tour has released a statement regarding the disqualification of Nasa Hataoka

In an official statement, the LPGA Tour clarified: “During the first round of the LPGA Shoprite Classic, Nasa Hataoka played her second shot on No. 9 into the long fescue surrounding the green, her last hole of the day. After reviewing video footage provided to the LPGA following the round, it was determined that the search for Nasa’s ball lasted longer than the three minutes allowed under Rule 18.2a. After three minutes of search, the ball is considered lost, and the player must proceed under stroke and distance (Rule 18.2b).”

Hataoka’s situation became even more complicated when she played from the wrong place after the ball was found. The rules specify that if a player does not play from the correct spot, they are in breach of Rule 14.7. Since Hataoka played from a position that could potentially offer a significant advantage compared to where she should have played from, this was considered a serious breach, resulting in disqualification as it was not corrected in time.

Had her score stood, Hataoka would have signed for a six-under-par round of 65, placing her four strokes behind the leader, Arpichaya Yubol, who nearly broke the 60-barrier with an impressive 10-under round of 61.

Categories
LPGA Tour

LPGA Tour: Nelly Korda With a Disastrous Start – Ten On Par 3

Nelly Korda started the second major on the LPGA Tour with ten over par. (Source: Getty)
Nelly Korda started the second major on the LPGA Tour with ten over par. (Source: Getty)

In the world of golf, even the best can have days where nothing goes right. Nelly Korda, a dominant force with six victories in her last seven tournaments, experienced such a day during the opening round of the US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club. The golf course, known for its challenging layout, claimed an unlikely victim in Korda, who ended her day with a score of 80, twelve shots behind the leader.

Early Trouble for Nelly Korda

The trouble began early for Nelly Korda. By the time she reached the par-3 12th hole, her day had already taken a turn for the worse. A 25-minute wait on the tee didn’t help her rhythm, as she watched players ahead struggle with the hole. Despite her usual confidence, Korda made a interesting club choice, opting for a 6-iron instead of a 7-iron. Her ball took a hard hop into a back bunker, setting off a disastrous sequence. Attempting to escape from the bunker, Korda’s shot came out hot, rolling past the pin, off the false front, and into the penalty area. What followed was a painful series of shots as she struggled to get her ball back onto the green. Each attempt seemed to make matters worse, culminating in a septuple-bogey 10. The frustration was palpable as Korda walked off the green, her score now at +8.

“Making a 10 on a par 3 will definitely not do you any good at a US Open,” Korda remarked, reflecting on her tumultuous start. “Just a bad day in the office.” Despite the rough beginning, Korda’s resilience shone through as she continued to fight her way through the course. However, the golf gods were not in her favor. Missed putts and difficult lies continued to plague her round. Her first birdie didn’t come until her 12th hole. “I’m human,” she said. “I’m going to have bad days. I played some really solid golf up to this point. Today was just a bad day. That’s all I can say.”

Difficult Course at the US Womens Open

The US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club proved to be an unexpectedly grueling challenge for the players. The difficult conditions, highlighted by strong winds and tricky course design, left many of the sport’s top athletes struggling to maintain their composure and their scores. By day’s end, the scoring average had soared to over five above par and the number of bogeys-or-worse had more than tripled the number of birdies.

The 12th hole, a deceptively difficult par-3, was the worst offender. Playing at just 161 yards, the hole was further complicated by a frontward slope and a false front leading to a creek. Only 52 percent of the field managed to hit the green in regulation on Thursday and in total 52 golfballs landed in the pond in front of the green. The strong winds forced players to choose between hitting a longer club, risking the back bunker, or using a shorter club and potentially ending up in the water. This led to significant delays, with backups of up to 30 minutes. Only ten players managed to make birdie on this hole. 32 players carded a bogey and 13 players even had to record a double bogey or higher

Categories
LPGA Tour

LPGA Tour Tee Times: Nelly Korda at the U.S. Women’s Open

Nelly Korda. (Photo: Getty)
Nelly Korda. (Photo: Getty)

The U.S. Women’s Open, part of the LPGA Tour, boasts a significant prize pool of $12 million. This prestigious tournament will feature numerous talented golfers, including several from the United States. The tournament takes place over several rounds, with the first and second-round tee times and pairings now available.

