Month: September 2025

Junior Day Tops Off Tournament Week Geared Around Families

By Amy Rogers

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio - Saturday may have been officially designated as Junior Day at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, but it was really a culmination of what has been an entire week designed to embrace families and the youngest members of the Cincinnati community.

Each junior that stepped through the gate on Saturday morning at TPC River’s Bend received a blue backpack and inside each bag was a green, plastic water bottle with the tournament’s logo. There were entire high school golf teams who turned out to watch the best in women’s golf, in addition to young children who attended the tournament with their parents. Many juniors visited the Secret Autograph Alley where the children got to visit with their favorite players after they finished their round, snap selfies, and take home an autograph.

Children were free to attend the tournament with a paid adult and were welcome to attend a clinic held on the practice putting green during the afternoon on Saturday. Upon being welcomed to the clinic, the children were asked what their favorite part of the day had been so far.

“The golf,” said one boy in between nibbling on bites of his fruit snacks.

“The shampoo!” said a young girl who wore a long blonde braid with an oversized white bow about the goodies she found through the course from Kroger and P&G.

Ingrid Lindblad, a rookie and already a winner in her first season on the LPGA Tour at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, led the junior clinic where several dozen children and their parents encircled the practice putting green.

Before launching into the instruction portion of the clinic, Lindblad took part in a Q&A in which the Swede shared details of her golf journey and how she got into golf at age 5. Remarkably she didn't begin competing in tournaments until she was a teenager, and in addition to playing golf was also a figure skater and sang in a choir. Lindblad emphasized the importance of being involved in a variety of activities and polled the kids in attendance about their favorite sports.

“Flag football? I don't think we even had that in Sweden,” Lindblad said with a laugh in response to one of the girl’s answers. “I feel like I didn't even play golf as young as these kids are!”

Lindblad also discussed her success in the amateur ranks during her time at Louisiana State University, in which she spent a year as the top-ranked amateur in the world, and her reason for staying at the school rather than turning professional.

“I tried to get as good as possible as an amateur,” Lindblad said about her goal in college.

Before the clinic came to a close, Lindblad demonstrated her practice putting routine and hit a few putts for the youngsters before taking questions from the juniors.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“What do you like about the USA and what do you like about Sweden?”

“What's your favorite golf club?”

Lindblad patiently answered all questions before posing for a group photo with the children in attendance and signing autographs for them to take home.

The junior clinic was the pinnacle of what has been a week designed around families, which combined the entertainment of watching the best in women’s golf with some of the creature comforts and conveniences of home to make the overall tournament experience that much more enjoyable. From the Pampers Family Center, to changing stations on the golf course, free food samples, and reasonably priced concession meal plans, it was all a part of an effort to make the tournament not just fun, but comfortable for guests of all ages. And an unforgettable one, too.

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by queencity

Meeting Their Heroes: Young Aspiring Golfers See Their Future on the Fairway

By Ellie DeBrunner

Hamilton Township, Ohio – For a group of wide-eyed kids, meeting LPGA players wasn’t just a brush with fame; it was a moment that turned dreams into something tangible.

As the players wrapped up Round 2 of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, they were met not only with cheers from onlookers but also with delighted squeals from the kids in attendance. The excitement was written all over their faces at the Secret Autograph Alley as players came over to sign whatever the little ones had in their hands. Some could hardly believe the players were standing right in front of them. Moments like these mean more to kids than many might realize.

While some of the kids were too young to take up a golf club, their parents all agreed that this was a great experience in introducing their littles to the LPGA Tour. Caitlin Comer, a mom of three girls, said, “Hearing their dad golf and then seeing women can golf too is really helpful for them to understand and be like ‘oh I can do that too’”.

For a local junior high golf team, it may have made their year. Dylan, a member of the Sycamore Aves junior high girls golf team, said that her team came to the Kroger Queen City Championship after school and that they have been doing it every year since she has been on the team. She said meeting the players was “inspiring to see them play and to think that they [her and her team] could grow up and be them someday.”

Reya, who admitted to it being her first time here and her first year on the team, was rather shocked that they even got to meet the players. Once she learned that they were all able to, she described the experience as “out of this world and so exciting!” She also noted how she and her teammates usually see these golfers on TV, so seeing them in person is a true highlight of being at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G.

