2022 NCAA Women’s Golf Championship: Preview, schedule, how to watch, course details

By Lisa AntonucciMay 20, 2022, 8:54 AM EDT

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The top teams in college golf head to the Arizona desert this week for the 2022 NCAA Division I Women’s Golf National Championships, where 24 teams and 12 individuals (not on qualifying teams) will compete for the titles at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, May 20-25.

This year’s field features each of the top 10, and 19 of the top 20 teams in the Golfstat rankings (only No. 12 Florida is missing). Nine previous national champions (Alabama, Arizona State, Purdue, San Jose State, Stanford, TCU, UCLA, Georgia, Southern California) are in the field, which also features four teams from both California and Texas – the most of any states. Missing this week is defending champion Ole Miss, marking the first time the defending champ has not returned to the NCAAs since Washington won in 2016 and failed to qualify in 2017.

However, 17 of last year’s 24 teams are back, including three of the eight teams that advanced to the match play. Of note, the Stanford Cardinal come in as the No. 1 ranked team, while the Southern California Trojans arrive at Grayhawk off a record 14th regional title win. The Oregon Ducks, making their second straight and 12th overall championships appearance, captured their first regional title in Albuquerque, with junior Briana Chacon earning the program’s first individual title by four shots. Purdue, currently ranked 45th in the Golfstat rankings, is the lowest-ranked team to qualify for the tournament.

Stanford’s Rachel Heck, the 2021 individual champion, is aiming to become the first woman to claim multiple individual titles, although four schools – Arizona (1990-1991), Arizona State (1994-1995), Duke (2001-2002) and USC (2013-2014) – have had different players win in consecutive editions.

Meet the 24 teams in the field at the 2022 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships (coach, ranking):

