2025 LPGA Season Odds and Ends

[ChronicSlicer]

4 hours ago, Lobby said:

I like no cut tournaments. 
 

seems to me that if you work, you get paid

I like normal cut tournaments.

Seems to me if you work harder, you get paid more.

[bcjim]

5 hours ago, Lobby said:

I like no cut tournaments. 
 

seems to me that if you work, you get paid

I'm ok with a expense stipend for cut players but,  to me,  a cut is an integral part of tournament golf. 

[Treats]

7 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

 

I wouldn't get too excited about the pace of play changes. The new rules are only in effect when a group is on the clock, which is a rarity. Expect to see plenty of players spending 1 to 2 minutes per shot. 

 

Many slow players and their reespective caddies know how to "play the game" and avoid the PoP penalties.

[bcjim]

Rare E-H J sighting. What is her story again?

[JungleJimbo]

1 hour ago, bcjim said:

I'm ok with a expense stipend for cut players but,  to me,  a cut is an integral part of tournament golf. 

@bcjimUsually i would "+1" this comment

... but for the Asian Swing (and the long travel times from the USA), i believe they chose a no-cut, to incentivise the players to make the journey to Asia.

[JungleJimbo]

1 hour ago, bcjim said:

Rare E-H J sighting. What is her story again?

 

@bcjimThat's not a name acronym that i'm familiar with ... guessing that you mean "Ji Eun-Hee"?

 

 

Edited March 6 by JungleJimbo

[JungleJimbo]

 

 

spare a thought for players / volunteers in Brisbane Australia.

Hope our friends @Rapidcat @Raving Shanker et al = are ok.

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/lpga/2025/03/05/cyclone-alfred-cancels-ladies-european-tour-golf-event-australia/81611023007/ 

 

 

Quote

 

Players forced to move after cyclone cancels LET event in Australia

golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/lpga/2025/03/05/cyclone-alfred-cancels-ladies-european-tour-golf-event-australia/81611023007

Beth Ann Nichols

Players scramble to relocate after Cyclone Alfred cancels LET event in Australia

Beth Ann Nichols

Golfweek

 

• The Australian WPGA Championship was canceled due to Cyclone Alfred, which is expected to bring high winds and heavy rain.
• The cyclone poses a significant threat to the region, with potential for flash flooding and damage.
• Tournament organizers arranged for alternative practice facilities for players ahead of the next scheduled event.

Meghan MacLaren has seen a lot over the course of her globe-trotting professional career, but what happened this week at the Australian WPGA Championship is a new one.

Tournament officials canceled the event earlier this week due to the impending impact of Cyclone Alfred. The storm was projected to have wind gusts of up to 96 mph and is expected to hit Brisbane, Queensland’s capital, on Friday morning. 

Forecasters say more than 30 inches of rain could fall in some regions, making the threat of flash flooding a major concern, according to Reuters. It’s been more than 50 years since the area has been hit by a cyclone.

The event was slated to take play March 6-9 at at Sanctuary Cove Golf and Country Club on Australia’s Gold Coast and kicks off a three-week stretch of Ladies European Tour events in Australia. Instead of playing another practice round, MacLaren shared on X that she drove 12 hours away from the area, back to where she was last week to practice and prep for next week’s event, the Australian Women’s Classic, which is another nine hours away.

=====

Tour officials put together a formal list of 10 clubs for players to use as a temporary home base until the next event. 

“All of us in professional golf know how quickly plans can change, and that finding suitable locations to practice and play on short notice is no easy task,” said WPGA Tour of Australasia CEO Karen Lunn.

“To see the support of golf clubs and facilities and PGA members around New South Wales has helped to remind everyone just what an amazing industry we are in.

“It was obviously crushing to make the decision to cancel the Australian WPGA Championship in the interest of safety for players, staff, fans and more, especially given how amazing every element of the event looked on the ground. However, the silver lining of support and readiness to act has helped to soften the blow and will only serve to encourage our LET visitors to return again next year.”

 

Edited March 6 by JungleJimbo

[Treats]

6 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

@bcjimUsually i would "+1" this comment

... but for the Asian Swing (and the long travel times from the USA), i believe they chose a no-cut, to incentivise the players to make the journey to Asia.

The paid expenses for the Asia swings help too.

[JungleJimbo]

10 hours ago, ChronicSlicer said:

I like normal cut tournaments.