Another member of the Sycamore Aves revealed, “The most exciting part of being here is just the honor of meeting the players and seeing them in action.”

I asked all the girls what a highlight for them had been other than meeting their heroes, and they all said that it was getting to walk around the course and see all the possibilities that are out there for them, so long as they continue their hard work and stick with it.

Cora, another member of the golf team, was very grateful for the whole experience, said, “Honestly, it is the best feeling ever, everybody should meet their heroes because honestly having that little thing of them is just the best feeling in the world. Everybody needs to experience that.”

Meeting the players wasn’t the only highlight for young fans. Caitlin Comer and some other parents I had the privilege of talking to said the Fan Zone – including the Beauty on the Green hair booths where the young girls can get their hair done – was an amazing experience for their little girls. The parents also said the putting area, where all their kids could play, was another great feature to get them involved and more exposed to the sport.

Many families came out not just to enjoy golf, but to spend quality time together, and the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G did not disappoint.

by queencity

Charley Hull leads world’s top-ranked player with 18 holes to play in Ohio

By Amy Rogers

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio - “Pretty chilled,” were the words that 54-hole leader Charley Hull used to describe her round of 67 on Saturday to climb to the top of the leaderboard at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. Hull has never been one to get pulled into the media’s attempts for her to dive into a technical analysis of her round, so instead she kept her post-round reflections simple and to the point, which is the same way she plays her golf.

“I just feel pretty chilled out there to be fair,” Hull said after her round. “Just kind of not even thinking about tomorrow. Looking forward to my fish tacos later tonight.”

Hull leads world No.1 Jeeno Thitikul, who sits solo second and one-stroke back at 15-under par following her 68 on Saturday. Rookie Chisato Iwai and AIG Women’s Open champion Miyu Yamashita, both winners already this season, will each be trying to become the first multiple winner this season with a victory on Sunday. The duo each carded rounds of six-under par, 66 to climb to 14-under par for the championship and sit two-strokes off the lead. Nelly Korda’s closing eagle at the par five, 18th hole lifted her into a group at 13-under par along with Bianca Pagdanganan, Mary Liu, and Yealimi Noh.

Thitikul and Hull played in the final group alongside Channettee Wannasaen, the 36-hole leader. Hull’s length and power of the tee was clearly evident as she outdrove her playing partners consistently throughout the round, but she wasn’t able to use her length to her advantage early in the round as she failed to convert birdie opportunities at holes Nos. 1 and 2.

Hull strung together four consecutive pars to begin the round, and when she gave up a bogey at the par three, fifth hole she looked to be moving in the wrong direction on another scorable day at TPC River’s Bend. But Hull found her form at the par three, seventh hole where she rolled in her first birdie of the day and continued to stack birdies, making three in a four hole stretch between Nos. 9 and 12 to tie Thitikul atop the leaderboard.

The challenging par four, 17th hole would be the turning point in the round as Thitkul had taken control atop the leaderboard. She made her lone mistake of the day at the par four to give Hull, who made par, the outright lead for the first time at 15-under par.

With a chance to extend her lead at the closing hole, Hull reached the front of the 18th green in two but left herself a long eagle try that forced her to traverse from the front to the back of the green. The Englishwoman lagged her first putt to within six feet for birdie and rolled it in to maintain her one-stroke advantage ahead of Thitikul, who also birdied the 18th hole.

“Today, I think I do have a lot of chance to make a birdie, but my putter didn't come up today,” Thitikul said, needing 27 putts on Saturday. “I just think just the line and the speed wasn't that match, and then if I be able to, you know, make it kind of sync together should be good.”

Noh took Moving Day to heart and rocketed up the leaderboard with a round of 8-under par, 64 for the low round of the day. Noh began the day eight-strokes off the lead and in a tie for 31st and came to the par five, 18th hole with an opportunity to match the course record with a closing birdie. Noh sent her eagle effort nearly 12-feet past the hole and missed the comebacker for birdie, but she came away pleased with her round after missing the cut in five of her last six starts. Noh said after her round on Saturday that just making the cut helped to free her up mentally and gave her a boost in confidence.

“Just minor tweaks, a little bit on my swing, just getting a little bit more turn, flatter, and then just working on my putting, just getting the stroke dialed in,” Noh said about how she’s been fine-tuning her game coming into this week’s tournament. “Then just getting some rest after a couple weeks of a lot going on, so it's been good.”