ARIZONA STATE (Missy Farr-Kaye; No. 7): The host Sun Devils, who extended their NCAA women’s golf record for championship appearances to 37, will compete for their ninth national title. Players: Alexandra Forsterling, Ashley Menne, Grace Summerhays, Alessandra Fanali, Calynne Rosholt.
ALABAMA (Mic Potter; No. 9): The Crimson Tide are making their 16th NCAA Championship appearance (15th under Potter) and will aim to improve on their last-place finish from last year. Players: Polly Mack, Benedetta Moresco, Angelica Moresco, Isabella van der Biest, Emilie Overas.
ARKANSAS (Shauna Taylor; No. 18): The Razorbacks won their first two tournaments of the fall season but struggled in the spring until their T-3 finish at the Ann Arbor regional. Players: Ela Anacona, Julia Gregg, Miriam Ayora, Kajal Mistry, Ffion Tynon.
AUBURN (Melissa Luellen; No. 17): Making their 20th NCAA appearance, the Tigers Auburn qualified in historic fashion, shooting the lowest NCAA regional round in program history and setting the Karsten Creek Golf Club course record for a single round. Players: Mychael O’Berry, Kaleigh Telfer, Anna Foster, Megan Schofill, Elina Sinz.
BAYLOR (Jay Goble; No. 16): The Bears, making their seventh appearance, qualified for the NCAAs in back-to-back seasons for the second time in school history and first since 2017-18. Players: Gurleen Kaur, Rosie Belsham, Britta Snyder, Addie Baggarly, Hannah Karg.
FLORIDA STATE (Amy Bond; No. 10): Making their 13^th championship appearance the Seminoles qualified for Grayhawk by capturing top honors at the NCAA Regional for the second straight season, winning by 17 strokes. Players: Beatrice Wallen, Alice Hodge, Amelia Williamson, Cecilie Finne-Ipsen, Charlotte Heath.
GEORGIA (Josh Brewer; No. 27): The Bulldogs had two of the top-three individual finishers at Albuquerque regional to help secure their second straight and 24th overall berth at the NCAA Championships. Players: Jenny Bae, Candice Mahe, Jo Hua Hung, Caterina Don, LoraLie Cowart.
LSU (Garrett Runion; No. 14): The Tigers claimed their first SEC title since 1992 this season and followed up with a T-2 finish at the NCAA Regionals in Stanford. Players: Carla Tejedo, Ingrid Lindblad, Latanna Stone, Jessica Bailey, Esla Svensson.
MICHIGAN (Jan Dowling; No. 20): The Wolverines enter the NCAA Championships (second straight, fifth overall) with two wins in their last three tournaments, including winning their first Big Ten title. Players: Ashley Lau, Hailey Borja, Mikaela Schulz, Monet Chun, Sophia Trombetta, Ashley Kim.
MISSISSIPPI STATE (Charlie Ewing; No. 32): The Bulldogs will make just their third NCAA championships appearance and first since 2014. Players: Ashley Gilliam, Hannah Levi, Blair Stockett, Julia Lopez Ramirez, Ana Pina Ortega.
OKLAHOMA STATE (Greg Robertson; No. 6): The Cowgirls will look to avenge their finals loss in 2021, and they arrive at Greyhawk having recorded a top-three finish in every tournament they played this season, with six different players posting an individual victory. Players: Maddison Hinson-Tolchard, Han-Hsuan Yu, Rina Tatematsu, Lianna Bailey, Hailey Jones.
OREGON (Derek Radley; No. 2): The Ducks, who racked up a team-record five wins this season and finished top-five in all 11 events played, claimed the Pac-12 Championship and the NCAA Regional title in Albuquerque. Players: Hsin-Yu (Cynthia) Lu, Sophie Kibsgaard Nielsen, Ching-Tzu Chen, Tze-Han (Heather) Lin.
PURDUE (Devon Brouse; No. 45): The Boilermakers are making their 18^th championships appearance (all under Brouse, who will retire after this season) and first appearance since 2019. Players: Danielle du Toit, Inez Wanamarta, Sifat Sagoo, Ashley Kozlowski, Kan Bunnabodee.
SAN JOSE STATE (Dana Dormann; No. 5): The Spartans enter their 22nd NCAA Championships on the heels of three straight wins, including a victory at the Ann Arbor Regional on May 11. Players: Natasha Andrea Oon, Lucia Lopez Ortega, Antonia Malate, Kajsa Arwefjall, Louisa Carlbom.
STANFORD (Anne Walker; No. 1): The Cardinal enter their 12th straight and 36th overall NCAA Championships with five tournament wins this season and are led by reigning NCAA individual champion Rachel Heck. Players: Heck, Rose Zhang, Brooke Seay, Sadie Englemann, Aline Krauter, Caroline Sturdza.
SOUTH CAROLINA (Kalen Anderson; No. 3): The Gamecocks set a school record with five tournament wins this season and will make their 19th championships appearance (second straight). Players: Hannah Darling, Louise Rydqvist, Justine Fournand, Tai Anudit, Mathilde Claisse.
TEXAS (Ryan Murphy, No. 13): The Longhorns arrive at Grayhawk off their best two performances of the season, winning the Big 12 Championship and finishing second at Albuquerque regional. Players: Bentley Cotton, Bohyun Park, Sara Kouskova, Brigitte Thibault, Sophie Guo.
TEXAS A&M (Gerrod Chadwell; No. 19): In his first season as the Aggies’ head coach Chadwell — husband of LPGA star Stacy Lewis — leads the team to their first NCAA Championship appearance (14th overall) since 2015. Players: Jennie Park, Zoe Slaughter, Adela Cernousek, Blanca F. García-Poggio, Hailee Cooper.
TEXAS CHRISTIAN (Angie Ravaioli-Larkin; No. 31): Making their 13th NCAA Championship appearance and first since 2010, the Horned Frogs claimed their spot with a fourth-place finish at the Albuquerque regional. Players: Sabrina Iqbal, Caitlyn Macnab, Lois Lau, Valeria Pacheco, Trinity King.
UCLA (Carrie Forsyth; No. 15): The Bruins, making their 33^rd appearance in the NCAAs, will take aim at their fourth national title and the 120^th of the UCLA athletic program. Players: Emma Spitz, Caroline Canales, Emilie Paltrinieri, Alessia Nobilio, Zoe Campos, Ty Akabane.
USC (Justin Silverstein; No. 11): The Trojans are coming off an NCAA record 14th regional title, winning by eight strokes over hosts Stanford and LSU, while freshman Amari Avery won the individual regional title. Players: Avery, Brianna Navarrosa, Michaela Morard, Xin (Cindy) Kou, Katherine Muzi.
VANDERBILT (Greg Allen; No. 33): Coming off an eight-shot win at the NCAA Franklin Regional – their first victory of the season – the Commodores return to the NCAAs for the first time since 2019. Players: Auston Kim, Jayna Choi, Tess Davenport, Celina Sattelkau, Louise Yu.
VIRGINIA (Ria Scott; No. 8): Making their 12^th championship appearance, the Cavaliers consistently finished top-five in events (10-of-11) this season but didn’t win a single stroke play title. Players: Amanda Sambach, Jennifer Cleary, Celeste Valinho, Beth Lillie, Rebecca Skoler, Riley Smyth.
WAKE FOREST (Kim Lewellen; No. 4): The Demon Deacons finished inside the top five in all 10 events this season, recording five wins, including an ACC Championship title. Players: Rachel Kuehn, Carolina Chacarra, Mimi Rhodes, Lauren Walsh, Virunpat Olankitkunchai.

