It was supposed to be the heavyweight championship fight of women’s golf. Still, instead of a thrilling bout, spectators watched as the main event fighters threw in the towel mid-match. This chaos has engulfed the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East in Frisco, Texas. The tournament’s struggles began early and continued escalating throughout the first 36 holes. Meanwhile, what should have been a celebration of women’s golf turned into a series of unfortunate events that tested everyone’s patience.

Jin Young Ko, the former world No. 1, became the first major casualty when illness forced her withdrawal during Friday’s second round. She had completed just 12 holes before calling it quits. Her struggles were evident before the withdrawal, as she carded a devastating double bogey on the par-4 12th hole. Subsequently, this became her final shot at the championship. You see, Ko’s performance had been disappointing from the start.

Initially, she shot a 74 (+2) in the opening round. Then, her second round deteriorated further as she finished her last four holes at six over par. Consequently, she sat at 10 over par when she decided to withdraw. Hyo Joo Kim followed suit.

She withdrew after her first round due to injury. Previously, she had been in stellar form, winning the Ford Championship in March and defending her title at the Aramco Korea Championship in June. Nevertheless, the 2014 Evian winner’s opening-round score of 76 (+4) left her struggling before the injury forced her to exit. These withdrawals represent a significant blow to the tournament’s field strength.

Both players are major championship winners with extensive experience on the LPGA Tour. Ko has 15 career LPGA Tour victories, while Kim boasts 25 career wins. Therefore, their absence significantly weakened the competitive landscape. Unfortunately, the star players’ exits were just the beginning of the tournament’s troubles. Even worse, a series of operational breakdowns began surfacing that would test the patience of players, officials, and fans alike.

KPMG Women’s PGA Championship faces operational crisis

The problems extended far beyond player withdrawals. Heather Angell received a disqualification after the first round under Rule 3.3b(3). Specifically, she recorded a score of 5 on her scorecard for the par-4 16th hole despite actually taking 6 shots. Later, Angell apologized, attributing the error to “brain fog” caused by heat and health issues. Meanwhile, slow play became another major headache for organizers.

The featured group, consisting of Lexi Thompson, Yealimi Noh, and Yuka Saso, experienced waits of up to 25 minutes on par-3 holes. Additionally, some groups took over six hours to complete their rounds. Consequently, the last groups faced brutal conditions in the scorching Texas heat. Thompson addressed the timing issues directly.

“It’s not ideal, especially on a golf course that is pretty difficult,” she explained. “Because it gets gusty, and you want to back off the shots, and you are on the clock, so you don’t think you should. It’s tough, but it happens.” Her group was put on the clock during the par-4 13th hole in Round 2. Stacy Lewis criticized the course setup as a primary contributor to slow play.

She noted that hole locations, particularly on the par-3 8th hole, were nearly impossible to attack due to wind conditions. Therefore, players needed extra time for shot selection. The challenging setup becomes even more problematic when players find themselves under constant timing pressure.

The combination of high-profile withdrawals, controversial disqualifications, and pace-of-play issues has created significant disruption to this major championship. These issues have altered the competitive landscape, potentially affecting broadcast quality and the viewer experience.

Currently, Jeeno Thitikul leads at -6 after two rounds, while the projected cut line sits at +3. However, the tournament’s operational challenges overshadow the competitive action. Will future major championships learn from these organizational missteps, or will similar disruptions continue plaguing women’s golf’s biggest events?