Noh says that since securing her first career win on the LPGA Tour at the Founders Cup in her first start of the season, that the wear of the grinding travel schedule and the stress of contending week-to-week began to take its toll on her midway through the season, and contributed to her recent struggles on the course.

“It's a long season,” Noh said. “It's a lot; the travel, the stress and all the rounds and everything, it can add up. But I think just sticking to my routine, getting back to the basics, just keeping everything simple has helped a lot.”

Noh heads into the final round three back of the lead and with a chance to become the first multiple winner of the season.

Wannasaen, the first and second round leader, took a two-stroke lead into Saturday’s round but immediately stumbled at the opening par four, first hole where she made bogey after leaving her chip just off the putting surface well short of the hole with her third shot. Wannasaen’s driver let her down as she missed her fewest fairways of the week and was never able to get her day back on track as she gave up two double bogeys to drop into a tie for 20th with a three-over par round of 75 to sit six-strokes off the lead.

by queencity

Wannasaen takes two stroke lead on day one at TPC River’s Bend

By Amy Rogers

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio - There wasn’t a cloud in the sky as the first round of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G began its fourth edition on Thursday morning. And the players who went out in the early wave took advantage of the crisp and cool conditions before warmer temperatures and a light breeze arrived at TPC River’s Bend.

Chanettee Wannasaen teed off in the fifth group of the day and, with a freshly re-tooled swing, tied the tournament record set by defending champion Lydia Ko with a nine-under par round of 63. Wannasaen holds a two-stroke lead on day one ahead of Gigi Stoll, who carded the low round of the afternoon with a 65.

Wannasaen got off to a hot start with a bogey-free front nine of 33, but the real fireworks happened on the backside as she made the turn with an eagle at the 390 yard par four, 10th hole when she hit what she described as a perfect 9-iron that rolled up close to the pin and then dropped into the bottom of the cup.

Wannasaen took advantage of the par fives throughout her round and added another birdie at the 11th. At the par four, 17th hole, the Thai’s approach came to rest on the fringe 50 feet short of the hole, and she hit a bump-and-run-9-iron into the hole for her sixth birdie of the day. At the closing par five, Wannasaen once more took advantage of the scoring opportunity and went for the green in two. Her eagle putt from 40 feet above the hole slid by on the high side, but left her with a makeable birdie putt to match the tournament record at nine-under par.

Wannasaen’s round is a bright spot in what has otherwise been a tough run for the two-time LPGA Tour winner who has missed the cut in three of her last four starts. Since the AIG Women’s Open, she says she hasn’t been able to make clean contact with the ball. Unable to troubleshoot her own swing troubles, Wannasaen turned to Wichanee Meechai, a fellow Thai LPGA Tour member, along with her coach and caddie for guidance. Wannasaen says Meechai helped her make some changes with her stance, moving her nearer to the ball and with her feet closer together. To maintain that stance, Wannasaen has practiced on the range this week with an alignment rod. The improvement helped as she missed only two fairways and two greens on Thursday and needed only 26 putts.

“I'm just like hit the ball like better, so it's really tough because like in Evian, in Portland, in Canada, and in Boston I just feel like I cannot hit the ball; really cannot hit the ball. So that made me lose confident,” Wannasaen said about her struggles in recent months. “But this week is pretty like earn more confident from today, so I just want to enjoy. Right now, just hit good. Just want to continue to hit like this until end of this year.”

Stoll threatened the lead for much of the afternoon as the second-year member went out in 33 and kept her momentum rolling on the inward nine by going birdie, eagle at the turn to jump with within three strokes of the lead. Her lone mistake of the day came at the par four, 17th hole where Stoll missed her only fairway of the day and then failed to get up and down from the greenside bunker. But Stoll recovered at the reachable par five, 18th hole to cap off her day with a closing birdie to record her career low round on the LPGA Tour.

“I feel like I'm maximizing my driver really well out here. Hit a lot of fairways,” said Stoll, who missed a single fairway on Thursday. “Just being able to attack with good hybrids and some longer clubs into those par-5s. I feel like I hit a lot of good shots into the par-5s which gave me some good looks.”

