The LPGA Tour has touched down in Los Angeles for the 2026 JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro. El Caballero Country Club is ready to test the world’s best, and with a massive $3.75 million purse on the line, the stakes are undeniably high. And while the field is booming with talent, there are five names that we’d miss at the tournament. 

1. Nelly Korda

Skipping the JM Eagle LA Championship is a pure schedule-management move for the world number two. With the Chevron Championship kicking off the next week, Nelly Korda is taking a strategic break. As the undisputed face of American women’s golf, managing her physical and mental fatigue is a top priority, especially after a grueling and highly successful start to her 2026 campaign.

Following the Aramco Championship, Korda weighed in on what she needed to do to claim her second Chevron Championship and said, “I’m just going to stick to what I’m doing. I’m really happy with the way that my game is trending, and sometimes when you work too hard and you exhaust yourself, you can go the other way.”

Had she teed it up at El Caballero, Korda would have unquestionably been the headline favorite. She would have aimed at securing a better position than last year’s T16 finish with a score of 14-under 274. 

She has been selective with her participation. Korda has teed it off at only four out of seven LPGA Tour events until now, and hasn’t finished worse than a T2. Korda became the runner-up at the Aramco Championship, Ford Championship, and the Fortinet Founders Cup. But she began the 2026 season with a win at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. 

2. Jeeno Thitikul

Another massive absence from the Los Angeles field is the Thai sensation, Jeeno Thitikul. Like many top-tier players, Thitikul is utilizing the week before a major championship to rest, recover, and fine-tune her game. The impending Chevron Championship is the ultimate prize this April, and bypassing the JM Eagle LA Championship ensures she arrives on the major stage in absolute peak physical condition.

Thitikul began the 2026 season with a T7 finish at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, and that followed a win at the Honda LPGA Thailand. However, her stance weakened with the HSBC Women’s World Championship (T31). Her game at the Fortinet Founders Cup ended with a T14 finish and a T50 finish at the Ford Championship. In the last Aramco Championship, Thitikul finished T17. 

Given her recent performances, it’s important for her to calibrate and prepare for the upcoming major championship, even if that means skipping the JM Eagle LA Championship. But had she participated, she would have tried to finish better than last year’s T9 finish (16-under 272).

3. Charley Hull

The world number four has made only four starts in the 2026 season, but for Charley Hull, things haven’t been quite successful. Her first start this year at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions ended with her in the T17th spot. After securing a top 10 finish at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, Hull missed the cut for the Ford Championship. And at the Aramco Championship, she finished T15. 

The Englishwoman is known for her competitiveness and love for the grind. But she also has to prioritize her physical recovery to ace the Chevron Championship. It’s not like she has been starting off at the JM Eagle LA Championship in the past couple of years. However, at this moment, she is probably focused on achieving her first major championship victory. 

4. Lydia Ko

Lydia Ko will also be sitting out the JM Eagle LA Championship. Firmly cemented in the LPGA Hall of Fame following her Olympic gold in Paris, the veteran is a master of schedule management. At this point in her career, her goal is to peak specifically for the major championships, making a rest week before the Chevron Championship a highly logical decision for the Kiwi golfer.

Currently, she’s yet to claim a win in the 2026 season. Her best performance came with fourth-place finishes at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and the Ford Championship. Her stance at the Honda LPGA Thailand ended with a T5 finish. And that’s all of her top 10 finishes this season, out of six appearances. While she made all the cuts, she unfortunately finished with a T56 at the Fortinet Founders Cup. 

For Ko, ending the Chevron Championship with a good performance lands high on her priority list. Well, her career low about three years ago is still a hot topic in the golf world. And to ensure that she’s actually back in her old form, she has to showcase a strong performance at the upcoming major. 

5. Lexi Thompson

Lexi Thompson‘s absence from the JM Eagle LA Championship comes for an entirely different reason than the rest of this list. By the end of March 2026, Thompson announced that she’d be taking an indefinite break from social media. Her management team would handle everything that appeared on her social media profiles. And the reason is personal grief rising from her grandfather’s recent passing. 

As she missed the cut and the Ford Championship and woke up to the tragic news, Thompson announced, “Not sure exactly when I’ll play again. But what’s more important is being home and doing what’s best for me anymore and being there for my family. RIP Poppop.”

Do you think these five names would have aced the top five list on the JM Eagle LA Championship had they teed off this week?