PGA

LPGA finale a sprint toward a $1.5 million prize

Published

7 years ago

November 20, 2019

NAPLES, Fla. (AP) — Jin Young Ko won twice as many tournaments as anyone else on the LPGA Tour this year. Her four victories included two majors. Her dominance was so thorough that she wrapped up the points-based award as player of the year with three tournaments remaining.

And with $1.5 million available to the winner in the season finale, none of that matters.

The CME Group Tour Championship is a free-for-all involving the richest payout in women’s golf. All that was required was getting to Tiburon Golf Club as one of the 60 players in the Race to CME Globe, in which points were accrued over 31 tournaments dating to January.

Start on Thursday, it’s a sprint.

That’s fine for Ko, provided “sprint” is merely a figure of speech.

The 24-year-old South Korean was playing in Taiwan three weeks ago when she felt a tug in her left ankle. She couldn’t swing. She asked the other players to play ahead of her to give it some time, and she managed to hit her shot. But then it hurt walking. Midway through the third round, she withdrew.

A cortisone shot, ice every night, some rest, and now she’s in Florida trying to put a proper end to a sensational year.

“Still worried a little bit,” Ko said. “Hopefully getting better, but then this week is the last, so it will be fine.”

It’s a conclusion unlike any other in the LPGA Tour.

The tour abandoned the format of resetting the points to give only the top 12 players a shot at winning the Race to CME Globe and its $1 million bonus, a reward for having played the best golf all year.

The objective this year was to qualify for the Tour Championship. Ko has the same chance at the $1.5 million check as Stacy Lewis, who finished 60th in the points standings and otherwise would have taken the rest of the year off to heal a rib injury in her lower back.

And because the money is official, any of the top 10 players who win have a mathematical chance to capture the season money title. Ko was so good this year that she is $721,791 ahead of Jeongeun Lee6 on the money list. Any other year, and Ko already would have wrapped up the money title.

Just not this one. And she’s OK with that.

“That is really great motivation to me, so I will keep trying harder,” she said.

It should be easier to follow. A year ago, Lexi Thompson won the tournament and the $500,000 in official money, while Ariya Jutanugarn won the Race to CME Globe and the $1 million bonus. The year before that, the roles were reversed — Jutanugarn won the tournament, Thompson won the points race.

Brooke Henderson wasn’t a big fan of the new concept when she first heard about it.

“I had worked so hard the last few years to be in those top positions to have a chance at winning the big money,” said Henderson, who is No. 2 in the standings with two victories this year. “But at the end of the day, I think it’s great for golf to see the purses increase, and to have an opportunity like this is unlike any other event we’ve ever played.”

The $1.5 million prize represents more than Thompson has won all year.

Ko, meanwhile, is still going to collect her share of awards this week as part of the season-ending celebration. She already was presented a $100,000 bonus for having the most top-10 finishes (12 in 21 events), winning a tiebreaker because of her four victories.

She will get the Rolex LPGA Player of the Year award Thursday night at the awards dinner, along with the Annika Major Award for having the best record in the majors this year. Barring a collapse, she will win the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average.

And she still has the inside track to the LPGA money title. That requires the most work because everyone starts from scratch and so many players are lined up behind her in the standings if Ko falters.

A third-place finish still would be enough for Ko to become the first woman to make $3 million in a season.

Nelly Korda, one of seven players with multiple victories this year, summed up the chase for the $1.5 million prize in the simplest of terms.

“To win this tournament, you have to play good golf,” Korda said. “At the end of the day, whoever wins deserves it.”

Central Florida News

ANNIKA Media Day Brings Melanie Green Back to Tampa Bay Ahead of Tournament Debut

Published

1 month ago

September 20, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican branding is displayed during ANNIKA Media Day at Tropicana Field ahead of the tournament’s November return to Belleair.

Attendees gather during ANNIKA Media Day at Tropicana Field as preparations continue for The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican this November.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — ANNIKA Media Day brought golf to Tropicana Field Thursday as former USF standout Melanie Green helped preview The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican ahead of its November return.

Green, the 2025 Epson Tour Player of the Year and Gaëlle Truet Rookie of the Year, spent the day meeting with media, connecting with fans and throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the Tampa Bay Rays game.

Green Reflects on USF Roots

Florida National News’ Todd Grasley asked Green what it means to now compete in an LPGA event essentially in her own backyard after spending four years at USF and making Florida home.