Meet the 12 individual qualifiers for the 2022 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships:

An additional 12 players qualified to compete for the national individual title via the six NCAA Regional tournaments, where the top two individuals from each regional not on a qualifying team advanced to the opening 54-hole, stroke-play portion of the championships at Grayhawk GC.

Letizia Bagnoli, Florida Atlantic (senior; Florence, Italy); led team with 71.34 stroke average, four individual wins including C-USA Championship.
Camryn Carreon, UTSA (junior; San Antonio, Texas); led team with 73.79 scoring average, finished second at C-USA Championship.
Ruby Chou, Iowa State (sophomore; Taipei, Taiwan); 74.63 scoring average (fourth on team).
Marina Escobar Domingo, Florida (junior; Almeria, Spain); 72.6 stroke average, posted three top 10s and six top 25s.
Taglao Jeeravivitaporn, Iowa State (junior; Bangkok, Thailand); led team with 72.06 scoring average, and notched top-10s in 10 tournaments.
Emily Mahar, Virginia Tech (graduate student; Brisbane, Australia); led team with a 72.55 stroke average in 29 rounds, notched a team-high five top-five finishes.
Jana Melichova, Old Dominion (senior; Pikovice, Czech Republic); led team with 72.20 scoring average, shot program-record 65 in third round of Evie Odom Invitational in October (T-3).
Anna Morgan, Furman (junior; Spartanburg, SC); led team with 72.2 scoring average and posted top-five finishes in 11 events.
Leila Raines, Michigan State (sophomore; Galena, Ohio); 74.62 scoring average (fourth on team) in seven events.
Viera Permata Rosada, Sam Houston (sophomore; Jakarta, Indonesia); 77.03 scoring average over 11 tournaments.
Chiara Tamburlini, Ole Miss (junior; St. Gallen, Switzerland); led team with 72.62 scoring average in 10 tournaments, with three top-five and six top-10 finishes.
Natalia Yoko, Augusta (senior; Jakarta, Indonesia); first women in program history to advance to NCAA championships.

What format is used for the 2022 NCAA Women’s Golf Championships?

All 24 teams and 12 individual regional qualifiers will compete in 54 holes of stroke play (May 20-22), with the top 15 teams along with the top 12 individuals not on an advancing team moving on to one additional day of stroke play (May 23), which will determine the eight teams for the match play competition as well as the individual champion.

Any ties after 54 holes – either to determine the 15 teams or 12 individuals that reach the final round of stroke-play – will be broken by sudden-death playoff. Additionally, ties to determine the eight teams advancing to match play as well as the individual champion also will be broken by sudden-death playoff.

Following the conclusion of 72 holes of stroke, the top eight will advance to single-elimination match play with seeds determined by the team results. A total of five points will be available in each round with the first team to three points winning. Once a team has won three individual matches, any remaining individual matches will be halted at that point and the score recorded as it currently stood. Quarterfinals and semifinals are set for Tuesday, with the final on Wednesday.

About Grayhawk Golf Club’s Raptor Course:

This year marks the second straight year that the Raptor Course at Grayhawk Golf Club, located in Scottsdale, Ariz., less that 20 miles from the Arizona State campus, will host the women’s NCAA golf championships.

Designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1995, the Raptor Course will play as a par 72 (36-36), stretching 6,384 yards. The track is known for its generous fairways, large and undulated greens, and deep bunkers, which are especially noteworthy considering Fazio had to sculpt these features from what started as a flat piece of desert land.

