The LPGA kicks off its 74th season this week in Orlando, Florida, where world No. 16 Danielle Kang looks to defend her 2022 title at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club. The field features 29 tournament winners from the past two seasons along with 53 celebrity players, who will tee it up in a one-of-a-kind event beginning Thursday. The event format features 72 holes of stroke play for the professionals and a 72-hole Modified Stableford format for the celebrities.
The Tournament of Champions is the first of 33 events for the 2023 LPGA season, which boasts a record-setting prize purse of $104.5 million. Prize money for the TOC is $1.5 million (matching the smallest on the LPGA schedule), with $225,000 going to the champion. The celebrity and amateur purse is $500,000, with the winner taking home $100,000.
How to watch the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
You can watch the 2023 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on Golf Channel, Peacock, NBC, NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app. Here’s the complete TV and streaming schedule:
- Thursday, Jan. 19: noon-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock
- Friday, Jan. 20: noon-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock
- Saturday, Jan. 21: noon-3 p.m. ET, Golf Channel and Peacock
- Sunday, Jan. 22: 2-5 p.m. ET, NBC and Peacock
Who’s playing in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions
The 2023 Tournament of Champions field is headlined by world No. 2 Nelly Korda, who recently announced new sponsorship deals with Nike and TaylorMade, last year’s runner-up No. 7 Brooke Henderson and newly-minted Hilton Grand Vacations brand ambassador No. 10 Nasa Hataoka. Celebrities include Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, “Today” show co-host Dylan Dreyer, and former Red Sox star Derek Lowe, who edged out Sorenstam on the first playoff hole to win last year’s celebrity/amateur portion of the event.
Also in the field are a slew of first-time LPGA winners from last year, who will make their Tournament of Champions debut, including:
- Jennifer Kupcho, 2022 Chevron Championship
- Leona Maguire, 2022 LPGA Drive On Championship
- Andrea Lee, 2022 AmazingCre Portland Classic
- Ayaka Furue, 2022 Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open
- Jodi Ewart Shadoff, 2022 LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship
- Ashleigh Buhai, 2022 AIG Women’s Open
- Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand
- Paula Reto, 2022 CP Women’s Open
- Gemma Dryburgh, 2022 TOTO Japan Classic
- Maja Stark, 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational
Among the notable absences this week are world No. 1 Lydia Ko, who is still on her honeymoon following her Dec. 30 wedding, and 2022 major winners Minjee Lee (U.S. Women’s Open) and In Gee Chun (KPMG Women’s PGA Championship). Last year’s Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year, No. 4 Atthaya Thitifkul, and No. 9 Hyo Joo Kim did not enter the event, while No. 6 Lexi Thompson didn’t qualify, as her last LPGA win came in 2019.
MORE FROM ON HER TURF: Atthaya Thitikul takes LPGA rookie-of-year honors in stride
Past winners of the LPGA’s Tournament of Champions
YEAR | WINNER | SCORE | MARGIN | RUNNERUP |
2022 | Danielle Kang (USA) | 16-under 272 | 3 strokes | Brooke Henderson |
2021 | Jessica Korda (USA) | 24-under 260 | won in playoff | Danielle Kang |
2020 | Gaby Lopez (Mexico) | 13-under 271 | won in playoff | Inbee Park, Nasa Hataoka |
2019 | Eun-Hee Ji (South Korea) | 14-under 270 | 2 strokes | Mirim Lee |
Format for the 2023 Tournament of Champions
The LPGA professionals will compete in a 72-hole, stroke-play event with no cut, while the celebrities and amateurs will use the Modified Stableford scoring system. The player with the most points at the conclusion of the tournament will crowned champion. A quick refresher on the Modified Stableford format:
- Double bogey = 0 points
- Bogey = 1 point
- Par = 2 points
- Birdie = 3 points
- Eagle = 5 points
- Hole-in-One = 8 points
- Albatross = 10 points
Last year at the 2022 Tournament of Champions
After losing to Jessica Korda in a playoff at the 2021 TOC, Danielle Kang exacted a bit of revenge at Lake Nona in 2022. She fired the low round of the day in Sunday’s final round — a 4-under 68 — to win by three shots over Brooke Henderson. Kang was the only player in the field to card four rounds in the 60s, and finished at 16-under 272 to secure her sixth career LPGA title.
She played just 18 events last year, sitting out most of the summer after revealing last June that she had a tumor on her spine. The now 30-year-old returned to competition in late August and notched three top 10s over seven starts to end the season, including a solo second at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship and a T-3 at the LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship.
More about Lake Nona Golf & Country Club
Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, located in Orlando, Florida, was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1986. The par-72 layout stretches to 6,617 yards and notably was the site of the inaugural Solheim Cup in 1990, when the United States defeated Europe 11½ to 4½. The classic Fazio creation — his first solo design — features four par 5s and four par 3s and is home to 16 LPGA and Ladies’ European Tour players.
The NBC Sports’ golf research team contributed to this report.