The LPGA Tour heads to Texas for the Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America at The Old American Golf Club.
Last year, Charley Hull claimed her second LPGA Tour title courtesy of a one-shot win over Lin Xiyu, and she's back this year hoping for similar success in her first start since Team Europe’s successful defence of its Solheim Cup title at Finca Cortesin.
Aside from playing her part in that success, Hull is having a good year overall, which has included runner-up finishes in both the US Women’s Open and AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath. However, victory on the LPGA Tour has eluded her so far in 2023, but that will be something she will be confident of rectifying here.
Not that she will have it easy. As well as World No.8 Hull, two others in the top 10 of the world rankings are participating – her Solheim Cup teammate Celine Boutier and Hyo Joo Kim.
Beyond that elite group, some other formidable names are in the field, including former World No.1 Atthaya Thitikul, two-time LPGA Tour winner Leona Maguire, 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Champion Hannah Green and Lexi Thompson, who is looking for her 12th win on the Tour.
However, it is now over four years since the most recent of those victories, in the 2019 ShopRite LPGA Classic. Thompson has also been in worrying form for most of the year. The 28-year-old was impressive in the Solheim Cup, though, with three wins from her four matches.
Encouragingly, she then followed that up with a T8 in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship. She will be hopeful of building on that revival here ahead of her appearance on the PGA Tour in the Shriners Children's Open next week.
There are other former winners in the field, too, including 2020 champion Angela Stanford, Cheyenne Knight, who won the year before her, and 2016 victor Jenny Shin.
One player who will be hopeful of continuing some good form is Ally Ewing, who has three top-10 finishes in her last five starts, while three-time Major winner In Gee Chun also plays.
Players are competing for a $1.8m purse, the same amount that was on offer at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in March.
The winner will receive $270,000 while the runner-up will take home $166,643.
Volunteers Of America Classic Prize Money
| Position | Prize Money |
|---|---|
| 1st | $270,000 |
| 2nd | $166,643 |
| 3rd | $120,888 |
| 4th | $93,516 |
| 5th | $75,270 |
| 6th | $61,584 |
| 7th | $51,548 |
| 8th | $45,162 |
| 9th | $40,600 |
| 10th | $36,951 |
| 11th | $34,213 |
| 12th | $31,932 |
| 13th | $29,925 |
| 14th | $28,101 |
| 15th | $26,458 |
| 16th | $24,998 |
| 17th | $23,722 |
| 18th | $22,627 |
| 19th | $21,714 |
| 20th | $20,984 |
| 21st | $20,255 |
| 22nd | $19,524 |
| 23rd | $18,795 |
| 24th | $18,064 |
| 25th | $17,427 |
| 26th | $16,788 |
| 27th | $16,148 |
| 28th | $15,510 |
| 29th | $14,872 |
| 30th | $14,324 |
| 31st | $13,776 |
| 32nd | $13,229 |
| 33rd | $12,681 |
| 34th | $12,134 |
| 35th | $11,679 |
| 36th | $11,222 |
| 37th | $10,767 |
| 38th | $10,310 |
| 39th | $9,853 |
| 40th | $9,488 |
| 41st | $9,124 |
| 42nd | $8,760 |
| 43rd | $8,393 |
| 44th | $8,029 |
| 45th | $7,755 |
