The PGA Tour makes one last stop before the PGA Championship, the second major of the season, which begins next week at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
But the biggest story in professional golf this week will take place at the Cognizant Founders Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, New Jersey, where LPGA Tour star Nelly Korda will try to win in her sixth straight start.
With another victory, Korda would break an LPGA Tour record she shares with Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy López (1978).
Most of the PGA Tour's top golfers, including Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Justin Thomas, Wyndham Clark and others, compete at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, where a $20 million purse is at stake.
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler is not on the course, as he is at home in Dallas with his wife, Meredith, who is expecting their first child.
What's next on the PGA Tour?
Wells Fargo Championship
When: Thursday Sunday
Where: Quail Hollow Club, Charlotte, North Carolina
Title defender: Wyndham Clark
Briefcase: $20 million ($3.6 million for the winner)
Myrtle Beach Classic
When: Thursday Sunday
Where: Dunes Golf & Beach Club, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Title defender: First year
Briefcase: $4 million ($720,000 for the winner)
Clark's defense
A year ago, Wyndham Clark was No. 163 in the Official World Golf Rankings and had not won a PGA Tour event. After winning at Quail Hollow last year, he earned victories at the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February.
Clark is now ranked No. 3 in the world, behind Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy.
“Yeah, it's crazy,” Clark said. “I mean, in 12 months, it's crazy to think that I've jumped so many places and now have a few wins under my belt. Honestly, it's very humbling and fun to be in this position. I'm really looking to continue to grow and get better. I like to think that this “It's just the beginning, and I hope it's the start of a lot of really good golf in the years to come.”
Earlier this week, Clark took a scouting trip to Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, where he will defend his US Open title June 13-16.
Simpson okay with waivers
Webb Simpson has heard some criticism about him and other members of the PGA Tour political board receiving sponsor exemptions at tournaments. While he acknowledged they are “the most coveted sponsor exemptions in Tour history” due to the $20 million purses in signature events, Simpson said he is pleased with the way they have been distributed so far.
Simpson will play on a sponsor exemption this week: He is a longtime resident and member of the Quail Hollow Club.
“These tournament directors are working day and night for a year trying to make their tournament the best,” Simpson said. “I know this is my fourth sponsor exemption, and Adam Scott got his fair share of it. There was controversy and the guys tried to tie us to the board, but it has nothing to do with me being on the board.”
Simpson, whose eight world victories include the 2012 U.S. Open, said his background and familiarity with tournament directors has more to do with earning exemptions.
“I certainly think the criticism, I knew it was going to come depending on who was receiving it, but I feel very comfortable knowing that we've given the sponsors the opportunity to choose, and the tournament directors,” Simpson said.
PGA Tour competition director Tyler Dennis said Wednesday that the political board would evaluate sponsor exemptions at a meeting this summer.
Changes in the “Green Mile”
The Quail Hollow club lengthened the par-4 16th hole, the start of the legendary three-hole “Green Mile” final stretch. It is the longest par 4 hole on the PGA Tour calendar so far this season.
With the change, players will likely be less likely to fly into the right fairway bunker with their tee shots.
“If you could fly it 320 [yards], that fairway is twice the size and you're hitting a lot less club,” said Max Homa, two-time Wells Fargo Championship winner. “So you could swing a lot harder and stay a little bit left and right. Now it's like I don't believe anyone could blow it up. I say that and Wyndham will probably take it.”
Homa said he is not a fan of lengthening the holes, but that it was probably necessary to do so on No. 16.
“If you hit the ball far, it's a huge skill, but it feels like you're getting a huge reward for about five to seven percent of the field,” Homa said. “I think it makes it a little better.”
Since 2003, the Green Mile has been ranked as the most difficult final three-hole stretch on the circuit with an average of +0.89 over par. Holes 16-18 have accounted for 24.1% of bogeys, 38.7% of doubles and 51.5% of triples or worse during the Wells Fargo Championship.
What's next on the LPGA Tour?
Cognizant Founders Cup
When: Thursday Sunday
Where: Upper Montclair Country Club, Clifton, New Jersey
Title defender: Jin Young Ko
Briefcase: $3 million ($450,000 for the winner)
All eyes on Nelly
After taking a two-week break after capturing his second major championship at the Chevron Championship on April 21, Korda is back in action.
“To be honest, I haven't thought about it at all because a lot has happened to me during those two weeks,” Korda said. “I'm really trying to play one shot at a time, see how it goes. This golf course is tough. It's very, very tight off the tee. The roughness is a big penalty.”
Last year, in his first start at Upper Montclair Country Club, Korda shot 72-74 and missed the cut. She also missed the cut at the 2023 KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, New Jersey.
Korda will play the first two rounds with defending champion Jin Young Ko and Australian Minjee Lee.
“Obviously with the weather they've had, it's a little wetter compared to last year,” Korda said. “Last year was my first year playing and it was super firm, so it was a little different than last year. I think you can be a little more aggressive this year. My record is not very good in New Jersey, so I hope to change that this year.”
Nelly at the Met Gala
On Monday, Korda attended the annual Met Gala at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. She is among a handful of athletes who were invited to the event; Tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams were also at this week's fundraiser.
“God, it was so, so crazy,” Korda said. “You're standing in line ready to get on the carpet, and it's like seeing all these people that you normally see on TV shows or movies, and they're like famous singers and you're starstruck the whole time. It's the best people looking at me. I “I stayed silent looking at everyone's dresses.”
Korda said he saw Shakira, one of his favorite singers, and rapper and actor Jaden Smith, who stopped and said hello.
“Everyone was really amazing,” Korda said. “I can't single out just one person. The dresses were incredible and the whole night was just a dream come true.”
Korda wore a floral Oscar de la Renta dress on the red carpet. She was invited by Casey Wasserman, president and CEO of sports and entertainment agency Wasserman.
“I bought a couple of Oscar de la Renta dresses to try on and they were all stunning,” Korda said. “It was very difficult to decide. In fact, I changed it at the last minute, probably about 20 minutes before I started getting ready, and I had to completely change my look. I was going to wear a long-sleeved dress, so I was going to have my hair tied.
“Then I saw this amazing red dress and I changed my whole look probably 20 minutes before I started getting ready. I changed it on everyone.”
Shaw hopes to inspire others
Ashley Shaw, a 15-year-old from Litchfield Park, Arizona, is making her LPGA Tour debut after winning the John Shippen Cognizant Cup by 2 strokes on Monday. John Shippen events operate to provide playing opportunities to top black professionals and amateurs.
John Shippen Jr. was the first American-born golf professional and the country's first black golf professional.
“I am very excited to be a part of the change and to bring more diversity to the game of golf,” Shaw said. “In golf there are not many people who look like me, not even women who stick to it.
“So being a part of events like the John Shippen, it gives me a feeling of being closer to home. When I play in the events I participate in, I'm usually the only one who looks like me, most of the time. Maybe there are other two people out there.”
Shaw also competes on the Underrate Tour, which is supported by NBA star Stephen Curry and LPGA player Mariah Stackhouse.
Shaw says she hopes to inspire other young black female golfers this week.
“I definitely hope that when they have a dream they see that if they stick to it and work hard they can achieve it,” he said.
