Is Nelly Korda playing this week? JM Eagle LA Championship field, players to watch

Despite Nelly Korda deciding not to participate in this week's LPGA Tournament, the 2024 JM Eagle LA Championship boasts a well-rounded field and it should be an exciting weekend for the Tour. Four past champions will be competing in the tournament which is set to tee off on Thursday the 25th in Los Angeles.

The JM Eagle LA Championship is taking place at the Wilshire Country Club

The four past champions at the Wilshire Country Club returning for the weekend are Moriya Jutanugarn, Minjee Lee, Nasa Hataoka, and Hannah Green. Green won the tournament last year in its inaugural year. She shot a final round 67 winning by one stroke over Celine Boutier in a playoff to claim the title a year ago.

Green has won on tour this year already winning the HSBC Women's World Championship in March. She currently ranks ninth in the Race to CME Globe.

Another player looking to turn heads is Alexa Pano. She currently stands at 23rd place in the Race to CME Globe standings. Pano finished T-57 at last week's Chevron Championship. She has been an up-and-coming player for a while now and it should be a busy week for her and the organization that represents her.

As Pano looks to tee off and compete this weekend, the New England Patriots of the NFL will be looking to add to their talent as the NFL Draft kicks off. Pano is the first LPGA player in history to be sponsored by an NFL team. Pano has been sponsored by the Patriots since 2022. She won her first tournament last season at the ISPS Handa World Invitational.

Korda did announce earlier in the week that she would be withdrawing from the tournament.

In a statement released earlier this week, she commented that she felt mentally and physically exhausted. She said that she would be cheering for all players involved.

The first three players are set to tee off at 7:15 a.m. on Thursday.