Cascade Golfer Short Game • KPMG Women’s PGA Championship

Sahalee is a ‘major’ backdrop again for the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship next June – tickets and volunteer opportunities available now

BY BART POTTER • FOR CASCADE GOLFER

Brooke Henderson will not be the defending champion of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship June 20-23, 2024, when it comes to Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash.

But on this golf course, she might as well be the reigning queen. For the record, 21-year-old Ruoning Yin of China claimed the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. Yin, the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer (as of this writing) will be far from an afterthought at the next Championship.

At Sahalee, Henderson is the player people know and remember. She was just 18 in June 2016, the first time the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship came to Sahalee, when her final-round 65 pulled her into a tie with Lydia Ko after 72 holes. Henderson won the tournament with a birdie on the first playoff hole.

It was the Canadian-born Henderson’s first major championship victory. Later in 2016, she repeated as champion at the Cambia Portland Classic at Columbia Edgewater CC (after having won in 2015 as a 17-year-old Monday qualifier).

That same year, Henderson was a member of the Canadian Olympic golf team for the 2016 Summer Games in Rio, where she placed seventh.

Since 2016, Henderson has remained among the world’s elite players. As of this writing, she ranks 13th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings. She has 20 professional victories, including a second major — the 2022 Evian Championship, where she opened the Championship shooting two consecutive rounds of 64.

“Brooke’s memorable performance in 2016 stands as not only a highlight in her own career, but also in the history of this championship,” said Championship Director Jackie Endsley. “With the incredible support of KPMG and the LPGA, this event continues to grow and reach new heights. We are thrilled to return to Sahalee eight years later and provide a world-class experience for the players, spectators and community.”

The other half of that 2016 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship playoff — Ko — was then the top-ranked player in the world. After a brief slide, Ko has regained top form. She has 19 LPGA victories, including two majors, and sits 10th in the current Rolex World Rankings.

The 2023 season belonged to Yin

Yin has ascended to the top of the Rolex list after winning the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol, where she birdied the final hole to best Yuka Saso by one stroke. Yin has one other victory in 2023, her first year on the LPGA Tour, and has amassed $2,683,616 in prize money.

2024 comes to Sahalee again

The 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will bring 156 of the best players in the world to the picturesque Sahalee course next June. The PGA of America has announced that general admission tickets and corporate hospitality experiences to the 2024 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship are available for purchase. Volunteer registration is also open for the 70th edition of the Championship.

“Sahalee Country Club has proven to be a tremendous host site for our Championships,” said PGA of America Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh. “The course and its intimidating tree line will once again provide a stern challenge to the best women players in the world. We are proud to return to Sahalee following a highly successful PGA Championship in 1998 and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2016.”

Visit kpmgwomenspga.com/tickets to secure your tickets today. If you are interested in hospitality options, contact Callum McLuckie, Corporate Hospitality Sales and Marketing Lead, at (425) 380-6274 or email cmcluckie@pgahq.com for information.

If you would like to find out more about volunteer opportunities, visit kpmgwomenspga.com/volunteers.