Category: Tournament Reports

Ghim may have let a good chance for first PGA Tour win get away

Arlington Height’s Doug Ghim fell back in the third round of the Valspar Championship but could still have his best finish of the 2026 season on Sunday. (Joy Sarver Photos)

PALM HARBOR, FL. – Doug Ghim, one of the few Chicago area players left on the PGA Tour, has yet to win in his nine pro seasons, but he seemed to have a chance midway through the Valspar Championship at the Copperhead Course at Innisbrook Resort.

Ghim, from Arlington Heights with stints at Buffalo Grove High School and the University of Texas, was two shots behind leader Sungjae Im, of South Korea, midway through the tournament after shooting rounds of 68 and 67.

“Two straight days in the 60s out here is always good,’’ said Ghim, who had a chip-in for eagle to highlight Friday’s round.  “Mentally it’s probably the hardest one that we play all year.’’

Though he opened Saturday’s Round 3 with a birdie, the mental side apparently got to Ghim in a ragged front nine when he made a double bogey at No. 3 and bogeys at Nos. 6 and 7.  Playing in the next-to-the-last twosome to tee off, Ghim dropped down to a tie for 17th after a 75 in Saturday’s third round, but he didn’t give up with Sunday’s final round still to be played.

“Everyone’s going to struggle,’’ he said.  “Then there’s going to be guys that get on runs and hopefully we are one of those guys.’’

South Korea’s Sungjae Im is the tournament leader and David Lipsky, his Saturday playing partner, will still be chasing him again in the final round on Sunday.

Ghim, 29, needs a good tournament.  He made the cut in four of his first six this year, but his best finish was only a tie for 26th in Puerto Rico a week ago. Now he’s still chasing Im, who hit the 54-holes stop at 11-under-par 202.

Tied for second are two players with Illinois connections – sort of.  Brandt Snedeker and David Lipsky are at 9-under 204.  Snedeker, who posted a 67 in the third round, will be the U.S. captain when the Presidents Cup at Medinah climaxes the Chicago golf season in September.

Lipsky, a Northwestern alum, started the day one shot behind Im – his playing partner on Saturday. At 37 Lipsky’s no kid anymore. He won two college tournaments for NU and was an All-American for the Wildcats in 2011. Though he has four wins as a professional, none came on the PGA Tour. Still, the 15-season pro has $6.5 million in winnings on the circuit with 81 cuts made in 144 starts.

Adrien Dumont de Chassart, a more recent star at Illinois,  fired a 67 on Saturday to move into a tie for sixth. The 26-year old Belgium product has made five cuts in seven starts and finished in the top 30 four times.

Sunday’s round completes the four-tournament Florida Swing – a popular segment of events every year on the PGA Tour.  The circuit then shifts to Texas for the Texas Children’s Houston Open and Valero Texas Open.  After those two weeks comes the April 9-12 Masters – the first of the four major championships in 2026.

The stunning bunkering on the 18th hole of Innisbrook’s Copperhead Course could impact the outcome of the tournament on Sunday.

 

Bhatia spoils Berger’s bid for the Arnold Palmer title

Akshay Bhatia posted a surprising, but well-deserved — victory at Bay Hill. (Joy Sarver Photos)

ORLANDO, FL. – Akshay Bhatia, a bespectacled 24-year old left-handed golfer who uses an unusual split grip for putting, won the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Sunday, but this one was more about how Daniel Berger lost it.

Berger led virtually all the way in this lucrative PGA Tour signature event that leads into two of the year’s biggest tournaments – this week’s Players Championship and next month’s Masters.

Berger is a Florida guy through and through, having grown up in Delray Beach, played college golf at Florida State and now a resident of Jupiter —  the home of many PGA Tour players.  After two years battling a serious back injury and being sidelined the last four months of 2025 with a broken finger, Berger seemed a perfect fit to complete a comeback bid at Bay Hill Club – the place made famous by Arnold Palmer.