Grayhawk, which will host the NCAA men’s tournament May 27-June 1, also will host the 2023 women’s and men’s championships before the tournaments move to the Omni La Costa Resort & Spa’s Champions Course in Carlsbad, California, for 2024. This year marks the seventh consecutive edition of the NCAA Division I Golf Championships that one course will host both the women’s and men’s championships in the same year in consecutive weeks.

Last year at Grayhawk Golf Club:

Last year as a freshman, Stanford’s Rachel Heck finished at 8-under 280 to win by one stroke over UCLA’s then-sophomore Emma Spitz, becoming the first golfer from Stanford to win the individual women’s title and just the ninth freshman to win it overall (first since Duke’s Virginia Elena Carta in 2016). Heck opened with three sub-par rounds (69-67-70) and entering the final day with a five-shot lead over the field. Heck shot 2-over 74 in the final round and held on for the win over Spitz, who fired a 68 on the last day.

In the team competition, Ole Miss defeated Oklahoma State 4-1 in the match-play final to capture the first women’s national title in any sport in school history. The Rebels were seeded fourth after the stroke-play portion of the tournament and proceeded to defeat No. 5 seed Texas 3-2 in the quarterfinals before beating No. 8 seed Arizona in the semifinals, also by 3-2. Ole Miss’ 4-1 triumph over the third-seeded Cowgirls in the finals marked the largest margin of victory in a final since the tournament adopted the match-play format in 2015.

How to watch the 2022 NCAA Women’s Division I Golf Championships:

Coverage of the NCAA Women’s Division I Golf Championships begins Monday, May 23, with the individual competition followed by coverage of team match play on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 24 and 25. All Golf Channel coverage also streams on NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app.

DATES	LIVE COVERAGE (all times ET)*	COLLEGE CENTRAL (all times ET)*	GOLF CENTRAL (all times ET)*	ENCORES (all times ET)*
Monday, May 23	5-9 p.m.	4-5 p.m.	9-10 p.m.	10 p.m.-2 a.m.; 3-5:30 a.m.; 9-11:30 a.m. (Tuesday)
Tuesday, May 24	Noon-2:30 p.m.; 5-9 p.m.	11:30 a.m.-noon; 4:30-5 p.m.	9-10 p.m.	10 p.m.-2 a.m.; 3-5 a.m. (Wednesday)
Wednesday, May 25	5-9 p.m. ET	4:30-5 p.m.	9-10 p.m.	10 p.m.-2 a.m.

The NBC Sports’ golf research team contributed to this report.

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Li Li Leung talks USA Gymnastics’ cultural transformation, challenges still to come and embracing her AAPI heritage

By Lisa AntonucciMay 31, 2023, 9:59 AM EDT

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Li Li Leung joined USA Gymnastics as president and CEO in March 2019, when the organization was reeling from the fallout of Larry Nassar’s widespread sexual abuse and the subsequent revelations of larger cultural issues within the sport. Since then, Leung has seen USAG through an ongoing transformation, one that hinges on the work of the survivors and staff around her, whom she is quick to credit. That evolution, as she calls it, has included instituting new norms and standards at all levels of the sport, particularly in matters related to athlete safety.

Among the notable USAG initiatives that Leung has brought to fruition is the Athlete Bill of Rights, established in December 2020 as a tool “to unite the full gymnastics community around a shared vision of behavioral expectations.” At the same time, USAG instituted a protest policy for national team members aimed at supporting athletes who choose to use their voice on public platforms. Both initiatives were among the first of their kind in sport.

Prior to joining USAG, Leung served as a vice president at the National Basketball Association (NBA), where she was responsible for building and managing key partner relationships around the world. She continues to use that experience in her roles as vice chair of the National Governing Bodies Council of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and a member of the International Gymnastics Federation’s Executive Committee.

Leung, who began competing in gymnastics at age 7, was a member of the U.S. junior national training team and represented the U.S. at the 1988 Junior Pan American Games. She was a four-year member of the four-time Big 10 champion University of Michigan gymnastics team and was an NCAA Championships participant.

In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, On Her Turf sat down with Leung to talk about her journey with USAG, the challenges still to come and how being a member of the AAPI community has shaped the person she is today.

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This Q+A has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity.

