While the Golf World Gears Up for the 2023 PNC Championship, What Does Its Disappointing LPGA Participation Indicate?

While teams Woods, Daly, and Thomas garner major spotlights at the 2023 PNC Championship, it also highlights the glaring absence of female players. In the 40-person field, only three female golfers—two pros and one amateur—are present. That’s roughly 7% of the field size. Although, if you want to look at the brighter side, that’s an improvement from zero in the last four years.

In the PNC Championship, only two players will represent the LPGA. Nelly Korda, the eight-time winner on the LPGA Tour, will tee off with her father, former tennis star Petr Korda. Whereas, Annika Sorenstam, who came back from her retirement in 2021, will pair up with her son, Will McGee. However, only a few years ago, the PNC Championship was a men’s-only tournament.

Who broke the mold at the PNC Championship?

In fact, Sorenstam was only inducted into the PNC Championship in 2019. She was the first woman to participate in a male-only tournament. Earlier, the tournament was named the PNC Father-Son Challenge. It was created by the International Management Group in 1995.

The tournament started with ten major winners who, together with their sons, teamed up for a friendly tournament. The tournament grew in scale and size, including grandchildren and son/father pairings as well. However, the scope for female players to enter the fray was restricted until as late as 2019.

The family event was popular as the PNC Father/Son Challenge until 2019. However, Annika Sorenstam’s inclusion that year finally broke down the guardrails. The Swedish International, widely regarded as one of the all-time greats in the female circuit, paired up with her father. Sorenstam, at that time, said it was her father who handed her the clubs and introduced her to the game of golf. Since 2020, the tournament has been renamed the PNC Championship.

Female golfers are on the field this year

Last year, the 10-time Major winner teed up with her son, Will McGee. McGee, at 11 years old, was the youngest participant in the tournament in 2022, but the loudest cheer was reserved for him. Team Sorenstam finished in the 17th position. Once again, they are back and super excited to be a part of this.

Annika Sorenstam paved the path for future stars to come. The first to follow suit was Nelly Korda with her father, Petr Korda. The LPGA Pro qualified for the event after winning her first major in the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. In their last appearance, Team Korda bagged their best finish yet, a tied fifth-place spot.

This year, another female golfer follows her lead. Steve Stricker has decided to team up with her daughter, Izzy Stricker. First of all, Steve Stricker’s participation is a result of a last-minute rule, or rather, an exception this time. Stricker never won any majors or any of the Players Championships, but he has a major in the senior championship. The tournament host decided that was good enough for them to include the 12-time PGA Tour winner.

The 2019 Senior U.S. Open Champion will step onto the Ritz Carlton Golf Club with his daughter, Izzy Stricker. Although Strikcer has an older daughter, Bobbi Stricker, he had to team up with his younger daughter because Bobbi Stricker is also pursuing a professional career. However, the younger daughter is a force to be reckoned with.

Read More: Nelly Korda 2023 Net Worth: How Rich Is the 25YO After Being the Only Golfer in the Highest Paid Athletes List?

The 17-year-old has remained the Wisconsin Girls State Champion for the last two years. Additionally, the high schooler was also selected as the 2023 Wisconsin Co-Player of the Year by the Golf Coaches Association of Wisconsin. But it only gets better, as the

older sister will be caddying for her dad, while their mother, Nikki Stricker, will be on the bag for the younger daughter. Notably, Steve Stricker, too, had his wife as his bagman during the 2019 U.S. Senior Open win, which opened the doors to his family outing.

However, there can be more LPGA Tour players who can start competing at the event. Although it’s too early to predict, in the future, Michelle Wie West can team up with her daughter, just like Annika Sorenstam did with her son. That mother-daughter pairing would be another first at the PNC Championship.

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