The LPGA will begin its season next week with one fewer tournament on the schedule.
The LPGA announced Friday that the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, previously scheduled for March 20-23 at Palos Verdes Golf Club southwest of Los Angeles, will not be held as originally planned. The cancellation, according to the LPGA, was “unavoidable due to the event underwriter failing to fulfill any portion of its payment obligations to the LPGA Tour for the 2024 and 2025 events.”
The tournament, won last year by Nelly Korda, debuted in 2018 as the Hugel-JTBC LA Open, but title sponsorship was taken over last year by Fir Hills, a Silicon Valley-based investment firm, with World Golf Hall of Famer Seri Pak serving as tournament host.
The LPGA did not rule out re-adding the tournament to its schedule at a later date.
“We are deeply disappointed to announce this year’s Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship will not go forward in March,” said Liz Moore, the LPGA’s interim commissioner. “We apologize for the impact this has on our players, as well as on our fans, partners and volunteers. We also want to express our heartfelt gratitude to the staff and members at Palos Verdes Golf Club, Palos Verdes Estates, and tournament operator, Outlyr, for their exceptional partnership and hospitality. It is our intention to return to Palos Verdes in the future to host title sponsor, Fir Hills, once again alongside these great partners. We remain dedicated to bringing this event back to our schedule to honor the incredible legacy of Seri Pak, who has been a wonderful ambassador for the game and this event.”
This cancellation particularly affects LPGA members who aren’t qualified for the winners-only Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, which starts next Thursday, and three limited-field events in Asia beginning in late February. There are just three full-field tournaments before the season’s first major, the April 24-27 Chevron Championship.
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