On Her Turf: Let’s start by talking about your journey since joining USA Gymnastics in 2019. What have the last four years been like for you?

Li Li Leung: This was just an incredible opportunity to give back to the sport that has given so much to me. And I really mean that because I started in the sport when I was 7 years old and did it for 15 years. It’s taught me all of these different skills that I apply to my daily life, both professional and personal. It feels a little bit like I’ve come full circle, and honestly, never in a million years did I think I would find myself in this role. … I joined at a time when it was a tumultuous time for the organization. It’s been just a little a little over four years now, and it has been an incredible journey — and believe it or not, I have enjoyed it. While it hasn’t been easy, I actually have enjoyed it, because I’ve been able to make it not just me. One thing that’s important to note is that — I had even said on my first interview with the board — it will take a village to accomplish what we need to accomplish. This is not a one-person job. And I was lucky enough to be able to bring on a leadership team that has been incredible, and also retain the staff that we have retained, as well as hire other new staff members. And it’s because of them and some really key volunteers that we’ve been able to accomplish what we’ve been able to do.

OHT: Can you talk a little more about this cultural transformation that the organization has experienced and your approach to tackling this all-encompassing change?

Leung: When I was interviewing for the position, I actually met every single board member. It was really critical to both sides that they felt that I matched the role and their needs and also I had to be confident in the board believing in the ultimate mission of the organization and what we wanted to achieve. So that the culture really does stem from the well – from the top down and everything in between as well. And when I was looking for leadership team, … one of the characteristics I was really looking for was they couldn’t have an ego. The job couldn’t be about themselves or about what they would personally get out of the role. It had to be about them believing in the bigger picture and believing in what we collectively wanted to achieve. I knew that we would only be able to accomplish what we need to accomplish if people were willing to roll up their sleeves and just do whatever needed to be done, so that was one of the key things in terms of having no ego.

Since 2018, we’ve turned over more than 70 percent of our staff. We’ve been able to retain the really key members of our staff, who have been critical to our success, but also have been able to really bring in new thinking, new blood, new perspectives. Because the other thing I was looking for when I was hiring for the leadership team was diversity in perspectives. That was critical because I did not want to be surrounded by “yes people.” I wanted to be surrounded by people who would be willing to have really robust conversations and engage in difficult conversations, because ultimately, you end up in a better place because of that.

In 2020, we reset our mission to be about building a community and culture of health, safety and excellence, with athletes who thrive in sport and in life. So we were no longer about developing technically superior gymnasts who perform well in gym. We reset our focus to be about helping set our athletes up for success with the skill sets that you learn in gymnastics, and when we come to the office each day, that’s what we’re thinking about. …

The other piece is we also know from a community standpoint that our national team coaches are the most visible representation (of USAG), and a lot of coaches model them. So we’ve been working really hard in terms of working on educating our national team coaches. We work with Positive Coaching Alliance to do educational training with them as well. And we also have introduced training specifically for young coaches coming in, because we know when they come in and they’re new, that they’re eager to learn, and that’s when you can start training and moving them in a way. So our thinking is with this top-down and bottom-up strategy, eventually the middle will meet.

OHT: You noted how the coaches can be some of the most visible representatives of USAG. Regarding the addition of 2008 Olympic silver medalists Chellsie Memmel (USAG technical lead) and Alicia Sacramone Quinn (USAG strategic lead), how have those women impacted the program?

Leung: The addition of Chellsie and Alicia has been fantastic. They have been phenomenal to work with, and the fact that they have firsthand experience of having gone through it themselves – that also gives them a very good idea of what they would change and what they wouldn’t change, at the same time. It has been a phenomenal addition to be able to have this perspective of firsthand, high-level, high-performing athletes to be able to lead our high-performance team. And the athletes are saying it as well. They’re saying, “We trust them; we feel confident in their decisions; we can relate to them” — all of those things that historically haven’t really happened before.

Then in terms of the athletes who are going to college and coming back to compete with USA Gymnastics – there are so many aspects that I think are great about this. One: It’s showing a lengthened career in a sport that historically has not been very long because it’s so demanding on the body. So that means that our athletes are physically healthier, as well, that they can train and compete at a high level for a longer period of time. It also means that they’re enjoying it more because they’re staying in the sport. From an emotional standpoint, they’re finding a lot more joy in the sport, and they’re talking about it, too. And we love the fact that they’re talking about it. We want them to talk about it, and we want them to have voices and feel open and free about sharing what they’re thinking about. I have to say I’ve been really enjoying seeing almost like — I’m not sure if I can go as far as a new era in the sport maybe — but just this evolution of the sport and the athletes changing in front of my eyes.

