Nelly Korda of the United States is currently ranked No. 4 worldwide after spending much of 2021 in … [+]
Next week, competition among the best women in golf resumes in Orlando, Florida. Hilton Grand Vacations HGV (HGV) Tournament of Champions brings together LPGA Tour winners from the previous two seasons to play alongside approximately 50 of the biggest stars in sports, entertainment and music in one of golf’s most unique events.
Some of the top-ranked LPGA players set to tee off next week consist of world No. 2 player Jin Young Ko of South Korea, No. 4-ranked American superstar Nelly Korda, and last year’s tournament winner Danielle Kang, who is currently ranked No. 12. Other top-20 LPGA players scheduled to be on hand are the world No. 6-ranked Brooke Henderson (Canada), No. 11-ranked Jennifer Kupcho (USA), No. 17 Charley Hull (England) and No. 13 Celine Boutier (France).
The Tournament of Champions is also notable for its celebrity participation, which brings golf nuts from all walks of life. In past years, comedic actors such as Brian Baumgartner (aka “Kevin” from The Office) played alongside “Ant-Man” actor and Marvel Universe fan favorite Michael Peña and 1980s soap opera heartthrob Jack Wagner.
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From the pro sports world, elite athletes like Pro Football Hall of Famers Marcus Allen and Charles Woodson played the course, along with Baseball Hall of Fame member Iván Rodríguez. Golf legend Annika Sörenstam, who played in last year’s tournament for the first time as a celebrity, took second place in the celeb tournament behind ex-MLB pitcher Derek Lowe.
Kang, who won the 2022 HGV Tournament of Champions Professional Title by going 16 under par, will return to defend her title. The annual tournament serves as the kickoff to the LPGA Tour’s regular season and is one of the LPGA’s most-watched events.
Mark Wang, president and CEO of Hilton Grand Vacations, thinks that the time of year is a particularly exciting one for golf lovers and that the HGV Tournament of Champions is the ideal way to stoke fans anticipating professional play.
Pro golfer Danielle Kang and Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz bump fists on the 18th green during … [+]
“We are honored to welcome such an incredible and talented lineup of LPGA Tour players to this year’s tournament,” Wang said. “From Danielle Kang to Gaby Lopez, we have several past tournament winners coming back to take a shot at bringing home another trophy. We’re also thrilled to return to the renowned Lake Nona Golf & Country Club for what is sure to be an exciting week of intense competition.”
The tournament exclusively features LPGA Tour winners who compete for $1.5 million in official prize money, on 72 holes of stroke play with no cut. Celebrities join pros on the course, competing for their own $500,000 purse in a modified Stableford format.
New additions to this year’s tournament will include seven-time Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens, Chicago Cubs All-Star outfielder Ian Happ, Today show co-host Dylan Dreyer, Grammy-nominated country music artist and songwriter Lee Brice, Super Bowl Champion Victor Cruz.
The four-day HGV Tournament of Champions will be held at the prestigious Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida. The championship golf course, designed by renowned golf architect Tom Fazio, is a par 72, playing to 6,617 yards for all competitors. The course is as picturesque as it is challenging, befitting one of the world’s top private golf and country clubs.
The tournament will be held on Jan. 19-22, 2023, and will be televised nationally on NBC and Golf Channel.
Read Frye’s interviews with Annika Sorenstam spirit Lexi Thompson
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