Rachel Kuehn Receives Sponsor Exemption to the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes

Major Champions Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, Danielle Kang, Sei Young Kim, Minjee Lee and Inbee Park Among Early Commitments 

(PALOS VERDES ESTATES, Calif.) – Tournament organizers announced today that Rachel Kuehn, the 2022 Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge champion, will receive a tournament sponsor exemption to the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes. The women’s collegiate championship celebrated its 26th anniversary this week at Palos Verdes Golf Club. 

“Palos Verdes Golf Club is thrilled by the opportunity to incorporate our 2022 Northrop Grumman Challenge Collegiate champion into the field at the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes,” said David Klein, Club President of Palos Verdes Golf Club. “The organic integration between the two events makes perfect sense and also highlights our club’s support of golf at the highest level.”

In addition, the newly minted JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes is expected to feature a strong international field, with seven of the top-10 players in the world rankings currently slated to play in the event, taking place April 28-May 1 at Palos Verdes Golf Club. 

World No. 2 Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko (3), Minjee Lee (4), Danielle Kang (5), Inbee Park (6), Sei Young Kim (7) and Nasa Hataoka (8) headline early commitments. Los Angeles-area residents Alison Lee, Mo Martin, Lizette Salas, Lilia Vu and Angel Yin also are entered into the championship.  

"This week has been incredible, and I feel fortunate to have won on such an amazing course. To receive a sponsor’s exemption into the LPGA tournament here in a couple weeks is a dream come true. I can’t wait to tee it up against the best players in the world at the end of April. I’m so thankful for this opportunity and I’m looking forward to coming back,” said Rachel Kuehn, 2022 Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge champion.

Kuehn's 10-under par finish broke the individual scoring record at the Northrup Grumman Regional Challenge previously held by Lorena Ochoa, won the individual title in 2002 at 7-under par while playing for Arizona. She will join a 144-player field competing in the 72-hole event Thursday-Sunday, April 28-May 1, for a share of the $1.5 million purse. Players have until Wednesday, April 20, to commit to the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes. GOLF Channel will televise live all four rounds of play in primetime on the East Coast. 

The JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes is the second of back-to-back weeks on the LPGA Tour calendar in Los Angeles. The JTBC LA Open will take place at Wilshire Country Club the week prior, April 20-24. 

Tickets are now on-sale for the 2022 JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes exclusively online at www.jtbcchamp.com. A variety of ticket packages are available, including exclusive hospitality and general admissions tickets offering a wide degree of entertainment and access. In addition, all service personnel, including military (active, retired, reserve and veteran), fire, police and EMS and their immediate family (up to four tickets) will receive complimentary admission to the 2022 JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes. The complimentary tickets must be downloaded in advance from www.jtbcchamp.com and proper ID is required at the main entrance. Children under 17 also will be admitted free into the tournament with a paid adult.

Fans will have the opportunity to attend both championships via the “LA LPGA Dual Ticket” – a weekly grounds pass that provides access to both tournaments – marking the first time that spectators will have the opportunity to purchase one pass for back-to-back LPGA events. Tickets will be sold exclusively via the tournament’s official websites; the JTBC LA Open at www.la-open.com and the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes at www.jtbcchamp.com.

Volunteer registration for both the JTBC LA Open and JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes also is now open. Registration for both tournaments is $55, which includes a polo, hat or visor, food, and  beverage, and two daily tickets. For those who register to volunteer at the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes, $5 will be donated to the Race to End Alzheimer’s Association. For more information on how to volunteer, visit JTBC LA Open at www.la-open.com; and the JTBC Championship at Palos Verdes at www.jtbcchamp.com.