OHT: What do you consider now to still be the biggest challenge or obstacle for USAG?

Leung: There are a couple of big initiatives on the list. One is we want to build a training and wellness center where all of our disciplines will train under one roof. This is a long-term project, obviously, but my vision around it is that it will be the heart and hub of gymnastics in America. And while this is where national team athletes will ultimately train to some extent, it is going to be a welcoming place for athletes of all different disciplines and all different levels. We want it to be a place where young athletes can come through and see their role models training. We want this to be a place of education for our community and judges. We want to be able to run clinics there for all different levels. We just want this to be a gathering place of gymnastics and to be able to celebrate the sport there at the same time.

We’re also going to reset our foundation. There’s been the National Gymnastics Foundation, but we are going to reset it and basically be much more proactive on fundraising and development to grow the sport and also to raise more money for athletes in their training.

OHT: Turning to AAPI Heritage Month and being named to the 2023 Gold House A100 List (the A100 is named each May honoring 100 Asian Pacific leaders who made the greatest impact on culture and society over the past year). What did that honor mean to you?

Leung: It was such an incredible honor to be recognized by them, and my fellow honorees — when I read the list, I thought to myself, “I don’t belong.” There are some incredible names on that list. But again, I go back to what I said earlier: I owe this honor to a lot of the other people who work [at USAG]. I think the really important thing to recognize is that this was not done by just me. It was done by a lot of other people who are on staff and who aren’t getting the accolades or the recognition. But it was an incredible experience to be, and I’m very, very touched and honored to be on that list.

OHT: How do you identify within the Asian American Pacific Islander community? Did you embrace your heritage growing up and how has that shaped who you are today?

Leung: So I’ll tell you a story that I’ve mentioned to other people recently. I grew up in a town called Ridgewood in Bergen County, New Jersey, and most of my friends had blond hair and blue eyes. When I was growing up, I wanted the name “Nancy Smith,” and I wanted blue eyes. I wanted to fit in. As a kid, you always want to fit in. Then when you get older and wizen up a little bit, you realize that it’s okay and it’s good to be different, that you can use that to your advantage. And so upon growing up, I realized that it’s pretty special to be Asian American and there are benefits to being Asian American, and you should embrace the fact that you are different. In fact, I recently lectured to a women-in-sports-business class, and one of the questions they asked me was about impostor syndrome. I said the same thing that I’m saying to you now, which is absolutely embrace who you are. Absolutely embrace your differences, because those ultimately are embedded advantages to who you are and make you stand out from the rest of the crowd. So that’s my philosophy now.

OHT: Do you or your family have any traditions that are especially important to you?

Leung: I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a tradition, but in the Chinese culture, food is really important. Food is what brings people together. It’s a sign of respect, and that is the ultimate unifying language in a way. So when we do get together as a family, it’s really important for us to get together around a meal, because that’s when we share our stories. That’s when we connect with one another.

OHT: You might have just answered my next question, but I want to ask: What brings you joy about your heritage and culture?

Leung: It’s funny, I was actually at a conference last week and you were supposed to find someone you didn’t know in the conference and share a secret talent that you have. I shared that I can eat a lot more than most people think. Food is a really important part of our culture and in my upbringing and family.

OHT: Lastly, I wanted to ask, as we’ve seen an increase in hate-filled actions toward the AAPI community, what does supporting the AAPI community look like for you?

Leung: Well, I think kind of going back to my other answer, it’s just about embracing who you are and embracing your differences. I think part of it is being unafraid of it at the same time, which I know is really difficult. But if you’re going to truly embrace it, and then you can’t be afraid about embracing it at the same time.

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2023 Mizuho Americas Open: How to watch, who’s playing in inaugural LPGA event at Liberty National GC

By Lisa AntonucciMay 30, 2023, 5:03 PM EDT

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The Statue of Liberty is the backdrop for this week’s inaugural Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. The tournament boasts a theme of mentorship and education, and includes a girls’ 72-hole, modified Stableford tournament featuring 24 juniors to go along with the 72-hole stroke-play event for 120 LPGA professionals.

