The LPGA is shaking things up big time with an innovative new event, the Nanea Cup, set to debut March 11-14, 2027, at the ultra-exclusive Nanea Golf Club in Hawaii. This isn’t just another tournament, folks, it’s going to feature 95 of the tour’s best pros competing side-by-side with 25 of the nation’s top collegiate players, all from the same tees, in two concurrent competitions. Get ready, because the #1-ranked course in Hawaii, which LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler calls “one of the most beautiful, arguably spiritual golf courses on planet Earth,” is finally hitting primetime TV.
Nanea Golf Club: Where Silence and Spectacle Collide
Seriously, this Nanea Golf Club sounds absolutely unreal. It’s been hidden away, never seen on TV before, but that changes in 2027 when Golf Channel’s “Live From” show leads into the tournament coverage. Imagine watching the pros and rising stars battle it out on a course designed by David McLay Kidd, set on the slopes of Mount Hualalai, with breathtaking ocean views on every single hole. And get this: the black lava terrain creates a striking, unique contrast you just don’t see anywhere else. Stanford coach Anne Walker, whose players have consistently ranked the Nanea event as their favorite on the college circuit, put it best: “When you’re up there, it’s the only golf course that I’ve ever been to globally that is silent. It really knocks the players off because it’s true silence. You can’t hear anything.” True silence on a golf course? That’s wild.
The Game-Changing Format and What It Means
This Nanea Cup isn’t just about a gorgeous course; it’s about a revolutionary format. Ninety-five LPGA pros playing alongside 25 top collegians from teams like Stanford, Arkansas, Texas A&M, the University of Texas, and UCLA? That’s pure genius. Collegiate golf has a history at Nanea, with Stanford hosting the Nanea Invitational since 2013, featuring past champions like Rose Zhang. This new Nanea Cup builds on that, adding high-level amateurs right into the mix with the pros. Mentorship is a massive pillar of this event, connecting players formally and organically to ease that transition to tour life. Plus, during the pro-am, every single player gets access to a new circle of executives, opening up tremendous opportunities for both pros and amateurs. Commissioner Kessler, who even has a personal connection to Nanea through KKR co-founder George Roberts, knows this place is special.
The event is also bringing in some heavy hitters as “proud partners”: Charles Schwab, Dell Technologies, Salesforce, and Workday, all first-time partners with the LPGA. This is huge for the tour, and Kessler is definitely looking for more partnerships like these in the future. Beyond the competition and career boosts, the Nanea Cup aims to raise $1 million for the Nanea Foundation to support local charities. So mark your calendars for March 2027; this Nanea Cup is gonna be a must-watch event, bringing an unprecedented blend of talent, beauty, and opportunity to the LPGA.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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