“Being a Florida resident now, I’m like, okay, this is awesome,” Green said. “So, you know, it’s exciting.”

The setting carries a different meaning for Green now. She has gone from competing collegiately at USF to the Epson Tour, where her breakout 2025 season earned her Player of the Year honors and a tour card.

Photo: Nisey Spruill / Florida National News / FNN Sports

From Epson Tour to the LPGA

Grasley asked Green about that climb — from USF to Epson Tour Player of the Year and now competing against some of the best players in the world while realizing a childhood dream.

Green reflected on the role her faith and support system played in that journey, saying much of what has happened was bigger than anything she could have created on her own.

When asked if there was an “aha” moment when being an LPGA player finally felt real, Green admitted the transition still requires reminders.

“I feel like I have to continually just keep reminding myself,”

She later put the adjustment into perspective.

“Once you get past the ‘whoa’ of the LPGA, then you can kind of feel like … your feet just aren’t getting wet, you’re actually in the water.”

Attendees gather during ANNIKA Media Day at Tropicana Field as preparations continue for The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican this November. Photo: Nisey Spruill / Florida National News / FNN Sports

USF Foundation Still Matters

Green also reflected on how her time at USF helped prepare her for life beyond college golf.

“I would say my coaches were phenomenal for me,” Green said.

Rather than focusing solely on the mechanics of her swing, Green said her coaches helped her navigate the larger demands surrounding competition, including tournament preparation and time management.

Green Looks Ahead to The ANNIKA

The conversation also turned to Annika Sörenstam, whose career Green followed before getting the opportunity to compete professionally in the tournament bearing her name.

Grasley asked what Sörenstam has meant to Green as a player she looked up to and what it means to now participate in her event as a professional.

“She holds just about, seems like, every record.”

Green describes Sörenstam as someone players continue to look up to and aspire toward.

The ANNIKA Returns in November

The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican returns to Pelican Golf Club in Belleair Nov. 11-15, with tournament play beginning Nov. 12.

Green is among the early commitments for the 2026 field. For Green, the week will bring another milestone in a season already filled with firsts — this time competing near the place where a major part of her golf journey began.

_____________________________

Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

3 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

Golf

Brooks Koepka wins LIV Golf 2023 Orlando Tournament

Published

4 years ago

April 2, 2023

Mike Brodsky

Brooks Koepka wins LIV Golf 2023 Orlando Tournament at Orange County National, Sunday, April 2, 2023.. Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Brooks Koepka (-15) holds off Sebastian Muñoz (-14) to win the LIV Golf Tournament at Orange County National, the first time the new league came to Florida. This was the third event of the 2023 season. There will be ten more individual matches around the world before the 14th of the season, which will be a team competition.

LIV Golf, which bills itself as “Golf, but louder,” features several differences when compared to the traditions of the PGA. Golfers compete not only individually, but also as members of twelve teams of four. Teams are ranked after each event based on their top three scores. Those rankings will come into play for week fourteen of the season to determine seedings. In addition, if a golfer isn’t pulling his weight, he may be replaced as the season goes on. There could also be other roster changes, just like in other team sports.

In addition, LIV Golf events feature all sorts of interactive experiences at their Fan Village, where fans can compete in putting, chipping, and driving. Younger fans can watch shows at the kids zone, or can get temporary tattoos or face painting. Loud music blares before and after the tournament play, and there are plenty of food and beverage options for all. The tournament begins with a shotgun start around 1:00 p.m., and the action ends just over four hours later, unlike the PGA, where staggered tee times and more players means a longer day of golf. Also, LIV Golf events feature only three days and 54 holes (Roman numeral “LIV”) of action, compared to the PGA’s four days and 72 holes.

LIV Golf’ Fan Village at Orange County National, Thursday, March 30, 2023. Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News

Fan Village. Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

The PGA has already responded to LIV Golf, announcing that next year, there will be fewer golfers allowed to compete in designated events (about 70 players compared to the current 120), but that will mean higher payouts to the PGA golfers. LIV Golf has attracted many high profile golfers by guaranteeing minimum payouts to join the upstart league.

The next LIV Golf event will take place April 21-23 in Adelaide, Australia. Meanwhile, The PGA’s Masters Tournament tees off April 6-9 in Augusta, Georgia. Stay tuned to Florida National News for more.