Like Wannasaen, Stoll has faced challenges with her game throughout the season and has put in extra work on her putting heading into this week’s Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. While Stoll still needed 30 putts on Thursday, she felt like she was able to get more putts to drop on day one than she has in recent weeks.

“I feel like I've been striking the ball pretty well all year; just haven't really capitalized on playing well by making putts,” Stoll said, having missed the cut in her last two starts. “I felt like today a lot of putts fell for me. I’ve just been working hard on it, so it's good to see results.”

Major champions Sei Young Kim, A Lim Kim, and Patty Tavatanakit, along with Peiyun Chien, Kumkang Park, and Jenny Bae sit three strokes off the lead with opening rounds of six-under par.

Nelly Korda’s opening round of 67 put her in a pack at five-under par along with Bianca Pagdanganan, Gabi Ruffels, and Julia Lopez Ramirez. Korda began her day on the back nine and rallied from a tough opening stretch in which she went birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey on holes Nos. 11-14.

“My first birdie I hit a really great shot in; reachable par-5. Kind of let my iron loose out to the right and I didn't make a five-footer for par. And then the next hole I made a longer putt and then the next hole I chunked a wedge into the bunker and it plugged, so that was great,” Korda said with a laugh. “That's golf. I was hitting it good and I was putting really well, so I just stayed patient.”

Defending champion Lydia Ko carded a two-under par round of 70 on Thursday while world No.1 Jeeno Thitikul, who finished runner-up to Ko in 2024, opened with a round of 69.

by queencity

Enhanced Fan Zone delivers fun-filled experience for the entire family

By Amy Rogers

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio - As the gates opened to the public on Thursday morning at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, fans wasted no time checking out this year’s enhanced Fan Zone experience beside the 18th green at TPC River’s Bend. From hair styling to food sampling to a family center for little ones, the Fan Zone is one of the many ways that Kroger and P&G have increased their on-site presence in an effort to grow the tournament into a must-see event in the Cincinnati area.

“We want to make this an experience the entire family can take advantage of,” said Matt Griffith, Senior Director at Procter & Gamble. “If they love golf there’s world class golf out on the course and when they need a break or they want to do something different, the Fan Zone has something for everyone.”

Thursday morning, Beauty on the Green drew the largest crowd as women flooded the four styling stations eager to indulge in the free dry hair styling experience that features brands like Pantene, Head+Shoulders, and more. Griffith says the styling stations were a hit last year as well amongst both men and women as the team started a waiting list and brought in additional chairs to accommodate the demand.

The Crest and Oral-B 360 degree selfie cam is located right next to Beauty on the Green and is a new addition for this year. Fans can snap a selfie while holding props like a quiet sign held by volunteers throughout the tournament or even a putter.

“Everyone can be getting their hair done and looking great and share it out on their socials,” Griffith said with a laugh about fans sharing their new hairdo. “If you’ve got hair, they can work with that.”

Kroger and P&G’s growing presence can be felt outside the Fan Zone, too.

New for this season is a grandstand that has been constructed behind the tee box at the par three, 7th hole called the Olay Body Public viewing deck. The new viewing platform gives fans a prime spot to watch the tournament action and Olay Body samples are available to fans who visit the seating area.

The Secret Autograph Alley is returning again this year but has a new location behind the 18th green near player scoring and offers a dedicated space for the youngest fans to be able to see the best of the LPGA Tour up close after their round with a chance to snag an autograph or selfie.

“It’s been so cool to see all the kids over there getting off school for the day and grabbing some autographs when their favorite players finish,” Griffith said about the impressive turnout on day one of the Kroger Queen City championship where kids were seen waiting for autographs from Nelly Korda, Maria Fassi, and Charley Hull, to name a few.

Young fans will have much more to enjoy as the week goes on. Saturday is Junior Day at the Kroger Queen City Championship thanks to Gillette and Venus who are helping to make the day special for young fans who will each receive a backpack with a water bottle upon arriving at the tournament. Children are free to attend with a paid adult and are welcome to attend a free clinic on Saturday afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at the practice putting green behind the TPC River’s Bend clubhouse and near the 18th green.

“I mean it really did come from starting with our brands and our fans and creating the things that make sense for the brands, but also make it a great experience for the fans,” Griffith said about the tournament’s initiatives for fans. “We want to build the Kroger Queen City Championship into can’t miss entertainment for the region, and we know as part of that we need to create experiences that people want to come and be a part of.”

