Staff WriterIf you blinked, you might have missed it. While the golf world keeps one eye fixed on Royal Porthcawl and the drama ahead at the AIG Women’s Open, the other belonged at the President’s Reserve in Nashville, where the LPGA Professionals Championship delivered a week’s worth of grit, grace, and good old-fashioned competitive chaos.
Let’s be honest: the LPGA Professionals Championship may not boast the fireworks of a major, but for club pros, educators, and former tour hopefuls still chasing the competitive high, this was the week that mattered.
Held on one of Golf Digest’s Top 10 Tennessee layouts, Hermitage Golf Course’s President’s Reserve, the event served up a multi-divisional battleground, where exemptions, titles, and pride were all on the line.
Kimberly Paez Stuns in Playoff to Win Championship Division
It took three days, 208 strokes, and a dose of nerve in sudden-death, but Kimberly Paez of Peoria, Arizona, outdueled two-time defending champ Allie White to snatch the LPGA Professionals Championship title.
Paez, a PGA Professional and UC Irvine alum, played with measured aggression all week, carding rounds of 69-71-68 for a tournament total of -8.
She racked up 14 birdies in the process, and when her birdie putt dropped on the first playoff hole, she booked her second trip to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“As someone who tried to make it on tour and be an LPGA player, but had to hang up the dream, I hope it inspires other younger golfers to see that we still have these opportunities to play,” Paez said. “I’m living my dream right now.”
White, ever the competitor, matched Paez’s final round 68 and will return to Hazeltine National Golf Club next year.
Joining them are Natalie Vivaldi (-7), Nicole Felce (-5), Allie Knight (-4), Sandra Changkija and Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth (both -3), and Loretta Giovannettone (-2). Eight tickets, one dream.
Leaderboard (Championship Division)
🏌️♀️ Championship Division Leaderboard
| Pos | Player | To Par | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimberly Paez * | -8 | 69-71-68 – 208 |
| 2 | Alexandra (Allie) White | -8 | 73-67-68 – 208 |
| 3 | Natalie Vivaldi | -7 | 70-73-66 – 209 |
| 4 | Nicole Felce | -5 | 70-72-69 – 211 |
| 5 | Allie Knight | -4 | 71-71-70 – 212 |
| T6 | Sandra Changkija | -3 | 73-73-67 – 213 |
| T6 | Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth | -3 | 71-68-74 – 213 |
| 8 | Loretta Giovannettone | -2 | 67-74-73 – 214 |
* Won in sudden-death playoff
Senior Division: Kelepouris Closes Late
Over in the Senior Division, Corina Kelepouris turned what looked like a meltdown into a moment of triumph. After seeing a five-shot lead vanish in the final round, she rallied with a playoff birdie to win at -6.
“Winning anything is fantastic. When you get to be an old bird… it just means everything,” Kelepouris quipped. The 2024 U.S. Senior Women’s Open T9 finisher now has her sights set even higher.
Joining her with exemptions into the 2026 U.S. Senior Women’s Open are Lisa DePaulo (-6), Nicole Jeray, Sara Sanders, Angela Buzminski, and Silvia Cavalleri (all -4).
🏌️♀️ Senior Division Leaderboard
| Pos | Player | To Par | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Corina Kelepouris * | -6 | 71-65-74 – 210 |
| 2 | Lisa DePaulo | -6 | 70-71-69 – 210 |
| T3 | Sara Sanders | -4 | 74-70-68 – 212 |
| T3 | Nicole Jeray | -4 | 72-69-71 – 212 |
| T3 | Angela Buzminski | -4 | 71-69-72 – 212 |
| T3 | Silvia Cavalleri | -4 | 71-69-72 – 212 |
* Won in sudden-death playoff
Super Senior: Nyhus Holds Off the Herd
Sue Nyhus held her nerve as much as her lead in the Shirley Spork Super Senior Division, surviving a wild back nine and Louise Ball’s late charge to win at -3.
“This was a big win for me,” Nyhus said. “Playing against my peers in the Super Senior Division is really cool and rewarding.”
🏌️♀️ Super Senior Division Leaderboard
| Pos | Player | To Par | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sue Nyhus | -3 | 70-71-72 – 213 |
| 2 | Louise Ball | -1 | 71-74-70 – 215 |
| 3 | Susan Bond-Philo | +5 | 76-73-72 – 221 |
| 4 | Debra Pinnell | +10 | 84-71-71 – 226 |
| 5 | Marjorie Jones | +13 | 76-74-79 – 229 |
Challenge Division: George Rallies for the Win
Stephanie George turned a shaky start into a storybook finish, firing a back-nine 33 to leapfrog Janean Murphy and win the Challenge Division by a single stroke.
“Honestly I just wanted to play three rounds of golf and enjoy it,” George said. Turns out, she enjoyed it a bit more with a trophy in hand.
🏌️ Challenge Division Leaderboard
| Pos | Player | To Par | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephanie George | +9 | 76-76-73 – 225 |
| 2 | Janean Murphy | +10 | 72-79-75 – 226 |
| 3 | Elizabeth Mattioli | +20 | 76-80-80 – 236 |
A Week That Mattered
From first-time major berths to seasoned professionals rekindling competitive fires, the LPGA Professionals Championship proved once again that excellence in golf isn’t confined to primetime TV.
These women are the heartbeat of the game—teachers, mentors, directors, and role models. They grow the game Monday through Friday, then show they can still play it come the weekend.
As the rest of the world tune into the drama at Royal Porthcawl, the LPGA Professionals Championship delivered a different kind of story—one full of perseverance, passion, and a whole lot of purpose.
