CHASKA, Minn. — In just her second career appearance at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, LPGA Professional Nicole Felce shot a 2-under-par 70 on Friday to make the cut at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Felce, an assistant golf professional representing both the PGA of America and the LPGA at Countryside Country Club in Clearwater, Fla., bounced back from an opening-round 75 to secure her place for the weekend in Chaska, Minn. With the performance, she becomes the first member of the Corebridge Financial Team to make the cut at the major championship since 2019, when Jimin Kang accomplished the feat, also at Hazeltine.

"Surreal," Felce said about making the weekend. "Still trying to get all the thoughts. But it's unbelievable. Truly a blessing. Something I never could have imagined. To say that I'm playing the weekend in this major championship, it's huge."

Felce earned her spot on the Corebridge Financial Team by finishing fourth in the 2025 LPGA Professionals Championship. Her climb in the teaching professional ranks has been steady and includes a runner-up finish at the 2024 LPGA Professionals Championship, completing all levels of the LPGA Teaching Education Program to achieve LPGA Class A membership in May 2025 and earning her PGA of America Class A membership in February 2026.

Felce was surprised that it had been seven years since a Corebridge Financial Team member had made the cut, but said it was "good representation" for teaching professionals.

She expects the reaction from her students, her club, and her people to "definitely (be) good ones for sure." Felce added, "All the members and students at my club have been really supportive of me. All the staff have been great, so they're going to be really thrilled."

Reflecting on what worked for her and what made her play the way she did in the second round, Felce credited her strategy and focus.

"I knew I had to shoot a couple under to do it, so I just stuck to my game plan and trusted every shot, trusted my caddie and trusted what I was doing," she said. "My putting was really working for me, and that's what did it today for sure."

As for the shot and the hole that may have gotten her a weekend tee time, Felce knew her birdie on the par-5 16th hole was a must-have.

"It was great," she said. "I was kind of in between a 4- or 5-iron on my second shot there. Talked about it with my caddie, and we were like, you know, just kind of getting something, even if it's a little short of the green, so that I can score; not being back in that bunker back there.

"So did that. It was in the rough, so had a pretty good lie. Chipped it out. I knew I needed that, so that was huge. Definitely coming down the stretch, I was like, if I need to go for it, I will."

Her debut in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship came last year at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco, though this marks the first time she has made the cut. Felce also previously competed at LPGA Q-School in the summer of 2022 in Palm Springs, Calif., and earned conditional status on the Epson Tour for the 2023 season.

Class A Professional Nicole Felce Bounces Back to Make Cut at KPMG Women's PGA Championship

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