Other offerings in the Fan Zone include:

-        Pampers Family Center with a nursing room and changing stations as well as toys for toddlers and babies

-        Kroger’s Freshest Putt, a 30-foot uphill putting challenge in which fans can participate and will be entered to win a Kroger Gift Card

-        Food and drink samples from Kroger’s favorite brands which features products from crackers, to protein-infused drinks, to granola bars

-        Don Francisco’s free coffee

-        Bottled water and sparkling water stations

-        Concession stands

-        Kroger’s Cool Zone with misting fans and seating shaded seating
-        LaRosa’s Pizza

by queencity

Wannasaen holds off chasing pack to maintain lead in Ohio

By Amy Rogers

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio - Ideal weather conditions for the second consecutive day made for another round of low scoring at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G on Friday at TPC River’s Bend.

First-round leader Chanettee Wannasaen took a two-stroke lead into the second round and teed off in the afternoon, but she had already been caught atop the leaderboard before her day began.

But Wannasaen wasted no time retaking control. The Thai began her day on the back nine and went three-under on her first four holes with a birdie at the par five, 11th hole and a hole-out for eagle at the par four, 13th hole to regain the outright lead. Wannasaen gave up her first bogey of the week at the difficult par four, 17th hole but immediately rallied at the reachable par five, 18th hole to maintain her lead. Wannasaen went quiet on the back nine, making a single birdie with eight pars to follow up her course record 63 on Thursday with a 68 on Friday.

“I just want me to play like this,” Wannasaen said about her approach this weekend, having rediscovered her enjoyment for the game for the first time in weeks. “I do not think about the score. I just want hit driver like this, hit iron like this. I just want to enjoy golf again.”

Wannasaen will be chasing down her third career win this weekend in Ohio. She held both the 36 and 54-hole leads en route to her victory at the Dana Open, but mounted a come from behind charge to capture her first career win on the LPGA Tour when she carded a final round, 63, in 2023 at The Standard Portland Classic.

Wannasaen leads at 13-under par, two strokes ahead of world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Charley Hull, and Olivia Cown at 11-under par. Major champions Sei Young Kim and Maja Stark are part of a pack at 10-under par that also includes Gigi Stoll.

Thitikul and Kim were grouped together the first two days along with Ayaka Furue and fed off each other’s strong play to make a move up the leaderboard during the morning wave on Friday.

Kim grabbed the early momentum with three birdies in her first eight holes to tie Wannasaen at the top of the leaderboard before the first-round leader teed off. Kim began her day three-strokes off of the lead and went out in 33 but cooled on the back nine when she wasn’t able to convert a series of long birdie efforts.

It was on the back side that the group saw the momentum shift to Thitikul, who started her day six-strokes off the pace, and proceeded to go on a birdie run between holes Nos. 13-16 to leapfrog Kim atop the leaderboard. Thitikul closed with another birdie at the reachable par five, 18th hole to card an 8-under par round of 64.

Thitikul says she hasn’t been feeling confident with her driver since the AIG Women’s Open in August. The World No. 1 says she’s been trying to shallow out her downswing because she was too steep with her attack angle and says she hasn’t completely adjusted to the change. Given Thitikul’s challenges with her driver and the layout at TPC River’s Bend, Thitikul has opted to hit 3-wood off the tee which has made her much more accurate as she only missed three fairways through 36-holes.

“I was so surprised to be honest,” Thitikul said about the success she found on Friday. “But maybe because when you're not like that much confident you're not expecting things to be that good.”

Hull is in the hunt for the second consecutive week after a runner-up finish on Sunday at the Ladies European Tour’s Aramco Houston Championship. While the Englishwoman has battled injuries and illness throughout the season she’s put together a solid start to her week in Ohio with rounds of 68-65 in which she’s given up just a single bogey.

“I just played pretty steady from the get-go," said Hull, who is coping with a back injury while still rehabilitating an ankle injury that bothered her on Friday. “I hit it pretty decently and took advantage of some good birdie holes and hit it close and holed some good putts.”

