Alpine Skiing Parallel Giant Slalom Team Event at the Winter Olympics: Live Updates and Results

By Alex AzziFeb 19, 2022, 10:55 PM EST

Getty Images

The final alpine skiing event of the 2022 Winter Olympics – the mixed gender team event – has been rescheduled for 9am on Sunday morning in Beijing (8pm on Saturday night in the United States). You can watch live on USA Network, Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.

MORE WINTER OLYMPICS COVERAGE: The most memorable and historic moments in women’s sports

The event was originally scheduled for Saturday morning in Beijing, but was delayed multiple times until organizers announced that very windy conditions would not permit the event to be held on Saturday.

U.S. Roster for the Mixed Team Event in Alpine Skiing:

The U.S. team will feature three-time Olympic medalist Mikaela Shiffrin, competing alongside Paula Moltzan, Tommy Ford, Luke Winters, A.J. Hurt and River Radamus. Only four athletes will compete in each round of competition.

Alpine Skiing – Mixed Team Parallel Slalom – Live Updates:

ROUND OF 16:

8:00pm ET: And we’re off! A day after high winds caused the event to be called off, racers are finally on course. The first head-to-head match up features Canada vs. Slovenia. Austria, meanwhile, gets a bye through the round of 16 thanks to their world No. 1 ranking.

8:04pm ET: It’s a tie! Canada won two, Slovenia won two. The first tiebreaker? The nation with the lower combined time of its fastest male and female competitor is awarded the win. And it is Slovenia that gets the go-ahead thanks to the performance of Andreja Slokar and Zan Kranjec.

MORE WINTER OLYMPICS NEWS: Jessie Diggins wins silver in 30km defined by grit and determination

8:08pm ET: After winning the first three races against the Czech Republic, France clinches a spot in the quarterfinal round. The fourth skier still gets to compete, though. I guess they have to ski down the mountain anyway!

8:16pm ET: Norway vs. Poland! And wow, in the fourth head-to-head matchup, Norway’s Fabian Wilkens Solheim skis out. That results in a 2-2 tie – Norway moves ahead thanks to the combined time differential.

8:21pm ET: Italy vs. the Russian Olympic Committee: Marta Bassino clinches the win for the Italians with a solid run. Bassino is one of the strongest giant slalom skiers in the world (she won the World Cup discipline title last year), but the 25-year-old is still searching for her first Olympic medal.

8:24pm ET: It’s time for the USA vs. Slovakia. Mikaela Shiffrin is the first out of the gate and she makes it look easy. The three-time Olympic medalist crosses the line 0.64 seconds ahead of Slovakia’s Rebeka Jancova (video below). That’s actually the third largest time differential we’ve seen yet today.

Light work 😤

Mikaela Shiffrin wins her run in the first round of the mixed team parallel 👏

📺: @USA_Network & @peacockTV | #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/o2V49pQh28

— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) February 20, 2022

8:26pm ET: And after two strong runs by River Radamus and Paula Moltzan, the U.S. clinches the win. The Americans will face Italy in the quarterfinal round.

8:35pm ET: Germany defeats Sweden 3-1, with Emma Aicher, Linus Strasser, and Lena Duerr all recording wins. Duerr just missed the individual slalom podium at these 2022 Winter Olympics, finishing fourth – only 0.07 behind bronze medalist Wendy Holdener of Switzerland.

8:38pm ET: Speaking of Wendy Holdener… she is the first athlete out of the gate for Switzerland in their round of 16 match-up against China. And the 28-year-old wins easily. Holdener has won five Olympic medals in her career, including gold in the team event four years ago.

8:39pm ET: Switzerland sweeps China, 4-0. They will face Germany in the quarterfinal round.

QUARTERFINAL ROUND:

8:40pm ET: Here are the four quarterfinal matchups:

Austria (1) vs. Slovenia (8)
France (5) vs. Norway (4)
Italy (3) vs. United States (6)
Germany (7) vs. Switzerland (2)

The U.S. will use the same four athletes in this round, but in a different order. Paula Moltzan (1), Tommy Ford (2), Mikaela Shiffrin (3), River Radamus (4).

