How Players Plan to Tackle Wind at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship

The wind will be a big part of the story this week at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.

Wednesday’s forecast calls for 20 mph winds throughout the day in the final tune-up for players before the Championship gets underway Thursday.

Though it will calm down a bit to 10 mph for Thursday’s first round, it will ratchet back up to 15 mph each day for the final three rounds.

The Gil Hanse-designed course, which saw the Senior PGA Championship two years ago, figures to test the best in the women’s game and will command even more exacting iron shots due to the East Texas winds.

“It's going to be a test, especially if the winds pick up out here,” 2021 champ Nelly Korda said in her Tuesday presser. “It's kind of like a very open field, so not much protects you out here from the wind. It will definitely be interesting to see how this week plays out with that. It's pretty demanding off the tee into the greens with how windy it is. I played (Monday), and it was really calm out.”

The second-ranked player in the Rolex Rankings, Jeeno Thitikul, also felt the same way as Korda when it comes to the changing winds.

“I played 18 holes (Tuesday) and it was like blowing all day from first hole to the last hole, and it's completely changing from when I practiced on Sunday and Monday,” Thitikul said. “The distances might also be changing as well. I think, if you keep the ball in the fairway you should have a good chance to-making par is not that hard, but like making birdie should be tricky.”

No. 3-ranked Lydia Ko is also ready for the wind to pick up, and it makes sense why she’s keen on playing in it. After all, her most recent major win came at the Old Course at St. Andrews in last summer’s AIG Women’s Open in some wind and rainy conditions.

“The course is really nice. I think the front nine and back nine has very different characteristics. It kind of felt like two different golf courses in ways,” Ko said. “I kind of prefer these windier conditions today over yesterday. But it's been a great experience so far. The whole setup they have here is really awesome, from the hotel to the practice facility. So I think it's going to be a great week and very convenient for all of us.”

Seen and heard on Tuesday at PGA Frisco

PGA of America Golf Professional and the 2025 PGA Women’s Stroke Play Champion, Katelyn Sepmoree, was asked what her goals were for this week in her Tuesday presser as she makes her debut in a major championship.

“First goal is to enjoy every moment,” Sepmoree said. “Obviously I want to win it.”

This month’s U.S. Women’s Open winner, Maja Stark, on how emotional she felt watching fellow U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun win on Sunday, compared to the feelings in her win at Erin Hills.

“I didn't cry after I won, but I cried after JJ Spaun won because I was so excited for him. No (for me), it just really hasn't landed yet.

When you see the reaction and how happy he was, hearing he almost quit last year and just like him crying, finishing with two birdies and finishing in this fashion, that was just crazy. Seeing his kids, you know, hug him. That just makes me emotional for anyone. I'm just like a little crybaby.”