The 2026 LPGA campaign is all set to get underway with the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, scheduled to be held from January 29 to February 1, 2026. Fans usually expect a firework-like start at the season-opening showcase. This time, though, the LPGA has been hit an unexpected snag even before the first tee of the 2026 campaign.

Just days ahead of the tournament, Australia’s Minjee Lee and two other major winners’ agents have confirmed that they won’t be in the field at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Fellow Australians Grace Kim and Hannah Green have also decided to skip the event.

Minjee Lee is a 3x major champion. Her latest major win came at the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, when she finished 4 under par 284 after the regulation rounds. She won with a two-stroke margin over tied runner-ups Chanettee Wannasaen and Auston Kim. Earlier, Minjee Lee won the 2022 U.S. Women’s Open and the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship. With a total of 11 wins across her LPGA career, her absence will significantly affect the field strength.

Grace Kim also won her maiden major championship in 2025. She carded rounds of 65-68-70-67 to finish 14 under par at the Amundi Evian Championship. While she edged past Minjee Lee and Lottie Woad in the regulatory rounds, the World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul did not allow Kim to secure an outright win. In the playoff on the 18th hole, the first round ended in a tie with a par 4 score from both. Kim finally got the better of Thitikul in the second round of the playoff by scoring a birdie.

Unlike Minjee Lee and Grace Kim, Hannah Green didn’t win her major championship recently. She conquered the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2019 by scoring 9 under par 279. She beat Sung Hyun Park by 1 stroke and Mel Reid and Nelly Korda by 3.

While it’s a setback for the LPGA, it makes a lot of sense for the three Australian golfers to skip the event. It is the only event in the USA before the Asian swing that starts with the Honda LPGA Thailand. The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions is hosted by Lake Nona Golf & Country Club, Orlando, Florida. This means a travel distance of around 10,000 miles, about 3.5 times the distance they will have to travel to reach Thailand. Therefore, skipping the event would mean more time at home and less time traveling.

There’s no denying that the absence of Minjee Lee, Grace Kim, and Hannah Green could prove to be a setback. However, fans don’t have to worry, as the event still features a strong field.

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Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions 2026 field

The 2026 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions entrants can commit to the event by January 20, 2026. Until now, 39 LPGA stars have entered the season opener. Defending champion A Lim Kim headlines the group at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club from January 29 to February 1. In the 2025 edition, she finished 20 under par with rounds of 65-69-67-67, to beat the runner-up Nelly Korda.

Besides the defending champion, there are 7 of the top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf rankings as part of the fied. This includes the World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, who leads the elite contingent. The World No. 2 Nelly Korda also joins her. There’s also Miyu Yamashita (No. 4), Charley Hull (No. 5), Lydia Ko (No. 6), Ruoning Yin (No. 7), and Mao Saigo (No. 9). Absentees include No. 3 Minjee Lee, No. 9 Hyo Joo Kim, and No. 10 Sei Young Kim.

Event debutants include Lottie Woad, Somi Lee, the Iwai twins, and Ingrid Lindblad. Austin Ernst returns part-time after maternity and medical leaves, leveraging her three LPGA wins and Solheim Cup experience from pre-2023. Meanwhile, Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang aim to rebound from injury-plagued 2025 campaigns.

Even with the late withdrawals, the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions still promises a high-quality start to the 2026 LPGA season. The field is led by a deep group of top-ranked players and returning champions.