| 46th | $7,481 |
| 47th | $7,207 |
| 48th | $6,934 |
| 49th | $6,660 |
| 50th | $6,386 |
| 51st | $6,205 |
| 52nd | $6,021 |
| 53rd | $5,838 |
| 54th | $5,657 |
| 55th | $5,474 |
| 56th | $5,291 |
| 57th | $5,109 |
| 58th | $4,926 |
| 59th | $4,745 |
| 60th | $4,562 |
| 61st | $4,471 |
| 62nd | $4,379 |
| 63rd | $4,288 |
| 64th | $4,198 |
| 65th | $4,105 |
| 66th | $4,014 |
| 67th | $3,924 |
| 68th | $3,831 |
| 69th | $3,740 |
| 70th | $3,650 |
| 71st | $3,605 |
| 72nd | $3,558 |
Volunteers Of America Classic Field
- Marina Alex
- Brittany Altomare
- Narin An
- Dottie Ardina
- Ana Belac
- Jaravee Boonchant
- Celine Boutier
- Dori Carter
- Jennifer Chang
- In Gee Chun
- Cydney Clanton
- Paula Creamer
- Karis Davidson
- Manon De Roey
- Brianna Do
- Amanda Doherty
- Gemma Dryburgh
- Lindy Duncan
- Allison Emrey
- Nicole Broch Estrup
- Jodi Ewart Shadoff
- Ally Ewing
- Dana Fall
- Maria Fassi
- Luna Sobron Galmes
- Sofia Garcia
- Hannah Green
- Natalie Gulbis
- Mina Harigae
- Lauren Hartlage
- Celine Herbin
- Emilee Hoffman
- Yu-Sang Hou
- Wei-Ling Hsu
- Charley Hull
- Caroline Inglis
- Hyo Joon Jang
- Eun Hee Ji
- Linnea Johansson
- Soo Bin Joo
- Minami Katsu
- Kim Kaufman
- Sarah Kemp
- Maelynn Kim
- Hyo Joo Kim
- A Lim Kim
- In Kyung Kim
- Gina Kim
- Christina Kim
- Frida Kinhult
- Cheyenne Knight
- Aline Krauter
- Ines Laklalech
- Brittany Lang
- Bronte Law
- Min Lee
- Ilhee Lee
- Jeongeun Lee5
- Jeongeun Lee6
- Stacy Lewis
- Amelia Lewis
- Lucy Li
- Brittany Lincicome
- Pernilla Lindberg
- Yan Liu
- Ruixin Liu
- Gaby Lopez
- Polly Mack
- Nanna Koerstz Madsen
- Leona Maguire
- Jill McGill
- Kristy McPherson
- Wichanee Meechai
- Gerina Mendoza
- Morgane Metraux
- Sydnee Michaels
- Lauren Miller
- Azahara Munoz
- Yuna Nishimura
- Yealimi Noh
- Su Oh
- Bianca Pagdanganan
- Alexa Pano
- Annie Park
- Kum-Kang Park
- Emily Kristine Pedersen
- Pornanong Phatlum
- Valery Plata
- Mel Reid
- Riley Rennell
- Paula Reto
- Louise Ridderstrom
- Kiira Riihijarvi
- Pauline Roussin
- So Yeon Ryu
- Hae Ran Ryu
- Sarah Schmelzel
- Sophia Schubert
- Hinako Shibuno
- Jenny Shin
- Sarah Jane Smith
- June Song
- Jennifer Song
- Mariah Stackhouse
- Angela Stanford
- Marissa Steen
- Lauren Stephenson
- Ellinor Sudow
- Jasmine Suwannapura
- Maddie Szeryk
- Ellie Szeryk
- Elizabeth Szokol
- Emma Talley
- Gabriella Then
- Atthaya Thitikul
- Lexi Thompson
- Maria Torres
- Mariajo Uribe
- Albane Valenzuela
- Anne van Dam
- Samantha Wagner
- Chanettee Wannasaen
- Lindsey Weaver-Wright
- Dewi Weber
- Jing Yan
- Natalie Yen
- Xiaowen Yin
- Pavarisa Yoktuan
- Arpichaya Yubol
- Weiwei Zhang
Where Is The Volunteers Of America Classic Being Played?
The tournament is being held at The Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas. It's the sixth time in the 11-year history of the event that it has been held there. The course was designed by Tripp Davis with PGA Tour Champions pro Justin Leonard.
What Is The Purse For The Ascendent LPGA Tournament?
This year's purse for the tournament is $1.8m, which represents an increase of $100,000 on the 2022 event. The winner will receive $270,000, with the runner-up earning $166,643.
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