It wasn’t meant to be, though. Berger had a four-stroke lead entering the final nine holes but wound up losing after making a three-putt bogey in the first hole of a sudden death playoff.  Bhatia’s two-putt par was good enough to end their duel.

Daniel Berger faces the end of his run at the API title after the playoff is over.

Bhatia, a California native who played in his first PGA Tour event as a 17-year old in 2019, became a circuit member in 2023 and won his third PGA Tour event on Sunday after matching Berger’s 15-under-par performance in the regulation 72 holes before the one-hole playoff. All Bhatia’s three wins came in playoffs.

Berger took his loss graciously.

“I was proud of myself, though obviously it didn’t end the way I wanted,’’ he said.  “There were a lot of things to learn from.  It was a tough battle, and a shot here or there was the difference.’’

Those big shots came from Bhatia’s clubs, especially during a stretch of four straight birdies on holes 10-14.

Playoff excitement crowded a big response from the gallery at Bay Hill.

“I went to the 10th hole very angry,’’ he said.  “That changed my momentum. I felt like Arnie’s Army was with me. I could feel the momentum. I know the magnitude of this tournament.’’

He called a 6-iron shot from 196 yards on No. 11 that set up an eagle “the best 6-iron of my life.’’

“The biggest thing was proving to  myself that I could do it,’’ he said. “This was another big step for me.  I never thought I could do this, given there was so much pressure.’’

Bhatia went to college at Wake Forest, the North Carolina school that tournament founder Arnold Palmer attended.

ARNIE IS WATCHING: The scene at Bay Hill’s No. 1 tee is evidence that Palmer’s memory lives on.

 

 

 

 

Back injury forces McIlroy to WD from Palmer tourney

Daniel Berger has owned the Arnold Palmer Invitational through 53 holes. On Sunday he will try to finish the job, though his lead is down to just two strokes. (Joy Sarver Photos)

 

ORLANDO, FL. – Rory McIlroy was feeling good about his golf game going into this week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club, but now the world’s No. 2-ranked golfer has to wonder.

Not only was McIlroy a surprise withdrawal from the API – one of the PGA Tour’s lucrative signature events – on Saturday but his status for two more big ones is in limbo.  The Players Championship – billed as golf’s “fifth major’’ — is next week at TPC Sawgrass in Florida, and then comes the Masters next month at Augusta National in Georgia.

McIlroy would be a strong contender in both events, assuming he’s healthy. Last year he won the Masters to complete the career Grand Slam.  He had earlier wins in the 2011 U.S. Open, 2012 and 2014 PGA Championships and 2014 British Open and was excited about his potential for more big victories before teeing off in the API.

“Obviously it’s a very important event on the PGA Tour and in my schedule,’’ said McIlroy, who played at Bay Hill every year since 2015 and won the title in 2018. He was 4-under-par in the top 10 after 36 holes this week and trailed leader Daniel Berger by nine shots until the back problems kicked in.

“While warming up in the gym in the morning  I felt a twinge in my back,’’  said McIlroy.  “As I started hitting balls on the range before my round it worsened and developed into muscle spasms in my lower back.  Unfortunately I wasn’t able to continue.’’

He withdrew from the tournament – his first WD since the 2013 Honda Classic – 30 minutes before his tee time. That left playing partner Ryan Fox of New Zealand to play by himself. Two hours after their scheduled tee time together a torrential rain hit Bay Hill, forcing a delay in play for nearly two hours.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler had a weird third round, making four bogeys in the first eight holes and then stringing four birdies (and five in six holes) on the back nine. He’s still far from contention entering Sunday’s final round after making a finishing double bogey for a par 72 on Saturday.

Alshay Bhatia has been closing in on Daniel Berger, but he’s hasn’t caught him yet.

Berger, though, is another story.  He’s in position for a wire-to-wire victory on Sunday. He owned a two-stroke lead over playing partner Akshay Bhatia when play was suspended darkness. Bhatia completed 16 holes with a finishing birdie and Berger has a 33-foot putt for eagle, that he chose to carry over until Sunday.  Both will finish their third rounds at 8 a.m. Sunday before the final round tees off.