Stoll is a part of the chasing pack at 10-under par who also went out in the morning wave on Friday. One stroke off the lead to begin the day, Stoll said that maintaining her mental strength would be the biggest challenge for her to keep her momentum rolling through three more rounds. Stoll’s putter lifted her to the top of the leaderboard on Thursday and remained hot on Friday as she also credited her driving for giving her a chance to chase down her first win on the LPGA Tour this weekend.

“This is what we play golf for. It's exciting to be chasing probably a couple of these girls just a few shots behind,” Stoll said about her position heading into the weekend. “Interested to see what happens this afternoon, but I am really looking forward to being at the back of the pack tomorrow.”

Nelly Korda began the day four strokes off the lead and, for the second consecutive day, had an up and down start to her round with four birdies, offset by two bogeys and two pars on her front nine. Midway through Korda’s back nine she climbed to 10-under par and within three strokes of the lead before running into trouble at the par four, 15th hole, where she had to take a drop due to an unplayable lie short of the putting surface. She fell victim to the par four, 17th to drop another shot, but she rebounded with a closing birdie to sit at 9-under par along with Mary Liu, Lottie Woad, Jiwon Jeon, Frida Kinhult, and Jenny Bae.

The cut line fell at two-under par which led several notable players to miss the weekend including former world No. 1 Jin Young Ko (-1), Hannah Green (-1), Megan Khang (-1), Akie Iwai (E), Lilia Vu (+1), Alison Lee (+5), and Yuka Saso (+12).

by queencity

Ko still celebrating gold medal victory, brings new putter to title defense

By Amy Rogers

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio - It’s been a year since Lydia Ko’s fairytale run saw her capture Olympic gold to earn her way into the LPGA Hall of Fame, win her third major at the AIG Women’s Open, and follow that up with another victory in her very next start at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. The past 12 months have gone quickly for Ko, who says there are still times that she finds herself struggling to believe all that she has achieved in the last year.

“It's crazy to think that even happened a year ago,” Ko said from the media center on Wednesday at TPC River’s Bend. “Time goes by so fast and maybe I wish I was playing more in that form then than now.”

That’s not to say Ko hasn’t enjoyed success this season on the LPGA Tour. Ko captured her 23rd career win in February at the HSBC Women’s World Championship and she returns to Ohio off of a top-5 finish in her last start at the CPKC Women’s Open, where she led the tour in strokes gained putting and had 35 one-putts over the course of 72-holes.

What did Ko find with her putter in Canada? She doesn’t exactly know. She says her putting “literally went out the window,” at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June as she went on to miss the cut in her next two starts and whatever it was she discovered in Canada she said she was thrilled to have found and celebrated that with her team.

“I have no idea, but I was so excited that my putting was so good,” Ko said with a chuckle, unsure of what was behind her putting prowess in Canada. “I tried so many putters in the off week during that time that I was struggling to see maybe just something new would just change it up a little bit for me. But I realized that the gamer that I had was the one.”

But Ko went ahead and made a change anyway. Sort of.

Ko will put a new putter into competition at the Kroger Queen City Championship. But there’s nothing new about it Ko says, except the color. Ko had been searching for something new, or different, but had a lot of success with the Scotty Cameron she had been using off and on since 2022. So rather than make any technical adjustments, Ko simply changed the color, switching from a brown version of her trusty putter to a black version, which she will be using when play begins on Thursday.

“There is no technical reason behind it. I know black is a slimming color, but that's about it. The putter head looks exactly the same. It's built the same,” Ko said about her new flatstick. “I said, ‘yeah, so how about we just color it black so it's something different.’”

Ko continues to feel the impacts of her remarkable run last season as she returns to Ohio as defending champion. In fact, it was just this week that she was able to formally thank members of her team who helped her win at the Paris Olympics.

Ko had been waiting for months for the arrival of the pin flags from Le Golf National, where she won Olympic gold, for her to sign and distribute to members of her support staff. In January, Ko’s team learned that they needed to order the flags while they were still in Paris, but they had immediately departed following Ko’s victory in order to make it to the LPGA Tour’s next stop in Scotland. In May, Ko’s team was able to connect with a member on the board of the International Golf Federation to get an order placed and to get 100 flags sent to the gold medalist. This week in Ohio, Ko was able to present those flags to some of the members of her team as a way of saying thank you.

