Walmart NW Arkansas Championship: Is the LPGA Elite on a Birdie Streak?

The LPGA Tour will make a stop in the U.S. state of Arkansas from September 25 to 27, 2026. At the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G, held at the Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, players will compete not only for $3 million in prize money but also for crucial points in the Race to the CME Globe. The LPGA is awarding 500 CME points for the tournament.

The tournament will be played over 54 holes and three rounds. Following the Solheim Cup, the focus returns to the LPGA Tour’s regular individual competition—and to a field featuring a strong international lineup.

Here you’ll find the tee times and live scoring for the 2026 LPGA Tour Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.

A field with plenty of international experience

Among the most prominent names in the field are Jin Young Ko, Celine Boutier, Nasa Hataoka, Charley Hull, Lilia Vu, and Rose Zhang. They bring different strengths to Arkansas: Ko is known for her exceptional consistency and precise iron play, Boutier for her tactical flexibility, while Hataoka is among the most dangerous players in the field, particularly thanks to her controlled long game.

Charley Hull is also likely to play an interesting role on the comparatively short course. The Englishwoman can apply pressure with an aggressive pace of play and strong distance—but she’ll need to convert her opportunities on the Par-5 holes into low scores.

With Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang, there are also two American players representing different generations of American golfing hope. Vu already has extensive tournament experience and major victories, while Zhang continues to be regarded as one of the most technically versatile players of her generation.

Other well-known names in the field include Megan Khang, Danielle Kang, Leona Maguire, Carlota Ciganda, Yuka Saso, In Gee Chun, Jeongeun Lee6, and Minami Katsu. As a result, despite its compact format, the tournament boasts a top-tier international field.

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Pinnacle Country Club: Short, but by no means easy

For the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, the Pinnacle Country Club is set up as a Par-71 course measuring 6,438 yards—or about 5,884 meters. The layout includes nine par-4s, five par-3s, and four par-5s. On paper, the course offers good conditions for aggressive players. In particular, the long par-5s on holes 2, 7, 14, and 18 present opportunities for Birdies or even Eagles. The second hole measures 578 yards, the seventh is 520 yards, the 14th is 549 yards, and the final hole is 488 yards.

At the same time, precision should not be underestimated. Several Par-4 holes are of medium length and require well-placed tee shots to set up the approach shots from a favorable position. The short par-3s on holes 15 and 17—150 and 151 yards, respectively—could also prove to be key turning points in the battle for the lead.

The relatively short course length is likely to mean that the players will hit many Wedges onto the green. Therefore, the decisive factors are expected to be the strokes saved with the Irons, the quality of the approach shots, and the number of Birdies made on the Par-5s. The tournament is less a test of maximum distance and more a test of precision, pace control, and consistent conversion of scoring opportunities.

Suwannapura as the Defending Champion

Jasmine Suwannapura enters the tournament as the defending champion. The Thai player won the 2024 edition and is therefore particularly familiar with the challenges of the Pinnacle Country Club. The official LPGA records list her as the most recent winner of the tournament prior to the 2026 event. The 2025 edition was marked by difficult weather conditions and was shortened to just 18 holes, so it did not count toward the official standings. For 2026, the focus is therefore on a return to a regular three-round tournament.

Who will come out on top?

Players who consistently score well on the par-5s while keeping their error rate low on the numerous par-4s are likely to have the best chances. Jin Young Ko, Celine Boutier, and Nasa Hataoka bring a great deal of control and experience to the table. Lilia Vu and Rose Zhang, on the other hand, could benefit from the atmosphere of playing on home turf, while Charley Hull’s long drives could lead to particularly low rounds.

In a 54-hole tournament, there’s less room for error than in a traditional four-round event. A weak start is difficult to recover from—just as a strong first round can completely change the course of the entire tournament. That’s precisely why the scores on the leaderboard are likely to be high as early as Friday.