8:49pm ET: After a bye in the first round, Austria makes its team event debut in Beijing. The Austrians easily defeat Slovenia, winning 3-1.

8:50pm ET: Norway vs. France. Tessa Worley is first up for the French, but she loses to Norwegian Thea Louise Stjernesund. Worley is a six-time world medalist and one of the most dominant giant slalom skiers of the last decade, but the 32-year-old is still searching for her first career Olympic medal. Despite her loss, she still has a shot if her French teammates can pull through….

8:55pm ET: And nope. Norway defeats France. With the two teams tied, Norway gets the nod thanks to fast runs from Thea Louise Stjernsund and Fabian Wilkens Solheim.

8:57pm ET: It’s Italy vs. the United States. The Americans start off with a 2-0 lead thanks to Paula Moltzan and Tommy Ford.

8:59pm ET: In the third run, it’s Mikaela Shiffrin vs. Marta Bassino. Two really strong giant slalom skiers. Bassino manages to eke out the win by two one-hundredths of a second. But Shiffrin and her U.S. teammates will get to ski again after River Radamus clinches the 3-1 victory.

9:03pm ET: In the final quarterfinal, it’s Germany vs. Switzerland. The Swiss have already been so successful at these 2022 Winter Olympics, winning seven total medals in alpine skiing, including two by Wendy Holdener.

9:05pm ET: And what a tight battle between Wendy Holdener and Germany’s Lena Duerr. Competing on the blue course, which appears to be slightly faster, Duerr ekes out the win. Germany will move thanks to fast times from Alexander Schmid and Duerr. As a reminder, in the event of a 2-2 tie, the first tiebreak goes to the nation with the lower combined time of its fastest male and female competitor.

SEMIFINAL ROUND:

9:10pm ET: Here are the two semifinal matchups:

Austria vs. Norway
United States vs. Germany

9:15pm ET: Tied 1-1, Austria’s Katharina Liensberger puts her team up 2-1. Norway’s Fabian Wilkens Solheim then evens the score 2-2, but Austria will move ahead on tiebreak criteria.

9:17pm ET: The blue course is really showing its speed. Since the start of the quarterfinal round, the athlete on the blue course has won every race (except if they DNF’d).

9:22pm ET: Competing on the red course, Mikaela Shiffrin loses to Germany’s Lena Duerr by one-tenth of a second. River Radamus (blue course) puts the U.S. back into the hunt with a win…

9:25pm ET: And Paula Moltzan (blue course) goes down! That is tough luck for the United States… Germany’s Emma Aicher also skis out, but because she made it further down the course, she’ll get the point.

9:30pm ET: With Germany leading 2-1, it’s a must-win situation for U.S. skier Tommy Ford, competing on the red course. Ford crosses the line 0.84 seconds behind Alexander Schmid, who clinches the win for Germany.

MEDAL ROUND:

Bronze medal final: Norway vs. United States
Gold medal final: Austria vs. Germany

9:38pm ET: It’s Norway vs. the United States for bronze. Paula Moltzan (blue course) gets the U.S. off to a strong start, defeating Norway’s Maria Therese Tviberg by 0.74 seconds.

9:40pm ET: Norway’s Fabian Wilkens Solheim (blue course) evens the score at 1-1. Mikaela Shiffrin, on the red course, loses to Thea Louise Stjernesund by 0.52 seconds. Norway leads 2-1…

9:44pm ET: It all comes down to River Radamus. And in heartbreaking fashion, Radamus wins – but the U.S. loses. Tied 2-2, Norway clinches the bronze thanks to time differential.

