The LPGA Tour makes its annual stop in Hawaii this week for the 13th playing of the LOTTE Championship, one of just seven official events left on the 2025 schedule.
After the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship was shortened to 18 holes and declared unofficial, this week's event in Ewa Beach has added importance. Players chasing season-long awards or fighting for one of the last few spots in the year's final events will be practiced and ready to take on the challenges ahead. After being held at Ko Olina Golf Course from 2012 to 2021, the tournament returns for its fourth year at Hoakalei.
The Course
Hoakalei Country Club was designed by Ernie Els and opened in 2019. For this week's event the course stretches 6,536 to 6,566 yards depending on the source.
Nine water features shape the routing, with water coming into play on 13 of 18 holes, turning straightforward shots into ones of some precision. 112 bunkers are also positioned around the course, which can make or break a round.
There is also the unpredictability of trade winds here. Depending on the breeze, the course can play entirely differently from one day to the next, something the players will be keeping in mind this week as they play the tournament.
The Players
Charley Hull returns from a short break after her win in Cincinnati and will make her first start in Hawaii since 2019. Sarah Schmelzel and Nasa Hataoka, who both opened with low numbers in Arkansas, will try to carry that form into Hoakalei. Jennifer Kupcho, winner of the ShopRite LPGA Classic earlier this season, also arrives with momentum after a top-five in Cincinnati and a 65 in her lone round in Arkansas.
Nelly Korda is back, making her first start in Hawaii since her T2 finish in 2021. She enters the week ranked second in scoring average (69.78) behind Jeeno Thitikul, who is notably absent, giving Korda a chance to make up ground in the Player of the Year race.
A Lim Kim returns to defend her 2024 title, where she closed with a 68 to edge Nataliya Guseva by two. It was the second of her three career wins.
Past Champions in the Field
Hyo Joo Kim, the 2022 winner, is back and looking for her second title of the season after taking the Ford Championship earlier this year. Brooke Henderson, a two-time LOTTE champion (2018, 2019), is also in the field and fresh off a T15 at the FM Championship.
Tickets and Details
The LOTTE Championship begins Wednesday evening, October 1, with coverage each night from 6 to 9 p.m. CT on Golf Channel. The $3 million purse will be split among the 120-player field featuring 21 of the top 50 players in the Rolex Rankings.
Daily tickets start at $34 for general admission and $154 for Champions Club. Weekly passes start at $99 for general admission and $480 for Champions Club. Your Champions Club ticket gets you access to the tournament grounds plus a shared hospitality space overlooking the 18th at Hoakalei Country Club. You'll also get two drink tickets, grab-and-go food, and complimentary general parking.