Seems to me if you work harder, you get paid more.

 

This week's LPGA Blue Bay in Hainan = a normal cut at "Top65 and ties" after R2

[Rapidcat]

8 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

 

spare a thought for players / volunteers in Brisbane Australia.

Hope our friends @Rapidcat @Raving Shanker et al = are ok.

 

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/lpga/2025/03/05/cyclone-alfred-cancels-ladies-european-tour-golf-event-australia/81611023007/ 

 

 

 

 

Cheers - I'm fine and safe being in Melbourne and the cyclone center is around Brisbane which is 850 mikes away as the crow flies.

 

Raving Shanker has mentioned previously that he is based in Adelaide, that's about 1,000 miles from Brisbane.

 

Semi-tropical and tropical Queensland gets the most storms and cyclones in Australia (reminds me a little of say Florida) so they're used to it but doesn't diminish the danger to life and property.

 

Laid back Cam Smith is a typical example. Stereotypical 'joke' was doing the rounds that the women from up there were baking cakes and the men were drinking beer.

[Raving Shanker]

14 hours ago, JungleJimbo said:

 

 

spare a thought for players / volunteers in Brisbane Australia.

Hope our friends @Rapidcat @Raving Shanker et al = are ok.

Thanks for your thoughts. As Rapidcat mentioned, I am a long, long way from the cyclone. My only connection to it is a friend who has cancelled a Queensland trip. The southern part of Australia is in a completely different weather system.

[NorthTexasGlfr]

Larry Scott would be a disaster of a choice for LPGA commissioner. Not sure what Annika is thinking. 

 

Canzano: Are we talking about the same Larry Scott?

[Treats]

On 3/6/2025 at 6:00 PM, NorthTexasGlfr said:

Larry Scott would be a disaster of a choice for LPGA commissioner. Not sure what Annika is thinking. 

 

Canzano: Are we talking about the same Larry Scott?

Considering the LPGA BoD's & hiring committee's decision to hire Carolyn B and Mollie,would it really be shocking to hire Larry S? 😄

[NorthTexasGlfr]

16 minutes ago, Treats said:

Considering the LPGA BoD's & hiring committee's decision to hire Carolyn B and Mollie,would it really be shocking to hire Larry S? 😄

 

Well, the LPGA did have a really good one in between Carolyn and Mollie.

 

Carolyn B - F

Mike W - A

Mollie S - C

[Treats]

8 minutes ago, NorthTexasGlfr said:

 

Well, the LPGA did have a really good one in between Carolyn and Mollie.

 

Carolyn B - F

Mike W - A

Mollie S - C

Whan's success on the LPGA tour helped parlay him to become the CEO of the USGA. Not an easy next career step to achieve.

 

Ty Votaw did secure an Executive VP role on the PGAT after being LPGA Commish, but never promoted to the PGAT Commish. Retired in 2022.

[Rapidcat]

12 hours ago, Treats said:

Considering the LPGA BoD's & hiring committee's decision to hire Carolyn B and Mollie,would it really be shocking to hire Larry S? 😄

 

Maybe not, but as I'm guessing you will agree with me, it will be wrong https://www.johncanzano.com/p/canzano-are-we-talking-about-the/comments

 

 

Why are the BoD's listening to Annika, she hasn't the knowledge to listen to on this (being a great golfer isn't relevant, she's not run a large-ish organisation of the LPGAT size, she should keep out of it).

[postfold]

Larry Scott would be an unmitigated disaster hire, full stop. 

 

The LPGA should not be hiring their commissioner from the world of college athletics.  It didn't work with Mollie, it wouldn't work with Larry Scott.  Just don't do it.

 

 

[Treats]

On 3/8/2025 at 6:56 AM, Rapidcat said:

Why are the BoD's listening to Annika, she hasn't the knowledge to listen to on this (being a great golfer isn't relevant, she's not run a large-ish organisation of the LPGAT size, she should keep out of it).

Agree.

 

Similar. Not all golfers can successfully transtion to the TV booth.

Are you listening Morgan P.🤣

[Seamus_McDuff]

First two winners on EPSON in 2025

 

Riley Smyth

https://www.mondayq.com/posts/alternate-lyfe

 

Laetitia Beck

[Argonne69]

LPGA rookie Chisato Iwai didn't qualify to play in the Blue Bay, so she kept herself busy by winning on the JLPGA. Congrats.