McIlroy is the defending champion in both The Players Championship and the Masters.

“I’m really excited for those two weeks,’’ he said.  “I had seen really important signs in my game at Pebble Beach and Riviera on our West Coast Swing. My game feels in really good shape.’’

So does his mind off the course.  Earlier this week he criticized Spain’s Jon Rahm for refusing to rejoin the DP World Tour and stay with the LIV circuit instead. He also lauded Luke Donald for taking on the European captaincy in the Ryder Cup again.  Donald will be bidding to be Europe’s first captain to win three straight Ryder Cups, but McIlroy isn’t as excited about golf politics anymore.

“I was in the weeds with tour politics for a few years,’’ he admitted, “and I’m happy I’m out of it.’’

Bay Hill looked its best for this Arnold Palmer Invitational — until heavy rains hit the course.

 

 

 

 

 

LIV Tour won’t have a Chicago tournament in 2026

The LIV Golf Tour kicks off its fifth season this week in Saudi Arabia minus four of its mainstay players and one notable change in its 14-tournament schedule.

Chicago was the site of tournaments in the lucrative Saudi-backed circuit’s first four years, but not this time.  “No Chicago event this year,’’ a LIV spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday.  LIV had tournaments at Rich Harvest Farms, in Sugar Grove, in 2022 and 2023 and at Bolingbrook Golf Club in 2024 and 2025.

Dean Burmester and Jon Rahm were the champions the last two years at Bolingbrook after Cameron Smith and Bryson DeChambeau triumphed at Rich Harvest.   All four events were well-attended as the PGA Tour didn’t hold tournaments in Chicago in those years. The PGA Tour returns this year with the Presidents Cup team event at Medinah in September, four weeks  after LIV’s 14-tournament season is over.

LIV starts its fifth season without Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed, who are planning to return to the PGA Tour.  Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood won’t play in LIV’s first two events, citing personal conflicts.

The LIV events will be played at 72 holes instead of the 54 in the first two years and the fields will be increased to 57 players.  New LIV competitors include Thomas Detry, a University of Illinois alum who won the PGA Tour’s event in Phoenix last year, and Michael LaSassa, the reigning NCAA individual champion.

LIV also will have its first French player (Victor Perez) and first Canadian (Richard Lee) and a limited number of World Ranking Points will be awarded in LIV events for the first time. There’ll be 11 winners of major championships and players from 20 countries on  LIV team rosters.  This week’s  opener in Saudi Arabia will be played under the lights.

The first six LIV tournaments will be played on foreign soil. First of the six scheduled in the U.S. is at Trump Doral in Miami April 4-6.

First big golf event in Chicago, though, will come before February is out.  The Chicago Golf Show, the traditional start to the Chicago season, is Feb. 27-March 1.  First conducted in 1984, the Chicago show returns to the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.

 

 

 

Anthony Kim earns his way back to the LIV tour

Anthony Kim had his game together in the LIV tour’s Promotions event. (Photos courtesy of Beverly and Greg Wise)

LECANTO, FL. – Anthony Kim is back on the LIV Tour in 2026, and he earned it with his clubs this time.

Kim, who had a 12-year hiatus from golf after a promising start to his professional career, finished third in LIV’s Promotion tournament at Black Diamond Ranch.  That was good enough to regain his wild card status for all the 2026 tournaments.

He had been relegated off the roster for failure to meet performance requirements after LIV officials gave him a chance to revive his career.

Many doubted the 40-year old would ever make it back, but he did in a 72-hole elimination on a Tom Fazio-designed course that started with 80 players from 24 countries. Only 22 advanced to the weekend rounds and Kim finished third among the three qualifiers.

“I wasn’t here to prove anybody wrong,’’ said Kim.  “I’m here to prove myself right.’’

He finished 66-69 on the weekend but the key moment came when he made an eight-foot birdie putt on the last green of the second round to avoid being cut from weekend play.  When that putt dropped the other players were quick to applaud his accomplishment. Not only did he get a boost from his fellow competitors, he earned  a spot necessary for him to finish his goal.

