For nearly two decades, the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship has been a marked event on the LPGA calendar. Rogers, Arkansas, has seen marquee players crowning the city in the hustle to reach the coveted trophy. Some to add to an already shining season, and some desperate to carve out at least one shining moment. But this year, the 19th edition of the event came to an abrupt halt after an unpredictable weather refused to budge. But as per reports, there is one piece of good news for Nelly Korda and Co.

After battling for two days to climb up in the scoreboard and then being faced with the prospect of leaving empty-handed, a last-minute announcement has turned things around. The LPGA and its partners announced that from the $3 million prize purse, a whopping $2 million would be distributed to all the players

On Sunday, LPGA officials confirmed that the tournament would be cancelled after heavy torrential rain shadowed the city and a flash flood warning loomed over the locals’ notifications. These situations left the Pinnacle Country Club unplayable. With more storms expected in the forecast, there was no realistic chance of completing 36 holes, and the decision was made to call off the event. This also took away the chance of any CME points being awarded to the contesting players. Yet, the unprecedented move of compensating the players means the amount is half a million more than the sanctioning rules required.

“With the cancellation of play at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, LPGA Tour officials announce that $2 million in prize money will be paid out from the tournament purse – above and beyond the obligated 50 percent per LPGA sanctioning,” the Monday Q post on X read.

$1.5 million will be paid out following the standard LPGA purse distribution to the top 65 players and ties based on Friday’s 18-hole scores, as that was the only round completed without any weather obstacles. The remaining $500,000 will be split evenly among all 144 players in the field. This ensures that even those at the bottom of the leaderboard will leave the city with a check of at least $3,500.

So if one looks at the final standings of the tournament after the first round, it gives a clear picture of who takes what.

Minami Katsue and Sarah Schmelzel shared the lead at 8-under, which means both will walk away with $183,095 each. In the second place was Lilia Vu with 7-under, who will reportedly receive a check of $63,392. Other players on the fringe are Danielle Kang (6-under, T9), who will take $26,122, and Lexi Thompson and Nelly Korda (2-under, T66), who will cash in $3,500 each. Both of these players have been looking to score a win this season, failing so far. This tournament could have provided that opportunity. And due to this, some of the players expressed discontent over the event’s cancellation.

Jinyoung Ko (T66) took to Instagram and shared how it was “a very difficult decision not to play all 18 holes.” Hannah Green (T66) shared a similar sentiment, saying, “Not how we want things to end…” Korda, on the other hand, said that it was an “unfortunate end to one of the best weeks on tour.”

For the players, this is a respectable amount, after they went through a chaotic weekend of delays and false starts. Round 2 was supposed to begin on Saturday morning, but thunderstorms immediately pushed play back. Players were then finally allowed to tee off around 11 am, but dangerous lightning stopped the action again within an hour. By the afternoon, heavy rain left large sections of the course unplayable, with 3.25 inches of rainfall. This left the officials no choice.

“…The decision has been made to cancel the remainder of the tournament, with only player’s 18-hole score counting,” their final post read. The cancellation of the tournament will not be a blow just for the players, but also to the Arkansas community.

Each year, this tournament has worked in tandem with Walmart’s support for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital, raising millions for pediatric care. Ahead of the tournament, players like Nelly Korda and Perrine Delacour even visited the hospitals, shedding light on the need of the hour for the little kids. With the event cut short, there are chances that such philanthropic gestures will suffer, too.

Through it all, the LPGA, in its statement, was clear in its gratitude toward Walmart, P&G, and tournament operator Outlyr.

“Their unwavering commitment to our players and the LPGA Tour-they continue to set the standard for what great partnership looks like,” the post concluded.

Now all the attention turns to 2026, where the event will return for its 20th anniversary if the weather permits. But before that, there are many players for whom this cancellation proved much more adverse than it looks.

The event’s cancellation stings for Nelly Korda and Co.

For players like Nelly Korda, the payout offers little to no consolation.

The world No. 2 was looking to secure a victory after suffering a winless drought this season. This is after she had a stellar 2024, with 7 victories overall, including a major. In hindsight, her performance has been good, racking up seven top-10 finishes, including a runner-up position at the US Women’s Open. Sitting second in scoring average (69.87) behind Jeeno Thitikul, Korda had a chance in Rogers to snap her dry spell. After Saturday’s round, it got halted midway, Korda was at T45.

Then there’s new mom Alison Lee.

This was her second LPGA event of the year after giving birth to her baby boy, Levi. And her game this week looked like she might score a victory, and etch her name in history. She was tied for third place after day one and grabbed a share of the lead early in round two. But now that the event is cancelled, she will have to comfort herself with the money. This is a blow as she recently admitted feeling “guilty” for leaving her son behind to participate in the tournament.

At last, there was Stacy Lewis, the 40-year-old prodigy who was playing her last tournament before a ‘shocking retirement’. After a stellar career, Lewis was looking for a memorable performance, but the weather left no space for it.