Meet the Nanea Cup, a new event that’s set to bring together 95 LPGA Tour players and 25 collegiate golfers for a unique competition at Nanea Golf Club next year.
The LPGA schedule overhaul has been one of the biggest projects on Commissioner Craig Kessler’s to-do list since taking over the Tour. On Tuesday, we got our first peek at what that new era could look like—enter the Nanea Cup.
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The LPGA announced a brand-new Hawaii event set to debut March 11-14, 2027, at Nanea Golf Club in Kailua-Kona, bringing together LPGA Tour stars and some of the top collegiate golfers in the country for a first-of-its-kind competition. Here’s what we know:
The field will include 95 LPGA Tour athletes and 25 collegiate golfers representing five programs: Stanford, Texas, Arkansas, Texas A&M and UCLA. The event will feature a $4 million purse and will be the first professional tournament ever hosted at the club.
The format will run similarly to a traditional LPGA event, with the full field playing the opening two rounds before a cut to the low 50 players and ties. College golfers who miss the cut will still finish a third round on Saturday to determine a collegiate team champion, while those who advance will compete alongside the pros through Sunday.
Nanea Golf Club, ranked as one of Hawaii’s premier courses, has hosted the annual Nanea Invitational for Stanford Women’s Golf and Coach Anne Walker. Now, fans will get their first televised look at the exclusive oceanside venue.
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LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler called the new event a perfect fit for the Tour’s continued focus on stronger schedules, premier venues and bigger purses. “As we continue to focus on routing, courses and purses, this event checks every box,” Kessler said in the announcement.
“Hawaii is a natural stop as we return from Asia and head to the West Coast. Nanea is a spectacular venue, our athletes will compete for a strong purse, and fans will get their first look at one of the most celebrated golf courses in the world.”