Two 35-year olds – Richard T. Lee from Canada and Bjorn Hellgren from Sweden—were the top two finishers, and Lee became the first LIV Tour qualifier from Canada. Kim was more in the spotlight at the end at the 45-hole private facility, however.

Kim was tied with two golfers from Thailand for the coveted third spot through 10 holes, then he rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 11.  He remain solo third the rest of the way without making another birdie and making bogey on the final hole.

“I’ve worked so hard,’’ said Kim, holding his young daughter in post-tournament interviews, “and this little girl is one of the reasons why.  And my wife’s been so supportive.’’

Kim’s departure from pro golf remained somewhat of a mystery. Born in Los Angeles and a  collegiate player at Oklahoma, Kim was a quick hit after earning a spot on the PGA Tour.  He won three tournaments there and earned roster spots in the 2008 Ryder Cup and 2009 Presidents Cup.

His career deteriorated after he suffered an achilles injury in 2012,  but  more was involved in his dropping off the PGA Tour than that injury. He did somewhat address his time away from the game after the tournament was over.

“I just wanted to keep working hard, staying sober, spending time with my family and doing all the things that are the more important things in my life,’’ he said. “After I left rehab one of my goals was to be outside more and, I mean, practicing for 10 hours a day.’’

He did that in between struggling through 25 LIV tournaments.  His best finish was a tie for 25th last year in Dallas.

“I’m a completely different person than I was,’’ he said.  “I’ve been forced as a husband and a dad, and as somebody that I think people are relating to as far as struggling.  I’ve got more to do in my life than golf.’’

But golf remains a huge part.  He’ll play on both the Asian Tour’s International Series as well as the LIV circuit this year.

“This is just the first step,’’ he said.  “I’m glad I earned my spot so everybody can stop talking about that.  I’ll be back soon, and I’ll be winning golf tournaments soon.’’

The first LIV tournament of the season is Feb. 4-7 in Saudi Arabia.

Kim survives, Chase Koepka out in LIV Promotion event

One’s in, one’s out: Richard T. Lee (left), of Canada, survived another day at the LIV Golf Promotions tourney, but playing partner Chase Koepka came up a shot short. (Joy Sarver Photos)

LECANTO, FL. – Three players will earn spots on the lucrative LIV Golf tour this weekend, and they know it won’t be easy.

Promotion to the Saudi-backed circuit is demanding.  The qualifier started with 60 players from 24 countries on Thursday.  The low 20 and ties – it turned out to be 29 players – advanced to Friday’s second round where they were joined by 18 players who earned exemptions off their play on the International Series or Korean, Japan, Asian, Australasia and Sunshine tours.

Another cut followed that round, and the top 20 and ties advanced to the final 36 holes Saturday and Sunday at the Tom Fazio-designed Ranch course at the 45-hole Black Diamond facility. Jeunghun Wang, of Korea, was low on Friday with a 65.

Korean Jeunghun Wang’s 65 was the best second round in LIV’s qualifier at Black Diamond Ranch.

“For everyone out there striving for three cards it’s going to be a life-changer to be out there in LIV  Golf and performing at the highest level,’’ said Richard T. Lee, who hopes to become the first player from Canada on the circuit. He survived with a 66 on Friday and Anthony Kim, who played on the circuit last year, also kept  his hopes alive with a 69. That was the day’s cut number.

Lee just hopes to be in contention for LIV dollars, and he performed well for the first 36 holes in the Promotions event. In Round 1 he was low man by two shots after shooting a under-par 64.  In Round 2 he posted a 66. Lee played the second round paired with Chase Koepka, brother of Brooks Koepka – a five-time winner in golf’s major championships who opted to drop off the Saudi circuit for its upcoming fifth season.

