LPGA Pathetically Cancels Final Round Of Season Opener, Golf Fans Erupt Over Decision
There's soft, and then there's this.
Nelly Korda is very likely going to win the HGV Tournament of Champions – the first event of the 2026 LPGA season held in Orlando – without hitting a single golf shot on Sunday after the women's circuit made one of the softest decisions imaginable.
Temperatures are uncharacteristically low in central Florida this weekend, and while players battled through frigid temperatures on Saturday, LPGA officials have decided that they can't ask the best players in the world to do so two days in a row.
With it being below freezing in Orlando on Sunday morning, the LPGA announced that Sunday's action would begin with a delayed start. Six players in the field still have to complete their third round on Sunday before turning around to begin the final round.
At 11:34 AM local time, the LPGA announced that the resumption of Round 3 and start of Round 4 would begin at 1:00 PM, at the earliest. Just over an hour later, the LPGA issued a statement announcing that the tournament would be reduced to 54 holes.
READ: Golf Star Nelly Korda Slams Tiger Woods' TGL League With Completely Fair Criticism Of Women's Format
Korda, after posting an 8-under 64 in her third round on Saturday, holds a three-shot lead. Amy Yang is the lone player in the field who has an incredibly slim chance of catching her as she trails by three shots with two holes to play in her third round.
Korda earning what will be her 16th LPGA win isn't the story here, the story is the LPGA's mind-boggling decision to cancel the final round and the details surrounding it.
For starters, the Tournament of Champions is a pro-am event. The amateurs in the field were sent out to play on Sunday morning in what was a reduced final round of just nine holes, but they played nonetheless. Annika Sorenstam, the 10-time major winner, was among the celebrities in the field who went out and played Sunday morning, and was confused as to why the professionals weren't already teeing it up. Little did she know that the entire final round would be canceled shortly thereafter.
It is expected to get above 40 degrees in Orlando on Sunday afternoon, which is absolutely a playable temperature, leaving zero concern for course conditions, yet the LPGA said no thanks to doing so. Sorry, that isn't entirely true. Temperatures will be warm enough to send six players out to complete their third rounds on Sunday afternoon, but not warm enough for the rest of the field to complete 18 holes. Make it make sense.
With a delayed start, the tournament was likely looking at a Monday finish, which would have been no issue weather-wise with temps set to be above 50 degrees.
Golf fans were confused, and very much not happy, with the LPGA's decision to just punt on the final round and cut the tournament to 54 holes.