The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship was already abbreviated, at 54 holes instead of the usual 72, but this year it became a single round. Overnight storms turned Pinnacle Country Club into a swamp (with more between Friday and Saturday), leaving the LPGA with no choice but to freeze the leaderboard. Japan’s Minami Katsu and American Sarah Schmelzel both carded 63s to finish at eight under.
Somi Lee, one of Korea's top players, had opened with a commendable 64—good enough to sit just one shot back of Sarah Schmelzel and Japan's Minami Katsu. She, like everyone else, would not get another swing that counted.
We saw all 144 players complete the first round, with a few slipping out early Saturday morning to start Round 2 before the weather made it obvious there would be no full tournament. By Sunday morning, after meetings and a review of the radar that offered no hope, the LPGA called it: the event was unofficial, no CME Globe points would be awarded, and there would be just 18 holes of golf.
Conditions at Pinnacle Country Club
It is important to highlight that Walmart and P&G kept it classy with the $2 million purse intact. Instead of cutting it in half (which they were entitled to do), they paid out the full sum. Here's how that broke down for players:
• $1.5 million went to the top 65 and ties, based on Round 1 scores.
• The remaining $500,000 was split evenly, putting $3,500 in every player's pocket, even those who had a struggle through Friday.
It was a gesture that reminded the field that this tournament, which will mark its 20th anniversary in 2026, has respect for the players' work, expenses, and commitment to the game.
This event also marked the retirement of Stacy Lewis. The Arkansas native chose to end her career where it began. The rain might have shortened the golf, but it made for a fitting moment for Lewis to end her professional career under familiar skies.
The Points Damage
The biggest losers here were those chasing points. Carlota Ciganda (T3), Leona Maguire (T4), and Lilia Vu (T3) all walked away empty-handed in the CME Globe race, their efforts dissolved by weather. Lilia's crisp opening round could have been the start of a late season charge rather than another "what if" on the 2025 ledger.
Shout Outs
To Walmart and P&G for keeping the total purse for the tournament and distributing it to entrants.