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KPMG Women's PGA Championship Tees Off at Hazeltine with Record $13 Million Purse

Published on June 25, 2026 660 views

The 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship begins today at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, bringing together 156 of the world's best players to compete for a record-setting $13 million purse, the largest in women's golf history. The four-day championship, running from June 25 through June 28, marks a historic moment for the sport as it continues to shatter prize money benchmarks and attract unprecedented broadcast coverage across NBC, Golf Channel, and Peacock.

All eyes will be on world No. 1 Nelly Korda, who enters the tournament seeking her third consecutive major title of the 2026 season. Korda claimed victory at the Chevron Championship in April and followed that triumph with a win at the U.S. Women's Open earlier this month. No player has won three consecutive majors in a single LPGA Tour season since Inbee Park accomplished the feat in 2013, making Korda's pursuit one of the most compelling storylines in recent golf history.

The field at Hazeltine includes defending champion Minjee Lee and a remarkable roster of 12 past champions. Among the former winners returning to compete are Amy Yang, the 2024 champion, Ruoning Yin, who claimed the title in 2023, In Gee Chun from 2022, and Korda herself as the 2021 winner. Other past champions in the field include Sei Young Kim, Hannah Green, Sung Hyun Park, Danielle Kang, Brooke Henderson, Yani Tseng, and Anna Nordqvist.

Hazeltine National Golf Club brings its own storied legacy to the championship, having previously hosted major men's events including the 2016 Ryder Cup and the 2019 PGA Championship. The course's challenging layout and championship pedigree are expected to provide a stern test for the entire field. All top 100 players in the Race to CME Globe Rankings are competing this week, ensuring the deepest and most competitive field of the season.

The tournament will feature nearly 100 hours of broadcast coverage, making it the most comprehensively televised LPGA event of 2026. This extensive coverage reflects the growing commercial appeal and fan interest in women's professional golf, driven in large part by Korda's dominant season and the sport's rising profile worldwide.

Organizers from KPMG and the PGA of America have emphasized that the record purse represents a significant step forward for pay equity in professional golf. The $13 million total purse nearly doubles the prize fund from just a few years ago, underscoring the rapid financial growth of the women's game and the increasing investment from corporate sponsors.

As play gets underway at Hazeltine, the golf world waits to see whether Korda can make history with a third consecutive major victory, or whether another contender from this stacked field will rise to claim one of the most prestigious titles in the sport. The championship promises four days of elite competition at one of America's finest golf venues.

Sources: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Golf Channel, MPR News, LPGA Tour

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