The LPGA Tour stops in Hawaii this week for the Lotte Championship. The Tour’s last stop in Asia didn’t go without a hitch. The third round of the Toto Japan Classic was suspended till Sunday due to tropical storm Kong-Rey. Eventually, the tournament was abbreviated to 54 holes. It’s unlikely that a similar fate will fall on the Lotte Championship, but there are slight chances of rain. 

The Hawaii tournament will kick off on Wednesday instead of the traditional Thursday start. The first round looks to go ahead without any hiccups, despite dark clouds covering the sun at times. The maximum temperature on Wednesday is unlikely to cross 85F. Expect winds from the northeast at 15 MPH. Even though the chance of rain is only 12%, the relative humidity is quite high at 65%. 

The second round will get underway under a relatively clear sky. The maximum and minimum temperatures are expected to swing between 83F and 73F, respectively. There is only a 7% chance of rain. The relative humidity comes down to 59%, while wind speed might reach up to 16 MPH from the North East.

The moving day will be played under a partly cloudy sky, however. While the maximum and minimum temperatures remain around the same (84 F and 72 F, respectively), the humidity crosses 60% once again. Per the Weather Channel, there is an 11% chance of rain, which goes up to 20% by night. The wind speed and direction remain the same. 

Chances of rain come down to 7% by Saturday. Maximum and minimum temperatures again swing between 84F and 73F, respectively. The relative humidity goes up to 62%. Lotte Championship hasn’t traditionally faced weather delay. In 2017, the first round was delayed by 44 minutes because of a downpour, but it was played in a different month then. So, it’s unlikely that rain will spoil the party for a field of 120. 

Stars to watch out for at the Lotte Championship

The 2024 Lotte Championship is the final stop before the LPGA Tour returns to the mainland for the last two tournaments. The field at the Hoakalei Country Club has some important storylines to follow. Firstly, defending champion Grace Kim has the chance to match Brooke Henderson, who won the tournament back-to-back times in 2017 and 2018. Kim also ranks 61st in the Race to CME Globe points list. 

Interestingly, Brooke Henderson is also in the field. Ayaka Furue, this year’s Amundi Evian Championship winner, Mao Saigo, Jin Young Ko, and Hye-Jin Choi are some other notable names in the field. The tournament carries a purse of $3 million. This is the first time the tournament will be played in the Fall. Earlier, it was part of the LPGA Tour’s spring schedule. Golf Channel will broadcast the tournament stateside.