Citing family reasons for his decision , Brooks was the captain of the Smash team on the LIV circuit the last four years and Chase was a member of the four-man team the first two years.  Then he encountered shoulder problems and didn’t play the last two years.  He hoped to return to the circuit through the Promotions event but came up a shot short of advancing to the weekend rounds after shooting a 70 on Friday.

Koepka rallied with birdies at Nos. 11, 12 and 13 to get to 1-under-par —  the cut number – but he made bogey on the last hole, which kept him from advancing.

Chicago was the site of LIV tournaments the last four years –the first two at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove and the last two at Bolingbrook Golf Club.  Chicago’s not on the schedule for 2026 – at least not yet.

LIV has two tournament dates still to be filled.  One, in the spring, will be held on foreign soil and the other – in the summer – will be a U.S. stop. That’s the only possibility for Chicago to retain a place on the LIV circuit.

The rival PGA Tour hasn’t had tournaments in Chicago on a regular basis in recent years, but the Presidents Cup will be played at Medinah in September.

Chase Koepka’s bid to return to the LIV Tour ended with a missed par putt on the 18th green.

 

Hensby fits right in at pro golf’s most unusual event

Mark Hensby got his golfing start in Illinois’ big tournaments and now has a select spot in a PGA Tour Champions event that may be the most unusual competition in golf. (Pat Eastman Photo)

 

CLEARWATER, Florida – When Mark Hensby was getting started in professional golf he was definitely different.

He moved from Australia to the Chicago area in 1996, devoted himself to golf and promptly won the Illinois State Amateur.  He was known to occasionally sleep in his car in the Cog Hill parking lot in those days, but his game continued to  improve.  In 1998 he won the Illinois Open and in 2004 he took the John Deere Classic, Illinois’ longstanding event on the PGA Tour.

Hensby made a good career after that, even playing on one of the Presidents Cup teams, but not without a touch of the unusual mixed in. In 2009, Hensby took a break from golf to ride 430 miles in a charity cycling event in Arizona, where he has been a long-time resident. Not many pro tour golfers would attempt something like that.

So, this week is different, but Hensby is there. The Skechers World Champions Cup, a stop on PGA Tour Champions  at Feather Sound Country Club, is the most unusual competition in professional golf.  I haven’t heard of anything like it  in my 50-plus years covering golf, and this one doesn’t have much of a history.  The first playing was at The Concession, in Bradenton, FL., in 2023.  The event wasn’t played in 2024.

Play is in sixsomes over only nine holes with three formats – six-ball, Scottish Six-somes and singles – being used. Hensby was a late addition to the select field thanks to a solid season on PGA Tour Champions.  He had five top-10 finishes and was No. 26 on the season money list in 2025.

There were two-man teams from Team USA, Team International and Team Europe competing for most of it. The teams played together in six nine-hole matches spread over Thursday and Friday.

Have you ever seen a golf tournament leaderboard like this one?

Matches weren’t played on Saturday.  Pro-ams are usually held on Wednesday — the day before the real competition begins — but this time the amateurs got to play with the pros on the day before they decided a championship. The pro-am was over 18 holes, much different than the tourney format, and the course wasn’t open to the public on pro-am day.

All Skechers World Champions Cup competitors are regulars on the 50-and-over Champions circuit. Jim Furyk (USA}, Darren Clarke (Europe) and Mike Weir (International) are the team captains. Bernhard Langer was ill and didn’t play for the Europeans in the first three matches. Hensby is on the International team based on his Australian background.

Skechers provided shoes for all the players as well as their caddies, spouses and tournament volunteers. The unusual format forced some adjustment for the players, especially Hensby. Six players teed off in each group on each hole in the team portion.

“You just pay attention and take your time,’’ said Hensby.  “It’s a little different.  Four times I walked where there were still guys to hit, so that’s definitely different.’’

Hensby was paired with Y.E. Yang, from South Korea, in the first two rounds, and they were the top point-producers in both of them. Friday turned sour for Hensby after that, as his team was the lowest point-producer in the morning session and Hensby couldn’t play in the afternoon.

