The LPGA Tour kicked off its 2026 season with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida, held January 29–February 1, bringing together a select field of LPGA winners from the past two seasons for a high-stakes 72-hole stroke play event. The season-opening tournament, known for its competitive format and unique celebrity division, offered a total purse of $2.1 million to the professionals, alongside a separate $500,000 celebrity purse played under a Modified Stableford scoring system.
The Tournament of Champions has quickly become a marquee early-season stop on the LPGA schedule, featuring marquee names such as World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, and defending pro champion A Lim Kim of South Korea. With only players who have won an LPGA event over the previous two seasons eligible to compete, the field provided a showcase of elite talent and set the tone for the year ahead.
While complete results for the 2026 champion were still to be finalized at the conclusion of play, the tournament’s format and participation illustrated its prestige. In the 2025 edition, A Lim Kim executed a remarkable wire-to-wire victory, finishing at 20-under-par to hold off Nelly Korda for her third LPGA Tour win, highlighting the level of competition typically seen at Lake Nona.
Beyond the leaderboard, the event’s celebrity division drew a mix of athletes and entertainers, enhancing the fan experience and broadening the event’s appeal. Since its establishment in 2019, this Tournament of Champions has stood out not only as the first stop of the LPGA season but also as a celebration of women’s professional golf, combining elite competition with fan-friendly festivities and national broadcast coverage.
Fans followed the action across multiple platforms including Golf Channel, NBC, and Peacock, underscoring the sport’s growing visibility and the importance of the Lake Nona season opener on the global golf calendar.
