The LPGA Tour faced significant criticism following its season opener, the **Tournament of Champions**, held at **Lake Nona** in **Orlando, Florida**. Due to adverse weather conditions, including high winds and low temperatures, the tournament was shortened to **54 holes**, prompting a response from **Commissioner Craig Kessler** regarding the organization’s handling of the situation.
On **February 6, 2024**, Kessler admitted that the LPGA was not adequately prepared to manage a potential finish on **Monday**, when weather conditions were expected to improve. Many players expressed frustration over the decision to cancel the final round on **Sunday**, questioning why the tour did not consider extending the tournament by one day.
“We were not prepared fully for Monday,” Kessler stated in an interview with **Golfweek**. “In hindsight, if we can do it over again, there are a number of creative solutions that absolutely could have worked. We should have explored those and been more prepared. We weren’t.”
The cancellation of the final round allowed **Nelly Korda** to secure her first victory in **14 months** following a remarkable **Saturday** performance, where she shot an **8-under 64**. Kessler further clarified in a letter to players that the decision to limit the tournament was based on concerns for player safety due to the hardened course conditions resulting from record low temperatures overnight.
“I made the decision to limit the event to 54 holes, worried that our athletes might be injured given the way record overnight low temperatures hardened the course,” Kessler wrote. “While the decision was a tough one and ran counter to prior statements we shared, I made a judgment call. With the benefit of hindsight, there were clearly other ways we should have managed the situation.”
In an effort to improve future tournament management, Kessler outlined several steps the LPGA Tour will implement. These include establishing clearer principles for play decisions in challenging circumstances, enhancing weekly contingency planning, and ensuring faster and clearer communication with real-time updates.
The LPGA Tour will return to action later this month, with the next event scheduled for the **Honda LPGA Thailand** from **February 19-22, 2024**. As the organization moves forward, the focus will be on learning from recent experiences to better prepare for future events.