9:49pm ET: Moving on to the gold medal final… And Austria leads 2-1 heading into the fourth and final run. Germany’s Alexander Schmid is on the blue course, though…

9:52pm ET: … and in a repeat of what we just saw in the bronze medal final, Germany’s Schmid wins the heat, but Austria wins the gold.

9:57pm ET: Please tell me I am not the only one comparing alpine skiing to quidditch right now? Feels so bizarre to see an athlete win their race, only to lose to have their team lose the event.

I am having flashbacks to when Viktor Krum caught the snitch, but Ireland won the quidditch World Cup. #AlpineSkiing | #WinterOlympics

— Alex Azzi (@AlexAzziNBC) February 20, 2022

10:00pm ET: Mikaela Shiffrin might not have won any medals in Beijing, but wow, she still taught us a lot about strength and perseverance. Here’s a look at what she told NBC Olympics reporter Todd Lewis after the U.S. alpine team finished fourth.

"My teammates are what carried me through this Olympics."

Despite missing a medal in mixed team parallels, Mikaela Shiffrin reflects on ending her 2022 Winter Olympics with her teammates & friends ❤️ #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/u53BjPInHa

— On Her Turf (@OnHerTurf) February 20, 2022

10:02pm ET: Alright, here’s a look at medalists:

GOLD: Austria
SILVER: Germany
Bronze: Norway

10:12pm: Two of the three teams that won medals in the inaugural Olympic alpine team event in 2018 return to the podium today. Austria improves on its silver from four years ago, while Norway claims a second straight Olympic bronze in this event.

10:55pm ET: Looking through the full stats from today’s alpine team event, here’s what stood out about the blue course vs. red course results:

Of the 13 races won on the 🔴 course, 10 were won by DNF, 3 were won on time.

Those 3 wins on time?
🇨🇭 Wendy Holdener vs. 🇨🇳 Ni Yueming
🇨🇭 Gino Caviezel vs. 🇨🇳 Zhang Yangming
🇺🇸 Mikaela Shiffrin vs. 🇸🇰 Rebeka Jancova#AlpineSkiing | #WinterOlympics

— Alex Azzi (@AlexAzziNBC) February 20, 2022

Alpine Skiing – Mixed Team Event Bracket:

Ready for some Mixed Mania! ⛷️

Check out the bracket for the Alpine Skiing Mixed Team Parallel. Don't miss it tonight on @NBC and @PeacockTV. #WinterOlympics | #WatchWithUS pic.twitter.com/YwpX7uj6h3

— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 19, 2022

2022 Winter Olympics – Alpine Skiing Team Event Schedule:

Start Time (U.S. Eastern)	Round
Begins at 8pm ET on Saturday	Round of 16
	Quarterfinals
	Semifinals
	Small Final (Bronze Medal Round)
	Big Final (Gold Medal Round)

Team Event – Course Details:

Venue: Yanqing National Alpine Skiing Center
Course Name: Rainbow
Vertical Drop: 116 meters
Number of Gate: 21

A full preview of alpine skiing’s mixed team event can be found here.

Follow Alex Azzi on Twitter @AlexAzziNBC

Utah Royals FC announce NWSL return as new ownership addresses Utah’s abortion restrictions

By Lisa AntonucciMar 24, 2023, 2:40 PM EDT

USA TODAY Sports

SANDY, Utah – The 2023 NWSL season kicks off Saturday and there’s one thing we know for sure: This is the last year the league will be 12 teams after the Utah Royals FC recently announced its return to the league for 2024.

“I knew that this was going to be one of the most important things that we do,” Jessica Berman said at the announcement March 11 regarding her priority initiatives over her first year as NWSL commissioner. “I lead on behalf of the NWSL, who is making sure that we bring this team back because we know the NWSL fans here are avid, and they care and they’re passionate, and that’s why we’re so excited to bring this team back to the community that’s been asking for [it].”