“At dinner last night Mark said he might only go nine holes (on Friday),’’ said Charlie Wi, an alternate on the International squad.  “I didn’t put much into it, but today he wasn’t feeling well and said he couldn’t feel his clubs.’’

So, Wi took Hensby’s place – and that presented an odd spin.  When Hensby captured his only PGA Tour Champions victory in Texas in 2023 he defeated Wi in a playoff. Whether he’ll be back in the lineup Sunday is uncertain, but the competition is tight.

Europe leads with 109.5 points to 108 for the U.S. and 106.5 for the International team. The tourney concludes on Sunday with 12 singles  matches. TV coverage on the final day will be split between Golf Channel and ABC.

The field in the Skechers World Champions Cup consisted of only  24 players but they received a warm welcome from the spectators at Feather Sound

 

 

 

Is a Chicago player turnover coming on the LPGA Tour?

GOING, AND COMING: Elizabeth Szokol(left) just announced her retirement from the LPGA Tour while Lauryn Nguyen played in her first tournament. (Joy Sarver Photos)

BELLEAIR, FL. – Elizabeth Szokol, the only player on the Ladies PGA Tour with Chicago area roots, announced her retirement on the same day that Lauryn Nguyen, the most recent  Northwestern star, concluded her debut on the premier women’s circuit.

Both missed the 36-hole cut on Friday  in The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican — the official name of the last regular tournament of the season that’s hosted by legendary player Annika Sorenstam.

Szokol helped New Trier win the Illinois high school title in 2010 and won the  Illinois State Women’s Amateur in 2012 while growing up in Winnetka. She  played two seasons at Northwestern before finishing her college career at Virginia. A member at the Pelican Country Club, she wanted to wrap up her LPGA career on her home course.

“It’s crazy.  It’s hard to believe it’s been nine years playing (the LPGA circuit),’’ said Szokol, who teamed with Cheyenne Knight to earn her lone LPGA win at the Dow Great Lakes Invitational in Michigan in 2023.  “I’ve had a lot of lingering injuries and the travel got a bit old for me.  I just kind of missed being home.’’

Szokol was a player director on the LPGA board and ended her duties last week as well.

“I loved doing it,’’ she said. “It was amazing the last three years, just to see how the Tour has progressed and how big our purses have gotten. The LPGA has so far to go, and we’re on the right path. I was just happy to be a little part of it.’’

Szokol and Nguyen both posted 1-over-par 71s in the first round of The Annika – a score that matched the ones turned in by three-time tournament winner Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson, a long-time LPGA mainstay.

Host Annika Sorenstam was happy to have Lauryn Nguyen (left) and Elizabeth Szokol among the key players  in her tournament field. (Pat Eastman Photo)

Nguyen helped Northwestern win  this year’s  NCAA women’s  championship and turned pro after graduating from NU. She found the transition to the sport’s next level wasn’t easy.

“It was really a big adjustment. Financially I had to grab everything out of my pocket,’’ she said.  “I didn’t have a place to stay or practice.’’

That problem was at least temporarily solved when she was given a sponsor’s exemption to The Annika.  Tournament organizers helped her line up lodging with some Pelican members and the Pelican was a great place to practice for the last month.  Nguyen  also found some sponsors, too.

“Everything I needed got taken care of, and more,’’ said Nguyen, who is now looking for a home in the area.

Nguyen gained experience in the pro-am, playing nine-holes with both Caitlin Clark, the basketball star who spurred attendance at the golf event, and Korda. The tournament invited Nguyen’s coaches and teammates at Northwestern to come to the tournament and that contingent was joined by her family, from Seattle, Wash., for the tournament rounds.

Szokol also had a big contingent supporting her in her last event.  She’s been a Tampa resident the last seven years and her husband, many members of their extended family and friends were on hand.  Justin Sheehan, her swing coach since 2019, is the director of golf at the Pelican.

Nguyen also called this year’s tournament “kind of crazy’’ but for different reasons.

