A stellar line up will gather this weekend in California for the second iteration of the championship at Palos Verdes Golf Club, named after five-time major winner and Hall of Fame inductee Seri Pak.
While the Korean will not play herself this weekend, and hosts the event instead, this should not detract from the quality of the field with 33 of the world’s top fifty golfers in attendance including Ireland’s Leona Maguire. Stephanie Meadow too will tee up this weekend as the LPGA begins a twelve-week run in the US.
With the first major of the year, the Chevron Championship, just a month away players will look to build momentum heading towards Texas. A stunning course, Palos Verdes on the coast of California is celebrating its centenary this year and will provide a picturesque backdrop to the weekends action. Maguire has form on this course having been a previous winner around here in the Therese Hession Regional Challenge while at Duke University. Ominously though, so is local favourite and LPGA sensation Rose Zhang.
Maguire arrives at Palos Verdes still seeking the spark that ignites her 2024, her best finish of the year so far came back in January finishing, T12 at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, but with major season just around the corner, timing her run has been something she’s spoken about and now would be an excellent time to start showing her face at the business end of the leaderboard.
Stephanie Meadow comes into the week on the back of an eighth-place finish a fortnight ago at the Blue Bay LPGA in China. The Jordanstown native and two-time Olympian will look to take that form around Palos Verdes, while defending champion Ruoning Yin is looking to become the first multiple-winner of this Championship.
Another local favourite and current world No.1 Lilia Vu will turn out among six of the world’s top 10 female golfers including LPGA Drive On Tournament winner Nelly Korda, the always exciting Charley Hull, and with Hyo Joo Kim and Xiyu Lin adding to the stardust in an exciting field.
Other winners from this year lining out include Hannah Green (HSBC Women’s World Championship), Bailey Tardy (Blue Bay LPGA) and Patty Tavatanakit (Honda LPGA Thailand).
Such a strong field should make for an entertaining weekend around this idyllic coastal course with stunning scenery of the pacific shores the perfect setting for battle for the $2million purse and 500 race to the CME Globe points up for grabs.
The weekend is set to be in the mid-to-late teens temperature wise, with the wind only expected to be a factor on Friday and an overcast weekend forecast. Palos Verdes set up this weekend plays as apar-71, measuring 6258 yards. Expect sparks to fly on the back nine this weekend with challenges for iron play and for the long hitters with three par-3s as well as two par-5s on the closing stretch with just one of each on the outward nine.
A split start in the morning will see Meadow tee up with Filipino Bianca Pagdanganan and American Lindy Duncan on the 10th tee at 7.11am (local time). Maguire is joined on the first tee box at 7.55am by thirteen-time LPGA winner and Olympic silver medallist, Japan’s Mone Inami and the exciting American 19-year-old Alexa Pano in what should be a compelling three ball. Another exciting grouping sees the US’s Jennifer Kupcho line out with Anna Nordqvist and this year’s Honda LPGA Thailand Champion Patty Tavatanakit at 7.44am.
Such a strong field makes for a mouthwatering weekend of golf with the top 65 and ties moving into Saturday. Maguire and Meadow will need to make statements early doors as, with this level of field on a weekend where weather is expected to be benign, some spectacular golf can be expected in a spectacular setting. Expect low numbers this weekend if the weather remains as anticipated.
California dreaming for somebody. Can Maguire or Meadow come out on top?
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