The Royals ownership group includes Ryan Smith, owner of Smith Entertainment Group, a sports, technology and entertainment investment group whose portfolio includes the Utah Jazz (NBA), Real Salt Lake (MLS), Vivint Arena, America First Field, the Salt Lake City Stars (NBA G-League), Real Monarchs (MLS NEXT Pro) and management of the Salt Lake Bees (Triple A baseball); and David Blitzer, owner of sports investment group Global Football Holdings, which has interests in the Philadelphia 76ers (NBA), New Jersey Devils (NHL), Cleveland Guardians (MLB) and seven European soccer entities including Crystal Palace (England) and FC Augsburg (Germany).

We are back. pic.twitter.com/4Z9ZONritT

— Utah Royals (@UtahRoyalsFC) March 12, 2023

Also joining the ownership is Kraft Analytics Group CEO Jessica Gelman and Philadelphia 76ers exec Daryl Morey, who are part of a five-investor consortium named 42 Futbol Group. Rounding out the group are Netflix vice president Amy Reinhard, former Ernst & Young partner Jim Steger and Eleanor Health CEO Corbin Petro. Gelman will serve as the team’s alternate governor alongside Blitzer, while Michelle Hyncik has been named the club’s president. Hyncik has served as RSL’s general counsel for the past three years and spent five years working as a senior legal counsel for Major League Soccer.

In a recent interview with Sportico, Gelman said the group believes that analytics was being underutilized in leagues such as the WNBA and NWSL, noting “there was a natural fit between 42 Futbol Group’s vision and the commitment from Utah Soccer to dedicate appropriate resources toward the new women’s franchise.”

“This is the right opportunity, with the right overarching ownership group, which has the same vision as us: to empower women, affect change and to do it right,” Gelman said. “Alignment of values is so important.”

The new club is returning to a state with a very different landscape following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade last June. Just four days after the Royals’ announcement, Utah’s Gov. Spencer Coxsigned into a law a bill that bans all abortion clinics by Jan. 1, 2024.

Berman stated last summer that a state’s abortion laws would factor into the league’s decision regarding expansion cities: “It’s one of the things that we’re actually currently analyzing, which is looking even at our current markets to see where we have some differentiation between our values and what we stand behind relative to where we have teams located, and what are the solutions we can put in place that we feel comfortable we can commit to and execute on,” she said.

Berman, Smith and Hyncik talked with On Her Turf about how they plan to address Utah’s reproductive health-care laws within the Royals organization, plus we unpack Utah’s new legislation and take a look at what’s new for the club’s second iteration.

Current Utah abortion legislation counting down to 2024 ban on clinics

Cox signed H.B. 467 into law on March 15 and it takes effect May 3, when abortion clinics will be required to close either by the end of the year or when their license expires, whichever comes first. Additionally, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services will not be allowed to grant or renew abortion clinic licenses starting May 2. The full ban goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024.

The bill does include exceptions for victims of rape and incest, when the mother’s life is in danger or when the fetus has a “lethal fetal anomaly.” It also classifies violations of Utah’s abortion laws as “unprofessional conduct” for health-care providers, requires doctors to offer perinatal hospice and palliative care options as alternatives to abortion for women facing a fatal anomaly, and prohibits abortion for victims of sexual assault and incest after 18 weeks.

“This bill clarifies that so that those abortions can continue. They will continue in a hospital setting, but there’s nothing to prevent those from continuing,” Cox said at a recent news conference.

Under the legislation, all abortions will be required to take place in a hospital, which is defined as “a general hospital licensed by the state.” Critics warn that moving abortions to hospital facilities will likely raise the cost of accessing an abortion in Utah, even when medically necessary, as out-of-pocket costs in a hospital can reach into the thousands compared to costs at abortion clinics.

How Royals ownership, NWSL are addressing Utah’s abortion laws

Both Smith and Berman addressed head-on the concerns over players’ and female staff health-care access in light of Utah’s restrictions. Smith noted that it’s something his companies have already addressed and implemented a policy for.

