Women’s PGA Championship returning to Hazeltine in Minnesota

by


The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship is heading back to Minnesota.

On Tuesday morning, the PGA of America announced that Hazeltine National, the site of the 2016 Ryder Cup, will host the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for a second time in 2026.

Hazeltine has hosted numerous prestigious events, including the infamous 2009 PGA Championship that saw Y.E. Yang take down Tiger Woods. Yang became the first male player from Asia to win a major.

Hazeltine hosted its first PGA Championship in 2002, when Rich Beem won his only major championship at the Minneapolis-area course. The course has also hosted multiple USGA championships, including two U.S. Opens.

Then, in 2019, Hannah Green of Australia won wire-to-wire to claim her maiden major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship—the first women’s major held at the course.

“Providing LPGA Tour athletes more opportunities to compete at prestigious venues like Hazeltine is vital to advancing the women’s game,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan in a statement.

Hazeltine, LPGA, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

The 16th hole at Hazeltine National during the first round of the 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images

“When the world’s top female golfers play on renowned courses that fans recognize, it expands our exposure and allows our players to showcase their incredible talent and inspire others within the context of this sport’s rich history and tradition.”

The PGA of America, the USGA, and the LPGA have committed to hosting Women’s major championships on marquee courses.

The Women’s PGA Championship most recently took place at Baltusrol in New Jersey, which has hosted nine majors on the men’s side and three on the women’s side.

Pebble Beach Golf Links hosted the Women’s U.S. Open in July, the first time it hosted a women’s major. Pebble Beach has hosted seven men’s majors and stages the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am on the PGA Tour this year.

Nevertheless, Hazeltine returns to the fold for the women’s game, which is a terrific sight to see.

The next four hosts for the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will take place at three historic venues, with the lone outlier being at PGA Frisco—the new headquarters of the PGA of America in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas.

  • 2024: Sahalee Country Club — Sammamish, Washington
  • 2025: PGA Frisco — Frisco, Texas
  • 2026: Hazeltine National — Chaska, Minnesota
  • 2027: Congressional Country Club — Bethesda, Maryland

Interestingly, Hazeltine will host the Ryder Cup again in 2029, becoming the first American course to stage the biennial competition twice.

So golf fans should get ready to see plenty of the Minnesota layout, as it will host two of the most significant events in the game during the back end of the 2020s.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.