LPGA Tour Tee Times for American Players

Nelly Korda, a prominent American golfer, will begin her first round at 8:13 from the 10th tee. She will be accompanied by fellow American Megan Khang and Nasa Hataoka from Japan. Their second-round tee time is 13:58 from the 1st tee.

Another American golfer, Lexi Thompson, is set to start her first round at 13:58 from the 1st tee. She is joined by Rose Zhang from the USA and Minjee Lee from Australia. For their second round, they will tee off at 8:13 from the 10th tee.

Jennifer Kupcho, also from the USA, will play her first round at 7:51 from the 10th tee, along with Linn Grant from Sweden and Lottie Woad (a) from England. Their next round commences at 13:36 from the 1st tee.

Allisen Corpuz, another American, starts her first round at 8:02 from the 1st tee. Her playing partners include Megan Schofill (a) from USA and Ruoning Yin. Their second round is scheduled for 13:47 from the 10th tee.

Cheyenne Knight, representing the USA, will tee off at 7:40 from the 1st tee in her first round. Her group includes Bailey Tardy from USA and Akie Iwai from Japan. Their second round starts at 13:25 from the 10th tee.

Created with AI.

Categories
LPGA Tour

LPGA Tour Tee Times: Charley Hull and Georgia Hall at U.S. Women’s Open

Charley Hull and Georgia Hall. (Photo: Getty)
Charley Hull and Georgia Hall. (Photo: Getty)

The U.S. Women’s Open on the LPGA Tour features a $12 million purse. British players, including Charley Hull and Georgia Hall, will tee off against a global field. Here are the LPGA Tour Tee Times for these players in the first two rounds.

LPGA Tour Tee Times for Charley Hull and Georgia Hall

Charley Hull will tee off at 8:24 AM from the tenth tee of the U.S. Women’s Open in the first round, playing alongside Lydia Ko from New Zealand and Jin Young Ko from South Korea. Her second round tee time is 2:09 PM from the first tee.

Georgia Hall tees off at 2:09 PM from the tenth tee, along with Mao Saigo from Japan and Su Ji Kim from South Korea. For the second round, her tee time is at 8:24 AM from the first tee.

Created with AI.

Categories
LPGA Tour

Lexi Thompson Announces the Retirement of her Golf Career

The radiant smile of Lexi Thompson. (Photo: Getty)
The radiant smile of Lexi Thompson. (Photo: Getty)

Lexi Thompson, a true golfing great, is retiring from active sport. The 29-year-old collected eleven LPGA Tour victories in 17 years, one Major title, took part in the Olympics twice and was a member of the US Solheim Cup team six times. She has also shown great commitment to the development of the LPGA Tour. There is hardly any way around Lexi Thompson.

Her journey to becoming one of the most famous female golfers began when she became the youngest ever participant in a US Women’s Open at the age of twelve. This week marks her 18th and final appearance at the championship. Always with her: ladybug earrings, which accompanied her on her first participation.

Lexi Thompson: One last year on the LPGA Tour

On Tuesday morning, Lexi Thompson announced that this will be her final year on the LPGA Tour as she plans to retire from professional golf at the end of the 2024 season. The 2024 Solheim Cup will be a fitting end to her 18-year career. At the 2024 US Women’s Open, Thompson, who has always avoided questions about her setbacks, spoke for the first time about the darker side of a golf career: “I just think, especially with what’s happened in golf, as of recently, too, a lot of people don’t realize what we go through as a professional athlete. I’ll be the last one to say, throw me a pity party. That’s the last thing I want. We’re doing what we love. We’re trying the best every single day. You know, we’re not perfect. We’re humans.”