“You walk into the locker room and Nelly’s locker is two doors down.   You see the people on the range.  It’s really cool being inside the ropes.  I’m still learning from them, so it’s really a cool opportunity I was given. It’s really hard to put into words.  What an event to make your debut at, and having it under Annika’s name is so, so special.’’

The LPGA debut of Lauryn Nguyen (second from right) brought out many of the Northwestern alum’s family and friends to The Annika tournament’s opening day. (Joy Sarver Photo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Caitlin Clark can play more than just basketball — Is golf next?

Host Annika Sorenstam (left) is glad that Caitlin Clark (center) and Lauryn Nyugen are part of her golf tournament, The Annika driven by Gainbridge. (Joy Sarver Photos)

BELLEAIR, FL. – There’s a chance that the pro-am at this week’s LPGA Tour event, The Annika driven by Gainbridge, will create more excitement than the 72-hole event proper and there’s one major reason for that.  Her name is Caitlin Clark.

As a basketball sensation Clark has brought more attention to women’s basketball at both the college and pro level.  Now she’s doing the same in golf.

The John Deere Classic, Illinois’ only annual PGA Tour event, invited Clark to play in one of its pro-ams.  As a basketball star from nearby Iowa, she was a smash hit in the men’s event played at a course on the Illinois-Iowa border.

That appearance led to The Annika driven by Gainbridge bringing Clark to last year’s tournament. Same result there. Tournament host Annika Sorenstam was delighted when Clark returned for a day’s play before the four-day tournament proper tees off on Thursday.

Clark was the major attraction at the pro-am — but not the only one.  She played nine holes with Nelly Korda, a three-time winner of the tournament, and nine more with Lauren Nguyen, a star from Northwestern’s NCAA championship team.

This time Clark also brought friends. Two of her teammates on the Indiana Fever, Lexie Hull and Sophie Cunningham, came as celebrity guest caddies.  They shot baskets with Clark in the middle of her pro-am round. They also hit ceremonial tee shots as did NASCAR driver Carson Hocevar and Briana Scurry,  the U.S. goaltender on four World Cups and three Olympics Games teams.

Caitlin Clark is the center of attention with three-time Annika champion Nelly Korda (left) and Clark’s Indiana Fever teammates Sophie Cunningham (8) and Lexie Hull (10).

They created a buzz, but so did some golfers. Nguyen was a sponsor exemption and will make her LPGA debut this week. So will Kai Trump – an 18-year old high school senior from Florida who is the oldest granddaughter of President Donald Trump.  She’s bringing along Allan Kournikova, a long-time friend from South Florida who is the brother of tennis star Anna Kournikova, as her caddie.

Lots of athletic star power in that group, and the Pelican Country Club course was packed so tightly that parking was a major problem in the lots around the course on pro-am day.

“It’s nice to see women’s sports is in such good hands,’’ said Sorenstam, who was a legendary golfer on the LPGA circuit.

Clark’s magic resulted in the tournament sponsors making a $22,000 donation to her foundation and Nygyen was given $5,000 to help her Washington-based DUC Foundation.

All in it, this extraordinary pro-am created a lively atmosphere that the tournament proper might find hard to match. That tone was created in large part by non-tour stars.  Korda was in the spirit, giving Clark a pair of new golf shoes that she just designed.

Clark, though downplayed her own golf skills.“I was a little messy off the tee,’’ said Clark.  “I need to take some lessons, but golf is something I love to do. It’s not my main sport, and I’m not very good at it.’’

Kai Trump, with caddie Allan Kournikova, are ready for an exciting LPGA Tour debut.

Trump also wasn’t invited strictly because of her golf skills, though she will be playing collegiately at the University of Miami.

“My dream has been to compete with the best in the world on the  LPGA Tour,’’ she said.  “ This event will be an incredible experience.’’

No, her grandfather won’t be at the tournament.

“He’s running the world right now, so he’s a little busy,’’ Kai said. “My grandpa told me to just go out and have fun.’’

She has more than six million combined followers across social media and recently founded her own apparel and lifestyle brand aimed at empowering young women in sports. Golf is just a part her lifestyle.

