The official LPGA season has finally kicked off in the warm Florida sun this week with the prestigious Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona. This year marked the eighth edition of the Tournament of Champions in Orlando, and a total of 39 champions are actively competing for the first trophy of the 2026 season.

World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul arrived as the tour’s dominant player and the 2025 Player of the Year. She is joined by Nelly Korda, the American “Swing Queen” and World No. 2, who always draws a huge crowd. Local favorite and past TOC champion Lydia Ko is also in the field, looking to defend her home turf. Every single player wants to grab the first trophy of the season.

The tournament offers a total prize purse of $2.1 million. The lucky winner of this tournament will take home a cool $315,000 check, exactly 15 percent of the total purse, according to the LPGA Tour’s prize money distribution chart. The player in the second spot earns $224,001 while the third-place finisher walks away with over $162,000 in their bank account.

This special event has no cut, which means every player plays four rounds. All 39 LPGA players will earn a paycheck as long as they finish playing. A Lim Kim won the event last year with a dominant 20 under par finish. Now she is back to defend her title against a field of winners.

Below is the full breakdown of how much money each player earns based on their final position.

A separate celebrity tournament runs alongside the pros, with 44 famous athletes and TV personalities playing. These stars compete for their own $500,000 purse in a no-cut 72-hole event under the modified Stableford scoring system. This unique format allows icons like Mardy Fish, Aaron Hicks, Urban Meyer, Albert Pujols, Alfonso Ribeiro, Emmitt Smith, John Smoltz, and Annika Sorenstam to engage with the fans.

The celebrity purse and format aim to attract fans and sponsor attention to the LPGA.

While the money is exciting, the event awards important points, perks, and benefits, especially for the tournament winner. The winner of this tournament earns 500 Race to the CME Globe points and Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking points. The winner also earns a two-year tour exemption. This event serves as the first opportunity to build momentum toward the season-ending CME championship. That finale carries an $11 million purse.

But the money is only half the story.

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Leaderboard heating up and how to watch the Hilton Grand Vacations TOC 2026

The tournament is currently ongoing, and the leaderboard looks very tight after the second round. Lydia Ko and young star Lottie Woad share the lead at eight-under. The 22-year-old Woad, who only turned professional last year and was invited to play at the season-opening LPGA tournament in Orlando, put up an amazing opening round with 67 under par. Three-time major winner Ko joined her to lead the leaderboard after a bogey-free round 2.

And while Ko and Woad catch all the attention, some eyes will be on Jeeno Thitikul. As of now, Thitikul is tied for eighth place after round 2, while Nelly Korda and Charley Hull are also chasing the pack. Korda enters 2026 after a puzzling 2025 season. Despite maintaining a world-class scoring average of 69.44 and earning $2.8 million, she failed to secure a victory following her seven-win 2024 campaign.  

Some dark horses like Ingrid Lindblad and Chanettee Wannasaen are also making big moves.

Fans can watch all the exciting action live on the Golf Channel’s USA Network every single evening from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. ET, while the final rounds will be on NBC this weekend. Peacock will also stream the action for fans who want to watch on their phones. The TV coverage starts at 11:30 a.m. and runs through the afternoon. You can also follow the local radio and tournament apps, which deliver hole-by-hole updates.

Do not miss a single moment of this amazing kickoff to the new season.