The field is led by seven of the top 10 players on the Rolex Rankings including world No. 1 Jin Young Ko, No. 3 Lydia Ko, No. 4 Lilia Vu and No. 5 Minjee Lee. Also teeing it up this week are the finalists from Sunday’s Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play, where Thailand’s Pajaree Anannarukarn captured her second LPGA title with a 3-and-1 victory over Japan’s Ayaka Furue.

Michelle Wie West is serving as the tournament host, and she’ll be on hand to welcome fellow Stanford alum Rose Zhang, who’s fresh off her second straight NCAA individual title and turned professional just last week. Zhang will have her first go at an LPGA prize purse, which tops out at $2.75 million this week with the winner taking home $412,500.

How to watch the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open

You can watch the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open on Golf Channel, Peacock, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Check out the complete TV and streaming schedule:

Thursday, June 1: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock
Friday, June 2: 11 a.m.-2 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock
Saturday, June 3: 5-8 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock
Sunday, June 4: 4:30-5 p.m. ET (streaming only on Peacock); 5-7:30 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock

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Who’s playing in the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open?

The 120-player field features seven of the top 10 players (and 16 of the top 25 player) on the Rolex Rankings:

No. 1 Jin Young Ko
No. 3 Lydia Ko
No. 4 Lilia Vu
No. 5 Minjee Lee
No. 6 Atthaya Thitikul
No. 8 Brooke Henderson
No. 9 Georgia Hall

Also in the field are 2023 winners Celine Boutier (LPGA Drive On Championship), Ruoning Yin (DIO Implant LA Open) and Grace Kim (LOTTE Championship), plus several sponsor exemptions including reigning NCAA individual champion Rose Zhang and her Stanford teammate Megha Ganne. Ganne, a native of Holmdel, N.J., finished T-21 at the recent NCAAs and is playing as an amateur. Joining them as an exemption is fellow Cardinal Mariah Stackhouse, who has conditional status on tour in 2023. Monday qualifiers include tour rookie Alexa Pano and Australia’s Sarah Jane Smith.

Among the notable juniors expected to play are 2022 Augusta National Women’s Amateur winner Anna Davis, 2022 U.S. Girls’ Junior winner Yana Wilson and 2022 U.S. Junior Girls’ runnerup Gianna Clemente. The 24 junior players were invited through their standings in the Rolex AJGA Rankings.

What’s the format for the Mizuho Americas Open?

The professionals will play a 72-hole stroke-play competition, with a cut to the top 50 and ties after 36 holes. The 24 juniors will play a 72-hole, no-cut competition using the modified Stableford scoring format and a different yardage than the pros.

During the first two rounds, the AJGA players will all be paired together. During the final two rounds, one junior player will play with two LPGA pros with groupings based on scores. This unique format marks the first time the AJGA and LPGA have partnered to showcase junior and professional competitors playing together.

Stableford scoring refresher: “Stableford” is a scoring system that awards points for the number of strokes taken on each hole in relation to par, rather than simply counting strokes like in stroke play. Unlike in stroke play, where players want the lowest score, the goal in Stableford scoring is to have the highest score. Standard Stableford points values are:

0 Points – Double bogey or worse (two strokes or more over par)
1 Point – Bogey (one stroke over par)
2 Points – Par
3 Points – Birdie (one stroke under par)
4 Points – Eagle (two strokes under par)
5 Points – Albatross or double eagle (three strokes under par)
6 Points – Condor (four strokes under par)

More about Liberty National Golf Club

Located on the shore of the Upper Bay of New York Harbor, Liberty National Golf Club was designed by Bob Cupp and Tom Kite and officially opened on July 4, 2006. After the course received mixed reviews following the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust in 2009, the course underwent a renovation led by Steve Wenzloff of PGA Tour Design Services. Of note, the course hosted an event during the PGA Tour Playoffs four times (2009, 2013, 2019 and 2021) as well as the 2017 Presidents Cup, where the U.S. defeated the Internationals 19-11 for the Americans’ seventh consecutive victory in the competition and its 10th straight win overall. For this week’s event, the course will play to a par of 72 with an unofficial scorecard yardage of 6,671 yards.

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More about Liberty National Golf Club

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