KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club postponed, moved back to October
One of five major championships on the LPGA Tour, the Women's PGA had been scheduled for June 25-28 at the Newtown Square layout. The new dates are Oct. 8-11.
With coronavirus cases not leveling off as quickly as everyone would like, Aronimink Golf Club officials nervously had been awaiting word on what could happen to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, an LPGA major that had been scheduled for the last weekend of June.
Finally the news came Wednesday. The PGA of America announced that the tournament would be postponed and rescheduled it for Oct. 8 -11, with the famed Donald Ross course in Newtown Square remaining as host.
“We’re so thrilled that the championship got postponed and moved to October rather than canceled or anything else that could have happened,” Aronimink president Bob Willcox said. “We still get to hold the event and bring championship golf back to Philadelphia. We get to display our championship course to an international audience.”
One of five majors on the LPGA Tour, the Women’s PGA had been scheduled for June 25-28.
In its statement announcing the date change, the PGA cautioned that the tournament would be staged “provided it is safe and responsible to do so at that time.”
“The PGA of America will work closely with public health officials at the national, state, and county levels through championship week,” the PGA said. “The health and safety of players, spectators, volunteers, rules officials, and staff remains the top priority.”
Aronimink underwent a restoration overseen by Malvern-based architect Gil Hanse in the fall and winter of 2016 and the fall of 2017 and hosted the 2018 BMW Championship, a PGA Tour FedEx Cup playoff event. In addition to this year’s Women’s PGA, the PGA of America named the club as host of the 2026 PGA Championship.
Willcox said that despite the later date, he expects the course to be “an excellent, competitive test” for the women.
“October is usually one of the most beautiful times of the year to play golf in this area,” he said. “It’s always lush and beautiful. We’re not dealing with the stress elements that can happen during the summer.”
The event formerly was known as the LPGA Championship, which was established in 1955. It was contested from 1994 through 2004 at Wilmington’s DuPont Country Club with McDonald’s as the title sponsor.
KPMG, a global accounting services firm, took over as title sponsor in 2015. The addition of the PGA of America’s involvement resulted in an increase in prize money and a focus on women in business. A women’s leadership summit is held annually the day before the start of the tournament.
The total purse for this year’s event is $4.3 million.
“We remain resolute in our commitment to this championship as well as helping future generations of women be more successful on and off the golf course,” PGA of America president Suzy Whaley said.
In another development Wednesday, the LPGA Tour said it has targeted its restart to the season for July 15 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational in Midland, Mich. The third scheduled event after the restart is the ShopRite LPGA Championship at Seaview in Galloway, N.J., beginning July 31.
“While July seems like a long way away, we are certainly aware that restarting our season in Michigan, Ohio, and New Jersey will require a continued improvement in the [health] situation in each of those states,” LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan said.