Korda sisters to go head-to- head in first of seven LPGA e-Tour Live matches

Jessica and Nelly Korda will compete in the first leg of the LPGA e-Tour Live series, on May 13, 2020
Jessica and Nelly Korda (right) playing for the USA in the Solheim Cup – now they will fight for family pride in the first of seven LPGA eTour Live events. Picture by MATTHEW LEWIS

THE Ladies Professional Golf Association is launching the LPGA e-Tour Live featuring a series of head-to-head matches played onlline over nine holes, this week.

The first event tonight (Wednesday, May 13) will see the Korda sisters – Jessica and Nelly – fight for family honour in the new matchplay event.

The LPGA has team up with World Golf Tour (WGT) by Topgolf to produce the eTour LIve series, which will also see Solheim Cup players Angel Yin and Lizette Salas go head to head later this week.

Eight LPGA and Symetra Tour players will feature in a series of seven matches twice a week.

The first match between Jessica and Nelly Korda will feature Congressional Country Club’s Blue Course – home to the 2022 and 2027 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

The Kordas became the first sisters to play in the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles when Europe famously beat the USA with the last putt, in September.

Players can choose from numerous iconic courses in the WGT portfolio, including the Old Course at St Andrews (host of the 2007 and 2013 AIG Women’s British Open), Oakmont Country Club (1992 and 2010 US Women’s Open) and Pinehurst No. 2 (2014 US Women’s Open).

They can also opt for three future US Women’s Open venues – Erin Hills (2025), the Lake Course at The Olympic Club (2021) and Pebble Beach Golf Links (2023).

LPGA e-Tour will be streamed live

The LPGA e-Tour Live series will culminate with a championship match on Wednesday, June 3. All matches will take place at 7pm UK time and will be streamed live on LPGA and Topgolf digital platforms.

LPGA’s senior vice president Brian Carroll said: “This new endeavor is a creative way to showcase our LPGA and Symetra Tour players in an innovative online format – thanks to WGT and its incredibly realistic video game technology.”

“We are excited for this partnership with WGT and Topgolf to present an entertaining and alternative golf experience for all fans alike during a time when many are starved for competition.”

Topgolf vice president Lincoln Silver said: “WGT’s ability to provide the best e-sports golfing platform combined with the LPGA’s unique series of competitions will create a powerful experience for players all over the world, who can truly immerse themselves in the competition.”

Players and times

Wednesday, May 13:
Match 1 – Jessica Korda vs. Nelly Korda
Friday, May 15:
Match 2 – Angel Yin vs. Lizette Salas
Wednesday, May 20:
Match 3 – Tiffany Joh vs. Jenny Shin
Friday, May 22:
Match 4 – Jane Park vs. Lucy Li
Wednesday, May 27:
Match 5 – Semifinal: winners of Matches 1 & 2
Friday, May 29:
Match 6 – Semifinal: winners of Matches 3 & 4
Wednesday, June 3:
Match 7 – Championship: winners of Matches 5 & 6

Golf Channel commentator Karen Stupples
Kent’s former LET and LPGA star Karen Stupples, who is part of Golf Channel’s commentary team for the LPGA e-Tour

The matches will stream live on the WGT Twitch, YouTube and Facebook accounts, LPGA’s Twitter, Facebook, YouTube accounts and LPGA.com, and Discovery’s GOLFTV Twitter and Facebook accounts.

They will also be available via VOD on Golf Channel’s YouTube and GolfChannel.com.

GOLFTV’s former Girls Amateur Champion Henni Zuel, from Dorset, and Golf Channel’s Tom Abbott will add commentary during the Wednesday matches, while Golf Channel’s Karen Stupples, the former England amateur international and LPGA star from Kent, will commentate on Fridays.

•The LPGA, along with golf tours in the men’s game, was forced to postpone much of the early part of the 2020 season.

In early April, it released a revised schedule with its first event in the resumed season – the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship at Pinnacle Country Club – scheduled for June 19-21.

But at the end of April it was forced to move that event back to August and now plans to resume its tournaments on July 15 with the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, at Michigan’s Midland Country Club.

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