The LPGA is playing the McKayson New Zealand Women’s Open this week in Auckland, New Zealand, the hometown of Epson Tour winner Liv Cheng. She was going to play on a sponsors exemption this week as the course is her home course, but decided two weeks ago to change plans when the IOA Golf Classic decided to raise its purse to $150,000.
She had booked a flight to Auckland that was scheduled to arrive on Wednesday in time for the start of the LPGA event and was going to turnaround and return for the Epson Tour Championship. It all changed when IOA announced the $50,000 increase. She was on a tee box playing a practice round in Arkansas during the Murphy USA El Dorado Shootout and quickly sent some emails to withdraw from the LPGA event and make arrangements to come to Longwood.
“I really wanted to play, but it makes more sense to play here because I still have a chance (to earn my LPGA card),” said Cheng, who ranks 25th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. “I’m kind of the bubble to skip Stage II and I really want to so once the purse was raised, it made more sense to play here.”
Cheng hopes that the New Zealand Open continues in the future giving her more opportunities to play it as an LPGA member.
“It’s great that IOA has increased the purse to add value for us players,” said Cheng, who won the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club earlier this season. “Of course I feel bad that I’m not playing in my country, but I’m ready to play here this week and try to move closer to the LPGA.”
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