 

 

[Seamus_McDuff]

43 minutes ago, Argonne69 said:

LPGA rookie Chisato Iwai didn't qualify to play in the Blue Bay, so she kept herself busy by winning on the JLPGA. Congrats.

 

 

She could have played Blue Bay

[ChronicSlicer]

2 hours ago, Seamus_McDuff said:

First two winners on EPSON in 2025

 

Riley Smyth

https://www.mondayq.com/posts/alternate-lyfe

 

Laetitia Beck

Man, I can't imagine the relief Laetitia feels. 33 years old and gets her first professional win. This might be the first year she doesn't return to q school in the last 10 years.

[Seamus_McDuff]

28 minutes ago, ChronicSlicer said:

Man, I can't imagine the relief Laetitia feels. 33 years old and gets her first professional win. This might be the first year she doesn't return to q school in the last 10 years.

She might have the record for going back and forth between the two tours, at least until Fassi catches her. 
 

$566K career between the two tours for Beck. 

Edited March 9 by Seamus_McDuff

[JungleJimbo]

3 hours ago, Argonne69 said:

LPGA rookie Chisato Iwai didn't qualify to play in the Blue Bay, so she kept herself busy by winning on the JLPGA. Congrats.

 

 

@Argonne69 will confess that I thought the photo looked more like her twin sister Akie Iwai… but you’re correct that Chisato Iwai won this JLPGA tournament. 
 

https://www.lpga.or.jp/en/tournament/jlpgatour/2025/1160/leaderboard/4

[18majors]

The ageless Jiyai Shin:

Shin Ji-ae becomes JLPGA's all-time money leader

 

"Shin added 8.72 million yen (approximately 85 million KRW) in prize money, bringing her total career earnings to 1.38074 billion yen (about 13.5 billion KRW), surpassing Japan’s Yuri Fudoh (49), who previously held the record with 1.37262 billion yen. Fudoh participated in the tournament but missed the cut after recording a 9-over 153 over two rounds."

 

"Meanwhile, Shin holds the record for the most professional victories by a South Korean golfer, male or female, with 65 wins worldwide (66, including her amateur title)."

 

[iamthebeard]

On 3/9/2025 at 3:11 PM, Seamus_McDuff said:

She could have played Blue Bay

Visa issues 

[ChronicSlicer]

On 3/10/2025 at 8:44 AM, 18majors said:

The ageless Jiyai Shin:

Shin Ji-ae becomes JLPGA's all-time money leader

 

"Shin added 8.72 million yen (approximately 85 million KRW) in prize money, bringing her total career earnings to 1.38074 billion yen (about 13.5 billion KRW), surpassing Japan’s Yuri Fudoh (49), who previously held the record with 1.37262 billion yen. Fudoh participated in the tournament but missed the cut after recording a 9-over 153 over two rounds."

 

"Meanwhile, Shin holds the record for the most professional victories by a South Korean golfer, male or female, with 65 wins worldwide (66, including her amateur title)."

 

It's a shame she left the LPGA, always enjoyed her. But, also understand her choice.

[Seamus_McDuff]

New priority list

 

Masson(172), Popov(370), and MJ Hur(204) have all lost their top-80 maternity status. 
 

 

https://media.lpga.com/docs/librariesprovider3/2025-season-long-documents/2025-lpga-tour-priority-list_reseed-takeda-and-masson_3.10.25.pdf?sfvrsn=bc7c9e92_3

Edited March 12 by Seamus_McDuff

[JungleJimbo]

 

No "off days" for the LPGA social media intern ... but i found it odd to see Muni He amongst these champions, in today's tweet from the LPGA Tour twitter account.

 

 

 

 

[DuenPhen]

Today the KLPGA opens their season in Thailand (Blue Canyon, Phuket). Has Miyuu Yamashita ever played on this tour before?

 

She leads the field with defending champion Lee Yewon, Bang Shinsil, Park Hyunkyung (Cutieful), Park Jiyoung, and Kim Suji. Old Namdalla is also here and kicking.

 

Joining them is a parade of 21 Thais led by Proud, Piano, Jaravee (now playing full-time in Korea), and Waen. Old stalwarts here may also remember PK Kongkraphan and Budsabakorn Sukapan as former LPGAers now playing close to home.

 

Free English commentary available on Youtube.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5nsa3ELeR0

Edited March 13 by DuenPhen