If the Wounded Warrior Weekend ever needs a player to sponsor, look no further than LPGA rookie Sei Young Kim.
The two-time winner this season from South Korea has been an under-par machine in her first season of LPGA golf. Entering this week’s Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, the 22-year-old Tampa, Fla., resident and Seoul, South Korea native leads the LPGA in eagles (9), birdies (220) and under-par holes (229), worthy of praise in raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project.
However, veteran Suzann Pettersen is keeping Kim on her toes. With three eagles in the last two tournaments – all in weekend rounds – Petterson ranks second on the LPGA in eagles with seven this season.
Why is this so important? The Wounded Warrior Weekend takes place during the final two rounds at LPGA tournaments (final round only in 54-hole events), with CME Group donating $1,000 to the Wounded Warrior Project for each eagle that is recorded. This amount will increase to $5,000 for each eagle during the weekend of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship and a formal check will be presented to the Wounded Warrior Project during the trophy ceremony. To get involved and learn more, visit woundedwarriorproject.org.
With nine eagles during the weekend at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship two weeks ago, the season total moved to 136, increasing the total money raised for the Wounded Warrior Project to $136,000.
For the 2014 season, 283 eagles were made on the weekend, raising $283,000. While no eagles were made on the weekend in Naples, the CME Group generously rounded up to $300,000. The 2014 season also had a lot of aces and double eagles. Of the 31 holes in one, 15 came in weekend play. Of a record four double eagles during the year, three were scored on the weekend.