Phoenix Rising: The LPGA’s Smart Play Before Major Season

Look, I’ve been around professional golf long enough to recognize when a tour is doing something right, and this week’s Ford Championship in Phoenix feels like one of those moments. With 22 of the top 25 players in the Rolex Women’s World Ranking descending on the Cattail Course at Whiteline Golf Club, the LPGA isn’t just staging another tournament—it’s running a masterclass in major championship preparation. And frankly, after 35 years watching how the men’s tour handles its calendar, I’m impressed by the intentionality here.

What strikes me most is the timing. The Chevron Championship arrives in roughly a month, and the LPGA’s best understand something the men learned decades ago: you don’t show up to a major cold. You need reps, you need to see good golf, you need to build momentum. By clustering these elite players in Phoenix now, the tour is creating exactly the kind of laboratory environment where champions sharpen their games before the big stage.

Star Power Meets Storylines

The field itself is a study in narrative layering. Hyo Joo Kim returns as defending champion after her playoff victory over Lilia Vu last year, while Nelly Korda—who won the inaugural Ford Championship in 2024—brings the defending major champion pedigree. But here’s where it gets interesting: alongside names like Jenno Thitkul, Charley Hull, and Lydia Ko, we’ve got Jessica Korda playing for the first time since May 2023.

“Returning to the Cattail Course at Whiteline Golf Club, Hyo Joo Kim looks to defend her title, having beaten Lilia Vu with a birdie on the first playoff hole a year ago.”

Jessica’s return is the kind of subplot that matters more than casual fans might realize. She’s been rebuilding after injuries and becoming a mother in 2024—milestones that force you to recalibrate everything about your game and your approach to competition. Having her back against her sister Nelly, resuming a rivalry that’s been dormant for three years, adds genuine intrigue. This isn’t manufactured drama; it’s real life intersecting with elite sport.

In my experience, family golf rivalries have a particular edge to them. When I caddied for Tom back in the ’90s, we’d occasionally run into his brother Jay on tour, and there was always this beautiful tension—you want your guy to win, but you also respect what’s at stake for the other guy. The Korda sisters bring that same dynamic, except they’re doing it at the highest level of women’s professional golf.

The Sponsor’s Exemption Angle

Now, let me talk about something that caught my eye: the two sponsor’s exemptions. Carla Bernat Escuder, last year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur champ, and Asterisk Talley, the top-ranked junior golfer in the world and runner-up at the ANWA, represent something I think gets overlooked in tour coverage. These aren’t token invites. These are calculated investments in golf’s future.

“Also notable are the two sponsor’s exemptions into the event: nascent tour pro Carla Bernat Escuder, last year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur champ) and standout amateur Asterisk Talley (runner-up at the ANWA and the top-ranked junior golfer in the world).”

The LPGA understands something the men’s tour has sometimes struggled with: pipeline matters. By bringing young talent into events alongside the established elite, you’re not just filling a field—you’re creating mentorship moments and competitive laboratories for the next generation. Asterisk Talley doesn’t need to win this week to benefit enormously from playing alongside Kim, Korda, and company. She’s studying them, learning how they approach the game, absorbing the psychological demands of high-level competition.

The Scoring Question

There’s also the matter of course setup and scoring. Last year’s event saw Kim and Vu finish at a combined 22-under 266—genuinely low scoring that reflects either a course playing easy or elite players executing at an exceptionally high level. Probably both.

“If last year’s event is any barometer, expect to see low scores. Kim and Vu finished the event at 22-under 266.”

Here’s my take: this matters more than it might seem. The Cattail Course, with its large greens and wide fairways, appears designed to allow skilled players to attack. That’s actually healthy for tournament golf. Too many events these days get set up as grinding, defensive exercises where pars feel like victories. This Phoenix event seems to reward aggression and execution, which is exactly the kind of prep work players need before major championships where course setup tends to be significantly firmer and tighter.

The overall purse of $2.25 million with a winner’s check of $337,500 positions this event in the middle tier of LPGA events—respectable prize money that reflects the tournament’s significance without overshadowing the majors. That’s smart ecosystem management.

What This Signals

After three and a half decades covering this tour, I’ve seen how schedule construction can either elevate or diminish a sport’s profile. What I’m seeing here is an LPGA that’s thinking structurally about how to prepare its best players for the biggest moments. The concentration of top-25 talent, the storylines, the inclusion of promising amateurs, the timing relative to the Chevron Championship—these aren’t accidents.

This is a tour that understands the value of building narratives and maintaining competitive sharpness. It’s the kind of tournament calendar that makes the majors feel consequential rather than inevitable.

The real question is what we’ll see when the final putt falls on Sunday: Will these preparation reps translate into elevated play in the majors? We’ll find out soon enough. But based on what I’m seeing in Phoenix this week, the LPGA’s best are ready to make noise when it matters most.