The LPGA’s 2026 season got off to an odd start, and new commissioner Craig Kessler said he regrets how it unfolded.
On Sunday, the LPGA shortened the season-opening Tournament of Champions to 54 holes due to freezing temperatures in Orlando. The decision and the communication that followed drew criticism. The LPGA initially delayed the start of the final round at Lake Nona, then sent the celebrities competing in the pro-am off before ultimately reducing the tournament to 54 holes. World No. 2 Nelly Korda won the tournament without hitting a shot on Sunday.
That decision left many fans and some players scratching their heads.
On Tuesday, Kessler sent a memo to players apologizing for how the decision was made and communicated at Lake Nona. That memo was obtained by GOLF and is below in its entirety.
LPGA Athletes,
When I joined the LPGA last July, I said trust would be our highest priority — with all of you, partners, fans, staff and media. This weekend at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, that trust was tested.
I made the decision to limit the event to 54 holes, worried that our athletes might be injured given the way record overnight low temperatures hardened the course. While the decision was a tough one and ran counter to prior statements we shared, I made a judgement call. With the benefit of hindsight, there were clearly other ways we should have managed the situation.
I recognize this decision, and others we made in real time, were confusing and disappointing to our fans. And our communication around the decision wasn’t clear or timely enough. Your frustration is valid — I own that, and I’m sorry. We are already taking steps to improve:
Our thanks to the staff at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club who did great work to make sure the course was prepared and our partners at Hilton Grand Vacations who pulled out all the stops to celebrate great golf with their guests.
This is a special Tour with an incredible future ahead. We won’t be perfect, but we will be accountable, learn quickly, and keep earning your trust.
Respectfully,
Craig Kessler, LPGA Commissioner
‘Double-edged sword:’ LPGA’s big conundrum has no clear answer
On Sunday, as the LPGA prepared to shorten its season-opener, Annika Sorenstam was on the course playing as a celebrity.
Sorenstam, an LPGA legend, didn’t understand why the pros weren’t teeing it up.
“I don’t know why they’re not playing,” Sorenstam told Golfweek‘s Beth Ann Nichols. “There’s pitch marks. I mean, I hit some crispy shots today and the ball even stopped. I am surprised. It’s difficult, it’s cold, but it’s as fair as anything. I told J.R. we can continue.”
Lydia Ko, a Lake Nona resident, was “gutted” that the tournament wasn’t going to finish.
That the LPGA deemed the course playable for the celebrity amateurs but not for the professionals only added to the confusion. An official told Nichols that the celebrities were playing in an “exhibition,” even though the pro-am had its own purse.
An LPGA official said at the time that the decision was made due to the lack of an “optimal competitive environment.” When pressed by Golf Channel’s Amy Rogers, the official could not provide specifics on how the cold was affecting the course. With the LPGA off until Feb. 19 in Thailand, a Monday finish seemed like a worthy avenue to take with Korda, the tour’s biggest star, leading after a sublime Saturday 64.
A Korda win should have been a dream start to the LPGA’s season. But instead, an awkward decision and confusing communication turned it into a nightmare. One Kessler knows the LPGA will have to build back from.
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