“Similar to what we’ve done with the Jazz and what we’ve done with all the employees that work in this organization: If there’s healthcare that is not provided by the state, we’ve offered a stipend, we’ve offered consideration for them to go receive whatever treatment they want elsewhere,” he said. “This is one of the greatest reasons why Michelle (Hyncik) is in this spot, because we worked hand-in-hand with her to develop all of this and roll it out.

“There’s a lot of opportunity we have to push forward what the women in this state can go do. I’m incredibly proud of the women that we have in the state, Look at the entrepreneurship and this platform – it’s way bigger than soccer. And as a girl dad, that’s what I want to see — I want my daughters want to work here. I want our stats department and our analytics to be the best in women’s sports, and I don’t know why we can’t officially own that. And with Jessica (Gelman) coming on board – that’s what she’s done out of Boston and with all of their analytics background, like, that’s right here.”

Berman expressed confidence in the Royals’ ownership, noting: “It’s something that we talk about often and in particular with Meghann Burke (executive director of the NWSL Player Association), and we know that it’s on players’ minds. It’s our responsibility to offer that safety net for players, and we know that the Royals ownership group is completely aligned to ensure that if an athlete’s medical needs are not able to be addressed in their home market, that we have the mechanisms and the tools to offer them the support they need, even if they have to leave the market. We’re going to work closely with the union and with our players and our health-care providers to make sure that our players are taken care of.”

In a statement to local Salt Lake City news outlet KSL.com, a club spokesperson stated that: “For all employees enrolled in our benefits plan, we have had a policy in place where if there is a medical procedure that is not provided in the state of Utah, we will provide a reimbursement of up to $4,000 toward travel and lodging costs.”

The nearest abortion providers outside of Utah are in Colorado — in Durango and Glenwood Springs. Earlier in March, a proposed Planned Parenthood clinic in West Wendover, Nevada, was blocked when city council members denied the organization’s request for a conditional use permit. According to the Guttmacher Institute, however, Colorado is protective of abortion rights and has a shield law to protect abortion providers from investigations by other states.

What’s new for the Utah Royals

The new Utah Royals FC has a lot to look forward to, beginning with a new, state-of-the-art locker room at newly renamed America First Credit Union Field, the stadium they’ll share with MLS team Real Salt Lake.

“I personally have Saran-wrapped that locker room off,” said Hyncik. “Those facilities have been in hibernation, just waiting for the women to come back.”

Additionally, the stadium saved spaces for Royals murals, intentionally left blank when the team did recent improvements and now filled with artworks. Expect to see a depiction of the club’s updated crest, which still features a lioness wearing a crown and a blue, gold and red color scheme, but the new badge is a bolder, cleaner look that also pays homage to Utah with its iconic mountain range graphically incorporated into the crown. Philadelphia-based Tobah Kaiser and her women-run studio, Tov Creative, led the redesign project.

The stadium is looking 🤌 pic.twitter.com/lpN2Ld6u3M

— Utah Royals (@UtahRoyalsFC) March 24, 2023

As for partners, the Royals announced the YWCA Utah as a foundational partner and donated $20,000 to the organization during halftime of RSL’s home opener. Hyncik said the Royals also will support STEM education opportunities for young women in the community. America First Credit Union, a longtime partner of RSL and the original Royals, will be the new Royals’ jersey front partner.

“Our foremost goal is to empower women, not only on the field but also the young women off the field who look up to them as heroes and women throughout the community,” she added.

History of Utah Royals FC

The Royals were first established in November 2017, the same week that FC Kansas City folded its club and the team’s player contracts, draft picks and other rights were transferred to the new Salt Lake City team. The expansion club debuted in 2018, packing in 19,203 fans at the home opener at Rio Tinto Stadium, and regularly averaging 11,000 fans or more during three seasons in the NWSL.

England’s Laura Harvey, who currently manages Seattle’s OL Reign, was hired as the first head coach and recorded an 18-17-12 (W-L-D) record over the first two seasons. Several U.S. national team members spent time with Utah including Kelly O’Hara, Christen Press, Amy Rodriguez and Becky Sauerbrunn.