“Any tournament wants buzz,’’ said Sorenstam, “and we’ve had it now for a lot of different reasons.  Kai brings a lot of different people to the sport, and we want people to hear about our tournament and be a part of it.  The word is spreading, and that’s a good thing.’’

Caitlin Clark considers golf “not my main sport” but she certainly enjoys playing it.

 

 

Northwestern alum Nguyen set to make her LPGA debut

Recent Northwestern star Lauryn Nguyen (left) awaits her LPGA debut with tournament host Annika Sorenstam and Winnetka tour player  Elizabeth Szokol. (Payton Walker Photo).

The legendary Patty Berg, who played out of St. Andrew’s in West Chicago, was among the original members of the Ladies PGA Tour was formed in 1950.  There have been very few LPGA players from the Chicago area since then.

Winnetka’s Elizabeth Szokol has been the only one in recent years but this week – with the circuit playing its next-to-the-last event of the 2025 season on Szokol’s home course – there could be a second player with Chicago connection arriving soon.

Lauryn Nguyen, who helped Northwestern to the NCAA championship in 2024, has been given a exemption into The Annika driven by Gainbridge at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, FL.  It’ll be played Nov.  13-16.

Annika Sorenstam, the tournament host, didn’t just invite Nguyen, either.  She invited the Northwestern teams of the last two years to cheer Nguyen on.

A couple other promising young players received sponsor exemptions along with Nguyen, too – Anne-Sterre den Dunnen, who will represent the Wake Forest team that won The Annika Intercollegiate in September, and Kai Trump, an 18-year old high school senior from Florida who has verbally committed to play college golf at the University of Miami.  She is the granddaughter of President Donald Trump.

This will be a special week for the premier women’s circuit in golf.  The Pelican will be celebrating its centennial and the LPGA is wrapping up its 75th anniversary season.  It concludes with the CME Group Tour Championship a week later in Naples, FL.

Nguyen, who grew up in the Seattle area, will make her LPGA debut but before she hits her first official tee shot she’ll play with popular basketball star Caitlin Clark in Wednesday’s pro-am. Clark played in the pro-am last year drew a big following.

“This is amazing that I’ll be able to start my professional career in a pro-am with Caitlin in a tournament named in  honor of Annika,’’ said Wynne.  “I’m so excited.’’

Sorenstam and Clark have been big boosters for women’s sports and Nguyen has done the same.  She was a two-time All-American at Northwestern and had the lowest stroke average in program history – 72.4 over four years.  She received her invite to The Annika in part because of her play on the course but also for her philanthropic initiatives.  She hosts the Nguyen Junior Amateur in  Seattle and manages the Duc Foundation – a non-profit organization that aims to give scholarships to youngsters in need.

Nguyen’s last college event was the NCAA Championship victory, when coach Emily Fletcher’s Wildcats beat Stanford in the title match.

“That was magical, a real cool thing,’’ said Nguyen. “A lot of people were rooting for us as the underdog story, and we took advantage of the opportunity to make history.’’

Since then she played in the Arnold Palmer Cup and three tournaments in a developmental tour organized by Sorenstam, the LPGA’s leading career money leader with over $22 million in her 15-year Hall of Fame career.

Nguyen hopes to work her way onto the LPGA circuit.  She survived the first stage of LPGA qualifying but not the second.  That means she’ll probably play primarily on the Epson Tour in 2026.

She’ll get a good taste of the LPGA at The Pelican, however.  It’s one of the up-and-coming events with a prize fund upgraded to $3.25 million this year. Nelly Korda has won the tournament in three of the last four years and the field will be strong because of its position on the schedule as well as its $11 million purse.  The biggest winner’s prize in women’s golf — $4 million – will be on the line in that tournament.

“As our last event before the Tour Championship you’re either trying to make your way to that event or trying to keep your job – your LPGA Tour card for the following year,’’ said Szokol, who has a win on the circuit and has made it to the CME event in the past.  “Everyone wants to be there and playing well, so it brings in the best field.’’