MAINEVILLE, Ohio − A $2 million purse is up for grabs between some of the LPGA’s top golfers this week at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G.
This year’s field is the “deepest and strongest it’s ever been,” according to Tournament Director Emily Norell as the event moves to TPC River’s Bend in Maineville.
The Arnold Palmer-designed course is a 6,700-yard, par-72 course that opened in 2001. Over the last 23 years, the venue has been home to the PGA Tour (Kroger Classic), Korn Ferry Tour (Chiquita Classic) and the Epson Tour (Prasco Charity Championship).
The LPGA enters the fold this week with top players like World No. 1 Nelly Korda and reigning champion Minjee Lee looking to conquer a few obstacles the course presents.
Golfers have to hone in on yardages
Accuracy is obviously going to be a key factor any time you step on the golf course. At TPC River’s Bend, making sure yardages are exact will be paramount for golfers looking to climb the leaderboard.
Kroger Queen City Championship: Field | Leaderboard | Photos
“The greens are a little smaller and the greens do have, on the front nine, a little bit more undulation (rises and dips in elevation),” said Korda, who is making her Cincinnati debut after collecting six LPGA Tour titles this year.
Mapping out the key areas to land on the green will be critical due to those rises and dips. Golfers will need find small targets and commit to their line.
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“It seems like a ball-strikers’ course. Greens are very sloped, equally quick and you really need to know where to place the ball,” Rose Zhang said. “Utilizing the slopes to certain pin locations, that I’m sure the officials are going to be placing, makes for more creativity when you’re out there.”
‘Birdie chances out there’ for long hitters
Korda noted that she could tell it’s been a dry summer in Cincinnati and the grounds crew has spent plenty of time watering the course. That will make the ground softer in the mornings and firmer in the afternoons.
Korda leads the LPGA Tour in numerous statistical categories and is the only player gaining at least a half stroke per round this season on shots off the tee, approach shots and putts.
Charley Hull, who is fourth in strokes gained off the tee, said the course sets up well for players who can hit deep drives off the tea.
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“I think there are quite a few birdie chances out there, as well. It plays into longer hitter’s hands. It’s quite a nice golf course,” Korda said.
TPC River’s Bend features a lot of water
Water on the golf course makes for picture-perfect scenery but can be a nightmare for golfers looking to avoid costly bogeys.
Water comes into play with large, naturalized swales and streams on nine holes, the majority on the front nine.
“I think it’s super pretty here. It’s a different change of scenery. There is obviously a lot of hazards, a lot of places that you have to be careful of,” Zhang said.
Spectators get fantastic view on 9, 18
Last year’s Kroger Queen City Championship came down to a two-hole playoff between Lee and Hull. If there’s another thrilling finish this year, fans will have a great view of 18.
The stadium-style course has “wide sweeping fairways, mounding and playing surfaces lower than the spectator views,” according to the tournament. A panoramic view high above the ninth and 18th hole overlook the course and offer a great view for fans.
The par-5 18th hole is exciting on its own, offering players the chance to be aggressive and go for it if they want to make a move on the leaderboard. Golfers will have to judge how much of the corner they want to cut off from a partially-blind, uphill tee shot.
With risk comes the reward of a nice birdie opportunity. It can also be costly as a miss to the right could land you in a bunker off the fairway, a lateral hazard or out of bounds entirely. Missing the fairway on 18 is expected to cost players more than a quarter of a stroke, according to tournament notes.
