The LPGA Tour just hit an unexpected bump in the road. They’ve had to cancel the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship that was supposed to happen next month, all because the money didn’t show up.
The tournament, scheduled for March 20-23, fell through after the event underwriter completely failed to pay what they owed – not just for this year, but for 2025 too.
"We’re deeply disappointed," said Liz Moore, the LPGA Tour’s Interim Commissioner. She didn’t try to sugar-coat it.
It’s a tough break for everyone involved. The players lose a chance to compete, fans miss out on great golf, and volunteers who’d cleared their schedules are left hanging.
The tournament has some serious history behind it. Since kicking off in 2018, it’s seen some of the biggest names in women’s golf take home the trophy. Nelly Korda won it last year in a dramatic playoff – it was actually the second win in her incredible five-tournament winning streak.
The purse wasn’t small change either – $2 million was up for grabs this year.
Past champions include Minjee Lee, Brooke Henderson, and Yin Ruoning. Pretty impressive company.
The LPGA says they’re working hard to reschedule the event. They really want to make it happen, especially since it honors Seri Pak, one of golf’s greatest ambassadors.
This kind of cancellation is pretty rare in professional golf. What makes it even more complicated is that the LPGA Tour is currently operating without a permanent commissioner. Mollie Marcoux Samaan stepped down late last year, and they’re still searching for her replacement.
Moore and her team are hoping to bring the tournament back to Palos Verdes Golf Club once they sort out all the financial issues. For now, though, there’s a unexpected gap in the March calendar where one of women’s golf’s newer traditions was supposed to be.
