LPGA 2016 Season: More is Better!

By Elizabeth Bethel | Dec 1, 2015

With 34 events around the globe, 23 of them in North America, and 410 hours of television, the 2015 LPGA season is going to deliver a lot of golf!

I’m still catching my breath after that cymbal-crashing ending to the LPGA’s 2015 season and it’s time to start thinking about what’s coming up in 2016. The way I’m seeing it, if you enjoy women’s golf, with 34 events scattered across the globe there’s going to be an LPGA event close to your neighborhood this year.

With the Olympics coming right in the middle of the season, the International Crown, and five majors, it’s going to be a big year for women’s golf all the way around.

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The epic battle between Lydia Ko and Inbee Park will pick up where it left off and is very likely to continue through the entire season, but I don’t think 2016 will be a two-horse race on the LPGA Tour.

I’m looking for some competition from several members of the 2015 rookie class who are teeing it up for the 2nd year as seasoned competitors. Put Minjee Lee, Alison Lee, Sei Young Kim and Hyo Joo Kim on your radar.

I’m also expecting some champion-level golf from Lexi Thompson, who’s game is maturing into a refined and well-oiled athletic performance. And two newcomers to the Tour, the 2015 US Women’s Open champion, In Gee Chun, and the young Canadian who’s knocking off everybody’s golf socks, Brooke Henderson, are sure to be in the mix.

With 34 events, 33 of them televised for a total of 410 hours of viewing time, we’ll have plenty of opportunities to watch the season unfold and follow our favorite players from one event to the next.

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I’m always engaged by the drama of the majors. Poppy’s Pond is waiting at Rancho Mirage March 31 – April 3 — let’s hope it doesn’t suffer a red algae bloom this year! And, of course, there’s the concurrent and ongoing party at The Dinah that lots of folks just can’t pass up!

The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will head to the Pacific Northwest to Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Washington, where they will host the second-annual KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit. If you’re in the area for the week of June 9 – 12 this one will deliver some memorable golf. Get behind the ropes and follow your favorite, whoever she may be.

The U.S. Women’s Open will head to the Bay Area July 7-10 and that’s a perfect time of year to go hang out in San Francisco. They’ll be teeing it up at CordeValle in San Martin, California and competing for the largest purse on Tour – $4.5 million.

Then it’s time for US fans to dust off their passports and get across the pond to Woburn Golf Club outside London for the RICOH Women’s British Open for the 10th time. The $3 million event will take place July 28-31.

With an August break for the Olympics — who’s going to Rio? — the Tour will pick up in September for the annual frolic in the French Alps — the golf tournament and Dame Laura Davies’s annual football match.

And don’t forget to put the International Crown on your schedule. If you’re in the Chicago area June 21-24 you can watch it from behind the ropes or, even better, sign up to volunteer.

Spain is the defending champion but not a lock to compete in the second staging of the event. Currently ranked ninth, the Spaniards have some work to do to crack the top eight. I’d love to see the Spanish Armada deliver an encore performance! Countries will qualify at the end of the ANA Inspiration and players will be finalized based on Official World Rankings at the end of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Next: Inbee Park: Lessons from the Links

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