The best golfers in the world will compete in the 69th edition of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, one of five Major championships on the LPGA Tour, which will take place at historic Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield from June 21-25.
The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, operated by the PGA of America in close collaboration with the LPGA, was built on the history and tradition of the LPGA Championship, which began in 1955 and is the second-oldest major in women’s golf.
The event, which will take place on the newly restored Lower Course at Baltusrol Golf Club for the first time, annually boasts one of the strongest fields in women’s golf. The 156-player field also includes the top eight finishers from the previous year’s LPGA Professionals National Championship, plus the winner of the PGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship.
Among the top women golfers in the world who will be competing in the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship include world #1 Jin Young Ko, Nelly Korda, Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko, defending champion In Gee Chun and rising star Rose Zhang, who recently became the first woman golfer to win in her professional debut since 1951.
Adding to the 2023 field are two special exemptions: Mariah Stackhouse and Gabi Ruffels. Stackhouse was a four-year All-American at Stanford who helped the Cardinal to an NCAA title in 2015. In 2011, at the age of 17, she became the youngest African American woman to earn a spot in the field at the U.S. Open. In 2014, she became the first African American woman to make the Curtis Cup team, which the United States won.
Ruffels, the 2019 US Women’s Amateur champion, plays on the Epson Tour and currently sits at #1 on the Race for the Card, after two wins in the past two months at the 2023 Carlisle Arizona Women’s Classic and the 2023 Garden City Charity Classic, respectively.
“This is an exciting time for professional golf in New Jersey as the famous Lower Course at Baltusrol Golf Club will test the best players in the world when the PGA of America hosts the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship from June 21-25,” said Jackie Endsley, Championship Director, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. “We can’t think of a better setting for this Major Championship, and we expect golf fans in New Jersey will embrace the Championship in a big way.”
Broadcast in partnership with NBC and Golf Channel, one of the unique aspects of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is the combination of a major golf championship with the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit and an ongoing charitable initiative called the KPMG Future Leaders Program – all focused on the development, advancement, and empowerment of women on and off the golf course.
“Now in our 9th year as title sponsor of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, we are excited to help bring this Major Championship to the New York-Metropolitan market, while furthering our unmatched commitment to women’s leadership,” said Yesenia Scheker-Izquierdo, KPMG New York Office Managing Partner.
“The KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit and KPMG Future Leaders Program –- both components of this Championship – are making an impact for women away from the course, and we can’t think of a better location for this event than Baltusrol,” Scheker-Izquierdo added.
With Baltusrol Golf Club as the host venue, site of the 2005 and 2016 PGA Championships, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship continues the rich tradition of the LPGA Championship, by rotating among Major championship caliber courses in major metropolitan markets. A decorated major championship venue for both men and women, Baltusrol has previously hosted 11 major championships.
The 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is the centerpiece of the Year of Women’s Golf in New Jersey, with four prestigious golf events across the Garden State. The other tournaments include the Cognizant Founders Cup, which took place May 11-14 at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, the Mizuho Americas Open, which took place June 1-4 at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, and the ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer which took place from June 8-11 at Seaview in Galloway Township.
For ticket information visit www.kpmgwomenspgachampionship.com.
Photo Caption: The PGA of America, KPMG and the LPGA Tour held media day on Monday for KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, which will take place from June 21-25 on Lower Course at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield. Pictured from L-R, Kathryn Tappen, On-Air Personality for NBC Sports and TNT, and host of the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit; Stacy Lewis, Solheim Cup Captain and KPMG Ambassador; Yesenia Scheker-Izquierdo, KPMG New York Office Managing Partner; Greg Boring, Director of Grounds, Baltusrol Golf Club; Jackie Endsley, Championship Director, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Photo courtesy of Baltusrol Golf Club.