While some of those same feelings from last year’s super stretch have carried over for Ko, much will be different too. With the Ohio valley receiving more rain than it did last year, the course is playing softer and longer than it did a year ago. Ko’s ball striking was an area she pointed to as a key to her success last season, which lifted her to a course record and final round of 63 at TPC RIver’s Bend. This season, Ko hasn’t been as pleased with her ball striking as she’s dropped from 81st to 124th in Driving Accuracy and is ranked 50th on Tour in Greens In Regulation. And Ko doesn’t expect that scores will be as low at this week’s Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G as she saw with her 23-under par winning total last season.

“It's a game of inches and a couple shots here and there that can make a huge difference,” Ko said ahead of her title defense. “Yeah, hopefully be able to just keep building the momentum and see where that puts me at the end of the year.”

by queencity

Fassi is finding joy again in golf and grateful for sponsor’s exemption

By Amy Rogers

HAMILTON TOWNSHIP, Ohio - A playful Maria Fassi is a happy Maria Fassi.

And while there hasn’t been much for Fassi to be thrilled about in recent seasons on the LPGA Tour, especially upon losing her full-time status on Tour in 2025, she says that over the last three months that she’s been having more fun on the golf course than she has in a long time.

“It's just fun to kind of get back in that mindset. I truly do believe that for me that's where I need to be. I need to be happy. I need to be playful,” Fassi said while meeting with the media on Wednesday at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. “Getting back to that has been a very rocky road. I think I'm starting to see some of it pay off and maybe an easier road down the way.”

It’s all a part of a change in mindset for Fassi, who is trying to get back to playing the great golf she knows she’s capable of playing. And when she has doubted herself, Fassi has pointed to the support of her team and her sponsors for helping her continue to find the motivation to keep working on herself and her game.

For the next two weeks, it’s Fassi’s sponsors who are helping to lift her up as the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G along with next week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G have each extended a sponsor’s invitation for Fassi to get into the field.

Fassi says she was nearly brought to tears when she got the call that she would get to return to TPC River’s Bend for the fourth edition of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G, where she picked up her best career finish with a tie for third in 2022 when the tournament was staged at Kenwood Country Club.

“I love this place so much, and it was amazing, like I said earlier, just to know there are so many people seeing something in me in a time where I'm searching for so much,” Fassi said about getting into the field this week. “It's really a breath of fresh air to know that people see the work that I've put behind the scenes that people that know me a little bit better, [say] ‘hey you're looking a little bit lighter and happier.’ To be honest, right now that's all I care about.”

In June, upon receiving a sponsor’s exemption into the Meijer LPGA Classic, Fassi opened up about the soul searching she had been doing at the urging of her team over the last year. That’s what led her to take a hard look at her mindset, her attitude on the golf course, and how she was approaching her practice routine and schedule. Fassi started practicing with more purpose, rather than just hitting balls for hours without any real intention. And she started on a journey towards redeveloping her love of golf, despite the game having let her down in recent years as she’s struggled to find her footing in the professional ranks.

“It's a very tough life, what we do. It's lonely. It's hard, especially when things aren't going your way. Even though the golf hasn't quite shown everything that I'm feeling, I'm just proud that I can make that little girl in me proud again,” Fassi said about the progress she’s made in improving her mental outlook. “For a little while there was very little to be proud of on the way I was behaving on the golf course, and just now that obviously like I've said, it's a tougher year, you become a lot more grateful for those opportunities you do have.”

Fassi successfully Monday qualified to make her last LPGA Tour start at the CPKC Women’s Open where she was tied for 57th and made her third cut of the season. She’ll look to use that as a springboard to this week’s Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G,  which is a Tour stop that has become one of her favorites as she’s come to love the Cincinnati area and its fans. And she’s eager to tackle what TPC River’s Bend serves up this week. Defending champion Lydia Ko and world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul both pointed to the change in course conditions from last year,  as the course is playing softer and longer than it did in 2024, and Fassi echoed a similar sentiment upon completing her nine hole pro-am on Wednesday.

“It's kind of crazy how different the golf course is playing from last year to this year. You were hitting shots that would release 50, 60 yards last year to now, I mean, I'm getting backspin off the tee,” Fassi said about the course conditions. “It's kind of an interesting change for this year, but just overall extremely thankful that I'm here and get another opportunity to tee it up against the best in the world and see what my game does.”