In a video on Instagram, in which she looks back on her career in a total of over three minutes, Lexi Thompson explains: “Although this has been an amazing journey, it hasn’t always been an easy one. Since I was 12 years old, my life as a golfer has been a whirlwind of constant attention, scrutiny and pressure. The cameras are always on, capturing every swing and every moment on and off the golf course. Social media never sleeps, with comments and criticisms flowing in from around the world. It can be exhausting to maintain a smile on the outside while grappling with struggles on the inside.”

Commitment beyond sport

Lexi Thompson also made a name for herself in the golf world beyond her sporting achievements. She always made time for all her fans who asked for her autograph and signed balls, shirts and caps, even in tears after bitter defeats. Her mother gave her love and respect from an early age. She often told her that it was almost her duty to make at least one person’s day better every time she left the house. And that has driven Thompson throughout her career.

LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan also points to her strong commitment to women in golf in general and the LPGA Tour in particular. “Lexi’s impact extends far beyond the golf course. She embodies the spirit and dedication of our Founders – always showing up and engaging intentionally to help further the growth and impact of the LPGA,” he said. “She is beloved by fans, consistently seen signing autographs and interacting with them no matter the result that day. Lexi’s commitment to our partners has also been unparalleled. Throughout her career, she has continually made time to engage with partners, their employees and their clients, and truly has valued their tremendous support of women’s golf.”

“I wanted them to follow their dreams”

The US-American also made it her goal to inspire people. For example, it was particularly important to her to compete in the Shriners Children’s Open last year as only the seventh woman ever to compete on the PGA Tour: “It’s been something I grew up doing with my brothers and have wanted to do, but to also send a message out to the Shriners kids that no dream is too small, and they can go after what they want and follow their dreams,” said Thompson in her pre-tournament press conference at the Shriners Children’s Open. “If I can leave here inspiring others, and especially the kids, the Shriners kids, that’s what it’s all about and what this tournament is. There is more than just playing golf.”

Whether and, if so, how often we will encounter Thompson on the golf course remains to be seen in the coming years.

Categories
Ladies Tours

How Much Does It Cost to Play Ladies European Tour?

Hannah Gregg about the costs of playing the Ladies European Tour. (Image: Getty)
Hannah Gregg about the costs of playing the Ladies European Tour. (Image: Getty)

US golfer Hannah Gregg gave her followers an insight into the financing of a tournament weekend on the Ladies European Tour on X (formerly Twitter). It should be mentioned upfront that this is an example of a single athlete and in no way reflects the (financial) situation of every female athlete. Nevertheless, this example is thought-provoking.

How Much Playing LET Really Costs

In her calculation example, Gregg first mentions her costs. She had to pay 3,672 dollars for flights, work visa, food, fuel for the car, participation fee and the lounge pass for her caddie. In this case, the hotel and hire car cost her nothing. There were also no costs for the caddie, as this role was filled by her fiancé. Hannah Gregg made the cut at the tournament and finished the weekend in 54th place, which earned her prize money of 1,244 dollars. This prize money is subject to 35 per cent tax, which means that Gregg would have had to finish 21st to make a profit, she calculates. Achieving a place in the top 25 is not easy in golf, and if your financial situation also depends on it to some extent, it certainly doesn’t make things any easier. But here, too, it has to be said that this is a special example because Gregg has higher travelling costs as an American.

Ladies European Tour versus LPGA Tour: the comparison

Comparing the two biggest tours for women, the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour, to their male counterparts is a bottomless pit. Last weekend, the Amundi German Masters on the Ladies European Tour and the Mizuho Americas Open on the LPGA Tour were two normal regular-season tournaments. While Alexandra Försterling received 45,000 euros for her home win, Nelly Korda received the equivalent of almost 414,500 euros for her victory at the Mizuho Americas Open. Sophia Popov received almost as much as Alexandra Försterling for her tied 14th place on the LPGA Tour with around 37,000 euros. The last-placed players of those who made the cut on the Ladies European Tour received €810. By comparison, the last-placed golfers from the weekend on the LPGA Tour received €7,600. This example shows that there is a huge gap even within women’s golf and not to begin the comparison between men and women in golf.