The 2022 LPGA season will feature a record-setting $85.7 million in official purses across 34 events. That number is expected to increase as more announcements follow. At the time last year, the tour announced a record-setting purse total of $76.4 million across 34 events.
But it’s not just about the money. Once again, the LPGA will be breaking ground at historic venues that have never before hosted a women’s major, with the AIG Women’s Open heading to Muirfield and the KPMG Women’s PGA being staged at Congressional Country Club.
“The stage is set for 2022 to be one of the most exciting years in the history of the LPGA Tour, with the addition of new events, the largest total purse ever, over 500 hours of broadcast television and a collective commitment to being the leading women’s professional sports property in the world,” LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan said in a statement. “We have never had such a robust team of partners from around the globe who see both the commercial value in investing in the LPGA and the opportunity to utilize the partnerships to have a positive impact on their communities and on the world.”
Among the most notable purse increases: The Chevron Championship ($5 million, up $1.9 million from 2021) and the AIG Women’s Open ($6.8 million, up $1.3 million from 2021) and the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship purse will grow to $7 million, up $2 million from 2021. The $2 million first-place prize will be the largest in professional women’s golf history. The player who finishes 60th in the field of 60 will receive $40,000.
Other tournaments to announce elevated purses are the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open ($2 million, up $500,000 from 2021), the LPGA Mediheal Championship ($1.8 million, up $300,000 from 2021), the Pelican Women’s Championship ($2 million, up $250,000 from 2021), the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational ($2.5 million, up $200,000 from 2021), the Meijer LPGA Classic ($2.5 million, up $200,000 from 2021) and the HSBC Women’s World Championship ($1.7 million, up $100,000 from 2021).
The 2022 season will open with three tournaments in Florida, beginning at Lake Nona with the renamed Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. The Gainbridge LPGA will once again return to Boca Rio followed by a yet-to-be-announced title sponsor and Florida venue. In 2021, there was a Drive On event at Golden Ocala.
With events in Australia once again canceled due to travel concerns with the global pandemic, the tour will return to its typical spring Asian swing before heading to California for what’s now known as the JTBC Classic at Aviara in Carlsbad.
The newly-named Chevron Championship, previously the ANA Inspiration, will then host the final major at Mission Hills Country Club, in what will be a celebration of more than 50 years at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course.
After an annual stop in Hawaii at a yet-to-be-announced venue, the tour heads to California for the JTBC LA Open at Wilshire and new JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes.
Then it’s back East for the Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey where the course is TBA. Players raved about the 2021 Founders venue, Mountain Ridge Country Club.
The 2022 U.S. Women’s Open will return to Pine Needles in Southern Pines, North Carolina, where Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Cristie Kerr previously hoisted the trophy.
The ShopRite LPGA will move back to a traditional summer date and the CP Women’s Open will return for the first time after a two-year hiatus.
The tour then moves to Ohio in September for back-to-back events including the Dana Open Presented by Marathon (previously the Marathon Classic) and the new Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.
Also of note, the LPGA Mediheal Championship will move to a fall date at a new venue, The Saticoy Club in Somis, California. From there the tour heads to Asia for four stops in China, South Korea, Taiwan and Japan before concluding once again with back-to-back events in Florida.
2022 LPGA schedule
Jan. 20-23
Hilton Grand Vacations TOC, Lake Nona G. and C.C., Orlando ($1.2M)
Jan. 27-30
Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio, Boca Rio G.C., Boca Raton, Florida ($2M)
Feb. 4-6 or Feb 11-13
TBA in Florida ($1.5M)
March 3-6
HSBC Women’s World Championship, Sentosa G.C., Singapore ($1.7M)
March 10-13
Honda LPGA Thailand, Siam C.C., Pattaya, Chonburi, Thailand ($1.6M)
March 24-27
JTBC Classic, Aviara G.C., Carlsbad, California ($1.5M)
March 31-April 3
The Chevron Championship, Mission Hills C.C., Rancho Mirage, California ($5M)
April 13-16
Lotte Championship Hawaii, location to be announced ($2M)
April 21-24
JTBC LA Open, Wilshire C.C., Los Angeles, California ($1.5M)
April 28-May 1
JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes, Palos Verdes Estates, California ($1.5M)
May 12-15
Cognizant Founders Cup, New Jersey TBA ($3M)
May 25-29
Bank of Hope LPGA Match Play, Hosted by Shadow Creek, Las Vegas ($1.5M)
June 2-5
U.S. Women’s Open, Pine Needles Lodge and G.C., Southern Pines, North Carolina ($5.5M)
June 10-12
ShopRite LPGA Classic, Seaview, A Dolce Hotel (Bay Course), Galloway, New Jersey ($1.75M)
June 16-19
Meijer LPGA Classic, Blythefield C.C., Grand Rapids, Michigan ($2.5M)
June 23-26
KPMG Women’s PGA, Congressional C.C., Bethesda, Maryland ($4.5M)
July 13-16
Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, Midland C.C., Midland, Michigan ($2.5M)
July 21-24
Amundi Evian, Evian Resort G.C., Evian-les-Bains, France ($4.5M)
July 28-31
Trust Golf Women’s Ladies Scottish Open, Dundonald Links, Ayrshire, Scotland ($2M)
Aug. 4-7
AIG Women’s Open Muirfield, East Lothian, Scotland ($6.8M)
Aug. 11-14
ISPS Handa World Invitational, Galgorme Castle G.C., and Massereene G.C., Antrim, Northern Ireland ($1.5M)
Aug. 28-25
CP Women’s Open, Ottawa Hunt and G.C., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada ($2.35M)
Sept. 1-4
Dana Open presented by Marathon, Highland Meadows G.C., Sylvania, Ohio ($1.75M)
Sept. 8-11
Kroger Queen City Championship, Kenwood Country Club, Cincinnati ($1.75M)
Sept. 15-18
Portland Classic, Oregon location TBA ($1.4M)
Sept. 23-25
Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Arkansas ($2.3M)
Sept. 29-Oct. 2
Volunteers of America Classic, Old American G.C., The Colony, Texas ($1.5M)
Oct. 6-9
LPGA Mediheal Championship, The Saticoy Club, Somis, California ($1.8M)
Oct. 13-16
Buick LPGA, Shanghai Qizhong Garden G.C., Shanghai ($2.1M)
Oct. 20-23
BMW Ladies Championship, South Korea location TBA ($2M)
Oct. 27-30
Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA, Miramar G.C., New Taipei City, Chinese Taipei ($2.2M)
Nov. 3-6
Toto Japan Classic, Seta Golf Course, Shiga, Japan ($2M)
Nov. 10-13
Pelican Women’s Championship, Pelican G.C., Belleair, Florida
Nov. 17-20
CME Group Tour Championship, Tiburon G.C., Naples, Florida ($7M)
Bold denotes major championships
Source: Golfweek https://ift.tt/2V95qPJ