The 2020 season was a tumultuous one for Utah. Head coach Craig Harrington was placed on administrative leave that September amid reports that he allegedly made inappropriate sexual and racist comments to staff and was being verbally abusive, and subsequently was fired in November. Harrington received a two-year suspension from the NWSL this past January after an investigation found he “made inappropriate sexual and objectifying comments” to players.

Amy LePeilbet stepped in as interim coach, and the team went 0-2-2 to finish the season. Additionally, MLS opened an investigation into Real Salt Lake and Royals owner Dell Loy Hansen for racist comments and behavior. Hansen sold his Utah soccer holdings, which included the Royals, RSL and USL’s Real Monarchs, at the end of the year.

The team officially finished 18-14-17 in three seasons in Utah, never reaching the NWSL Cup playoffs but making a statement during the pandemic when the league needed a place to play the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup — a one-off tournament that marked the league’s return to action. The Royals donated $900,000 to help establish a bubble for the four-week tournament that stretched from June 27-July 26, as the NWSL became the first North American professional sports league to return to play following the national shutdown.

In December that year, the Royals moved back east to become the Kansas City Current, whose ownership group includes Brittany and Patrick Mahomes. In January 2022, Real Salt Lake transitioned ownership to Blitzer and Smith.

More about potential NWSL expansion teams

In July, the NWSL announced that it would be adding two expansion teams in 2024 and a third later on. The other two cities expected to secure franchises are Boston and the San Francisco Bay area, according to a Wall Street Journal report that estimates the two cities will pay a record $50 million in franchise fees. Utah paid a much cheaper price, reportedly $3.5 million, thanks to a prior agreement by former NWSL commissioner Lisa Baird, who had agreed to a fixed reactivation fee.

The 2022 season debuted two new NWSL teams, both located in California: Angel City FC, which averaged more than 19,000 fans at games last year, and San Diego Wave FC, which reached the playoff semifinals and set several attendance records.

Like Utah, Boston would be making its return to the NWSL. The Boston Breakers, one of the NWSL’s original teams, played for five years from 2013-17. San Francisco and Utah are set to begin play in 2024, with Boston launching at a later date.

MORE FROM ON HER TURF: 2023 LPGA Drive On Championship — How to watch, who’s playing in season’s first full-field event

2023 LPGA Drive On Championship: How to watch, who’s playing in season’s first full-field event

By Lisa AntonucciMar 21, 2023, 4:43 PM EDT

Getty Images

The LPGA Tour makes its return to the Arizona desert this week at the 2023 LPGA Drive On Championship at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club. The season’s first full-field event features eight of the world’s top 10 players plus a slew of fresh faces as this year’s rookie class gets its first taste of competition as tour members.

This week’s event features 144 players (plus two Monday qualifiers) competing for the $1.75 million prize purse in a 72-hole tournament that will implement the LPGA’s new cutline policy for the first time. Beginning this week, the 36-hole cut will change from the top 70 players and ties to the top 65 and ties advancing to weekend action. The LPGA says it hopes to “establish a faster pace of play” with the change.”

Arizona last hosted the LPGA for the 2019 Bank of Hope Founders Cup at Wildfire Golf Club, where Jin Young Ko earned her first of four LPGA titles that season. The tour last played at Superstition Mountain in the Safeway International from 2004 to 2008, where Hall of Famers Annika Sorenstam (2004, 2005) and Lorena Ochoa (2007, 2008) each won twice, and Juli Inkster won in 2006.

The tournament marks the first of four events over the next five weeks (taking off the week of the Masters, April 7-10) and kicks off the crescendo that’s building to the LPGA’s first major of the season, The Chevron Championship, April 20-23 in its new location at The Woodlands, Texas. The 72-hole LPGA Drive On Championship features 144 players, in addition to two Monday qualifiers, who will compete for a $1.75 million purse.

