Defending champion Minjee Lee headlines the field of seven Aussies competing in this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
The third women’s major championship of 2026 takes place at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota for just the second time in the event’s 72-year history.
The venue holds a special place in Australian golf history as Hannah Green won her first major title at this site in 2019
Lee was the epitome of composure last year at PGA Frisco as she won by three strokes to join the legendary Jan Stephenson on three major championship victories.
It was the highlight of a season that also saw her become the first multiple winner of the Rolex Annika Major Award for performances in majors, as well as an International Crown title alongside Green, Grace Kim and Steph Kyriacou.
Currently ranked No.9 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking, Lee has struggled for form at the start of the new campaign, but hopes a title defence will kick-start her season when she tees it up on Thursday.
“I always work pretty hard behind the scenes in terms of practice and when I’m away from tournaments,” she said. “I’ve just been doing all the things that I can to be able to play my best.
“The grind of major championships is what I enjoy. I like playing hard, difficult conditions, and I think it brings out the best in me.
“We don’t always get the opportunity to play a really tough and hard and mentally draining event. I think that’s what I appreciate most about these events; it’s just always a little more difficult in how they set it up.
“There’s another element of course management or something a little extra that you have to do in major championship. That’s what really excites me.”
There will be three Australian major winners competing in Minnesota, with Green and Kim joining Lee in the field.
Green ended a 13-year wait for an Australian women’s major winner as she went wire-to-wire in 2019, while Kim joined them as a major champion after triumphing at last year’s Amundi Evian Championship.
Robyn Choi, Karis Davidson, Cassie Porter, and Gabriel Ruffels are also part of the 156-strong field, with Porter heading into the week on the back of consecutive top-ten finishes on the LPGA Tour.
All four rounds of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will be broadcast live on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports, with Round 1 coverage beginning at 1 am AEST on Friday.
KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota
Defending champion: Minjee Lee
Past Aussie winners: Minjee Lee (2025), Hannah Green (2019), Karrie Webb (2001), Jan Stephenson (1982)
Prize money: US$13 million
TV times: Live 1 am-5 am Friday, Saturday; Live 12 am-7 am Sunday; Live 12 am-6 am on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports.
Australasian Player Profiles
Robyn Choi
World ranking: 112
Age: 28
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Previous Women’s PGA Championship starts: 2
Best finish at Women’s PGA Championship: Missed cut (2024, 2025)
The lowdown: After missing the cut at the Chevron Championship, Choi responded with five straight made cuts to build momentum through the middle part of the season, highlighted by a T8 at the Kroger Queen City Championship, her best LPGA finish of the year, before a missed cut at last week's Meijer LPGA Classic.
Karis Davidson
World ranking: 71
Age: 27
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Previous Women’s PGA Championship starts: 2
Best finish at Women’s PGA Championship: T47 (2025)
The lowdown: Arrives at Hazeltine with her game trending in the right direction. Davidson recorded the best major finish of her career with T22 at the US Women's Open before backing it up with a T12 at last week's Meijer LPGA Classic. Davidson has made the cut in every LPGA start this season.
Hannah Green
World ranking: 8
Age: 29
Major wins: 1
LPGA Tour wins: 8
Previous Women’s PGA Championship starts: 8
Best finish at Women’s PGA Championship: Won (2019)
The lowdown: Returning to the site of her breakthrough major triumph, Green will have fond memories of Hazeltine after claiming the 2019 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. The West Australian has already collected four victories this season and remains one of the world's elite players, sitting inside the top 10 of the Rolex Women's World Golf Ranking. A proven performer on the biggest stages, Green will be eager to add a second Women's PGA title to her resume.
Grace Kim
World ranking: 30
Age: 25
Major wins: 1
LPGA Tour wins: 2
Previous Women’s PGA Championship starts: 3
Best finish at Women’s PGA Championship: T36 (2025)
The lowdown: Although the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship winner endured a slow start to the season, signs of a return to form have emerged in recent weeks. Kim was the equal-best Australian at the US Women's Open with a T22 finish before taking another step forward with a T7 at the Meijer LPGA Classic. Still searching for her first top 10 finish in a major outside of her Evian victory, the 25-year-old arrives with confidence building.
Lydia Ko (NZ)
World ranking: 11
Age: 29
Major wins: 3
LPGA Tour wins: 23
Previous Women’s PGA Championship starts: 12
Best finish at Women’s PGA Championship: Runner-up (2016)
The lowdown: One of the most decorated players in women's golf, Ko enters the week searching for a spark after a difficult run of results. The former world No.1 has missed the cut in both majors this year, along with her most recent LPGA start at the Dow Championship. Despite that form line, Ko's record speaks for itself, with 23 LPGA victories, three major titles and a runner-up finish at the Women's PGA Championship in 2016.
Minjee Lee
World ranking: 9
Age: 30
Major wins: 3
LPGA Tour wins: 11
Previous Women’s PGA Championship starts: 11
Best finish at Women’s PGA Championship: Won (2025)
The lowdown: The defending champion returns to the championship where she produced one of the finest performances of her career, winning by three shots at PGA Frisco last year. Although she has yet to record a victory in 2026, Lee remains one of the game's premier performers in major championships and has proven ability to elevate her game on the biggest stages. A fourth major title would see her further strengthen her standing among Australia's greatest golfers.
Cassie Porter
World ranking: 68
Age: 23
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Previous Women’s PGA Championship starts: 1
Best finish at Women’s PGA Championship: Missed cut (2025)
The lowdown: Porter's impressive LPGA campaign continues to gather momentum. The 23-year-old heads to Hazeltine on the back of consecutive top 10 finishes, following a T9 at the ShopRite LPGA Classic with a T5 at the Meijer LPGA Classic. Porter also made the cut in her first major appearance of the season, finishing tied for 34th at the Chevron Championship.
Gabriela Ruffels
World ranking: 158
Age: 26
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Previous Women’s PGA Championship starts: 4
Best finish at Women’s PGA Championship: T24 (2023)
The lowdown: It has been a challenging season for Ruffels, who has missed five cuts in nine LPGA starts and arrives at Hazeltine after consecutive missed cuts. The former US Women's Amateur champion has shown she can compete at a major championship level, recording a tie for 24th at this event in 2023, and will be hoping a strong week can reignite her season and rebuild confidence heading into the second half of the year.
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