HGV's celebrity-fueled LPGA season opener proved women's golf is embracing the modern game

In play these days, the statement is that you request much than conscionable the crippled itself.

Be it LIV's DJs connected the tee container oregon TGL's indoor, primetime format, to prosecute the younger audience, fans privation much than conscionable tee-to-green action.

In the women's game, that's nary different. Step forward: Hilton Grand Vacations' Tournament of Champions successful Orlando.

On the look of it, this four-day lawsuit successful the Sunshine State is the 2025 play opener for the champion pistillate players successful the world, but successful world it is truthful overmuch more.

First off, this is strictly invitation only. You tin lone play if you've won connected the LPGA Tour successful the past 2 years, making the tract a who's who of the champion connected the planet. There's besides nary cuts, truthful each 32 players are locked successful for the full weekend. 

As if that weren't enough, adhd into the premix 51 celebrities of each shapes and sizes, playing alongside the pros - and for their ain $500,000 purse.

This is the modern game, play connected steroids, and present successful Orlando it is going down a storm.

'Some of these celebs are conscionable monolithic humans overall,' HGV's VP of Sports Marketing Aaron Stewart reflects successful a speech with Mail Sport. 'They're playing with LPGA pros that are fractional their value and height, but they're getting drummed retired determination connected the play course. 

'It truly highlights however large these nonrecreational players are, and exposes an wholly caller assemblage to the game.'

Stewart is lad of the late, large three-time large champion Payne Stewart, and the designer down HGV's increasingly-popular play opener astatine Lake Nona.

'Having the personage facet of it brings retired a antithetic acceptable of spectators that aren't conscionable play fans,' helium explains. 'We've got athletes from each the large sports. There's entertainers, actors, actresses, commentators, musicians, thing for everyone. 

'It's not like, "oh, I'm conscionable going to the play people due to the fact that I emotion play and you can't get capable of it". It's "oh, I didn't existent recognize that the drummer from Creed is playing successful the tournament... that's cool, I'll spell cheque that out".'

Walking the course, though, it's wide that the fans aren't the lone ones awestruck by what's happening down the ropes.

On Saturday afternoon, shot icon Taylor Twellman revels successful his 'dream travel true' playing with World No 1 Nelly Korda. 24 hours later, Solheim Cup prima Angel Yin pulls retired her telephone to record Alfonso Ribeiro - helium of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fame - playing a changeable from an almost-impossible space heavy successful the unsmooth connected 18.

Carolina Panthers NFL prima Adam Thielen, meanwhile, waxes lyrical astir the 'consistency and ball-striking' of the pros. 'You larn truthful overmuch from watching these gals,' helium tells Mail Sport. 'They've been truthful impressive.'

Super Bowl champion Marcus Allen sums it up with his ain reflections, insisting: 'You privation to beryllium connected this impermanent list, dude. Seriously, you privation to beryllium connected the impermanent list!'

And he's right, due to the fact that there's plentifulness much celebs that are hopeless to play successful this event, but haven't had the call-up. Each twelvemonth the names get much famous, the purse gets heavier, and the crowds get bigger.

HGV main Stewart reveals: 'It is decidedly 1 of the hardest things, due to the fact that it's not similar we person much spots each year. So if you privation caller names, idiosyncratic other that had that large acquisition past twelvemonth that mightiness not get the telephone this year. 

'So it's decidedly hard successful that respect, but it means that we're doing thing right. More and much radical are showing interest, and you are seeing arguably bigger and bigger names successful the tract each year.'

One personage that volition surely beryllium backmost for 2026 is NHL fable Joe Pavelski, whose last people of +145 saw disconnected past year's champion Jeff McNeil and earned him a $100,000 paycheck connected the 18th green.

Alongside him, rightfully holding a cheque 3 times the value, was South Korea's A Lim Kim, who sealed her 3rd triumph connected the LPGA Tour astatine Lake Nona.

On Saturday, Korda joked her rival was 'playing a antithetic play course', but successful the extremity their conflict came close down the 18th, earlier a birdie from Kim secured triumph and a champagne ablution from her chap players.

And truthful the 2025 play is underway, and with a four-day showcase of the precise champion this athletics has to offer.

Traditionalists whitethorn not similar the DJ connected the 18th green, oregon Larry The Cable Guy hacking it disconnected the cart way connected the 12th, but it is simply a glimpse into the caller look of golf.

There is inactive a spot for what made this expansive aged crippled truthful special, but modern innovation is here, and bringing plentifulness of caller fans with it. Get utilized to it, oregon get near behind.