How to watch the 2023 LPGA Drive On Championship

You can watch the 2023 LPGA Drive On Championship on Golf Channel, Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Check out the complete TV and streaming schedule:

Thursday, March 23: 9-11 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
Friday, March 24: 9-11 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
Saturday, March 25: 6-10 p.m. ET, live stream; 7-9 p.m. ET, Golf Channel
Sunday, March 26: 6-10 p.m. ET, live stream; 7-9 p.m. ET, Golf Channel

Who’s playing in the 2023 LPGA Drive On Championship

Sitting out this week are world No. 1 Lydia Ko and No. 5 Minjee Lee, but No. 2 Nelly Korda and No. 3 Jin Young Ko are back in action following Ko’s return to the winner’s circle two weeks ago in Singapore, where she held off Korda by two strokes. Also in the field this week are:

No. 4 Atthaya Thitikul
No. 6 Lexi Thompson
No. 7 Brooke Henderson
No. 8 In Gee Chun
No. 9 Hyo-Joo Kim
No. 10 Nasa Hataoka
2022 major winners Ashleigh Buhai, Jennifer Kupcho, Chun, Henderson

Rookies and Epson Tour graduates making their first starts as LPGA members include 20-year-old Lucy Li, a two-time Epson Tour winner who might be best known for playing the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open as an 11-year-old; South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu, who took medalist honors at LPGA Q-Series; and 18-year-old Alexa Pano, who finished tied for 21st at Q School to earn her card but might be best known from her role in the 2013 Netflix documentary, “The Short Game.”

Past winners, history of the Drive On Championship

The Drive On Championship was initially created as a series of LPGA events that marked the tour’s back-to-competition efforts following the pandemic. Each tournament used the “Drive On” slogan in support of the tour’s resilience, beginning with the first series event in July 2020 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, where Danielle Kang won by one stroke over Celine Boutier. The second event, held in October 2020, replaced the three stops originally scheduled in Asia, and was held at Reynolds Lake Oconee Great Waters Course in Greensboro, Georgia. Ally McDonald captured her career first LPGA title by one stroke over Kang.

The last two “Drive On” events were staged in Florida, at Golden Ocala Golf Club (Ocala) in March 2021 and at Crown Colony Golf Club (Fort Myers) in February 2022. Austin Ernst cruised to her third career title at the 2021 edition, beating Jennifer Kupcho by five shots. The 2022 tournament marked a fresh start for the event (no longer including results or records from the 2020 and 2021 events), where Leona Maguire became the first Irish winner on tour with her victory in 2022.

Last year at the Drive On Championship

Ireland’s Leona Maguire gifted her mom and early birthday present with her first career win at the 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship. A 27-year-old Maguire, a standout at Duke and former No. 1 amateur, carded a final-round 67 to finish at 18-under 198 and won the 54-hole event by three strokes over Lexi Thompson. She became the first woman from Ireland to win on tour, and her 198 tied her career-best 54-hole score.

More about Superstition Mountain

Superstition Mountain’s Prospector Golf Course opened in 1998 and was a combined design effort by Jack Nicklaus and his son Gary. The course plays as a par-72 and stretches to 7,225 yards in length, with the women playing it at 6,526 yards. The course was home of the LPGA Safeway International from 2004-08, and was recently selected by Golfweek as one of the “Top 100 Residential Courses.”

Of note, Superstition Mountain is a female-owned facility, originally purchased in 2009 by Susan Hladky and her husband James, who died in 2011. Hladky has made a point of opening her courses to women and college players, twice hosting U.S. Women’s Open qualifying and the site of a 2025 NCAA women’s regional tournament. She’s also given membership to eight LPGA players, who play out of the club: Carlota Ciganda, Mina Harigae, Dana Finkelstein, Jaclyn Lee, Charlotte Thomas, Caroline Inglis, Jennifer Kupcho and Brianna Do.