Fassi says she’s relishing the challenge to compete again at TPC River’s Bend, excited to think her way strategically around the golf course, and eager to use her length to her advantage to rack up what she hopes will be another top career finish. And that would make for a very happy Maria Fassi.

by queencity

High school golfers join LPGA pros to compete for $250,000 prize

By Amy Rogers

Norah Zellen has spent the better part of her childhood as a member of the First Tee of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. Currently a student at Turpin High School, Zellen has learned through her 10 years participating in the program the fundamentals of a golf swing along with life skills that gave her the confidence to establish a fundraiser in her local community.

But there was nothing in Zellen’s young career that could ever perhaps prepare her for the moment she encountered on Tuesday evening when she stepped on to the tee at the par three, 7th hole at TPC River’s Bend with multiple major champions watching and took a swing at winning $250,000.

“Nervous!” Zellen said when asked about how she was feeling to be the first of 10 local high school golfers to take a shot at the quarter of a million dollar prize in front of LPGA Tour professionals. “They also golf and they’ve chunked golf balls before, so it’s okay!”

Zellen’s tee ball was far from chunky as it safely avoided the water that runs down the left hand side of the 150 yard hole and comfortably landed on the putting surface, which drew cheers and applause from the crowd looking on.

Zellen’s shot was one of 25 that was hit during The Tide and Downy Perfect Shot Challenge, which was the highlight of the Pro-Am Pairings Party that was held as part of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G.

Pro-am participants packed the Olay Body Public Viewing Deck behind the tee where they enjoyed drinks and desserts while eagerly waiting to see if one of the high school students or the 15 LPGA Tour professionals, who were participating in the challenge, would make a hole-in-one to take home a $250,000 prize. If an LPGA Tour professional made the ace, they’d pocket the cash. Should a high school student win the prize, the earnings would be split between their local First Tee chapter and their high school.

Maria Fassi and Gigi Stoll served as self-described “amateur” emcees for the evening’s festivities in which they teased their fellow golf professionals while also urging the DJ on the back of the tee box to keep the tunes flowing and ever-changing to keep the participants on their toes.

Lexi Thompson was the most decorated player to participate in the challenge on Tuesday evening. A fixture amongst fans and pro-am parties throughout her career, the semi-retired major champion has become an icon to the next generation of female golfers and the young women, who were hitting alongside her, were nearly speechless to see the 11-time winner in person.

“Who are we looking at?” Bella Joy Mitchell asked her First Tee friends as the Olentangy Orange High School golfer was stopped mid-sentence upon seeing Thompson walk on to the tee box.

Thompson fell victim to the DJ’s ever-changing playlist which forced her to back off more than once as she laughed off the hijinks Fassi and Stoll were encouraging and Thompson’s tee ball ultimately landed well short of the putting surface.

AIG Women’s Open champion Sophia Popov thrilled the fans with a near ace that finished seven inches from the cup.

“And there’s a reason she’s a major champion!” the emcees quipped as Popov bowed to her fellow competitors.

Lauren Hartlage was the next to play and hit an 8-iron which nearly threatened Popov’s cozy position on the green.

“Pretty good for second place,” Stoll teased.

Popov took home the $5,000 prize for finishing closest to the pin and while her two-year old daughter, Maya, ran around the tee box the major champion accepted her earnings in the form of an oversized check to the tune of “Itsy Bitsy Spider” which had the onlookers chuckling.

Maggie Meyer of Madeira High School hit a 7-wood to the par three to earn the closest to the pin prize in the high school division and was awarded a $5,000 check for her school. Meyer only took up playing golf three years ago and couldn’t wipe the grin from her face as she accepted congratulations from her fellow competitors and posed for photos with Popov while Queen’s “We are the Champions” boomed from the nearby speakers.

As the Tide and Downy Perfect Shot Challenge came to a close, Fassi and Stoll posed alongside all the participants who gathered for a group photo on the tee box. It will become a lasting memory of an unforgettable evening for the juniors, who couldn’t have been completely prepared for the night they just experienced, but it certainly was one they’ll never forget.

“The bar is still open and the party is still going,” Stoll said as the crowd made their way back inside the clubhouse for the Pro-Am Pairings Party’s ongoing festivities. “Thanks for joining us.”

by queencity

Alison Lee makes LPGA Tour return to make one last push towards victory

by queencity