KPMG CEO explains record-tying KPMG Women's purse
PGA of America CEO Derek Sprague and KPMG CEO Paul Knopp join Golf Central to explain why it 'was the right time' to increase the KPMG Women's PGA Championship purse to a record-tying $12 million.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
KPMG Women's PGA Championship showcases cutting-edge platform KPMG Performance Insights
Over the past quarter century, advanced analytics have transformed much of the sports world. Thanks to technology platforms such as the PGA Tour's ShotLink, Tour players, coaches, media and fans now have more performance data at their fingertips than they could ever possibly consume. Relative to other sports leagues, the LPGA was late to the analytics party, but has made up for lost time, thanks to the 2021 introduction of KPMG Performance Insights, which generates the sort of advanced analytics and performance data that had been missing from the women's game for years. LPGA athletes suddenly had a wealth of information to help them make small adjustments in their practice routines or tournament play that would translate into significant performance gains. Hole 17at Sahalee CC - KPMG Performance Insights Branding – 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Since its inception, KPMG has been relentless in scaling up the platform. In 2022, for example, KPMG Performance Insights added a player dashboard (an example can be found here) with personalized portals that provide access to data and insights. In 2023, in support of KPMG ambassador and U.S. Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis, the company provided KPMG Performance Insights tools, such as analyzing 20,000 simulations to identify the optimal pairings for the matches. Those simulations went so far as to identify how players perform under pressure or on certain types of grass. Example of Player Dashboard. Last year KPMG Performance Insights went next level through the incorporation of AI-empowered predictive analytics that provided leading-edge insights for LPGA tournaments. Additionally, to enhance the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, KPMG partnered with T-Mobile to introduce KPMG CHAMPCAST presented by T-Mobile, which leverages ShotLink Pro 2.0 cutting-edge technology to create an immersive experience for fans watching at home or onsite. (An example of KPMG CHAMPCAST can be found here.) Advertisement 'The KPMG Women's PGA Championship is the most tech-forward event on the LPGA,' said Shawn Quill, National Sports Industry Leader at KPMG. 'Through KPMG Performance Insights and KPMG CHAMPCAST presented by T-Mobile, we're providing the players with real-time, shot-level data and analytics. With features like win probabilities, winning score projections, a dedicated player portal, 3D imagery, shot trails and individual shot highlights, players, fans and the media are able to get closer to the action than ever before.' KPMG CHAMPCAST presented by T-Mobile. As has been the case from the outset, KPMG continues to ramp up its platform by adding more features and benefits for players and fans. For the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, KPMG is providing new, enhanced features through an AI-generated daily recap. Hole-by-hole AI course analytics that will help players decide how best to attack the difficult Fields Ranch East layout at PGA Frisco. This feature will provide players with information on the best way to play each hole and the trouble spots to avoid on the course. Advertisement Based on the KPMG Performance Insights Daily Recap (an example can be found here) from Thursday's first round, there is a 92% chance the cutline falls between +2 and +4. Players will be able to use this data to help them decide how aggressively they will need to play in the second round. As an example, KPMG ambassador Leona Maguire currently sits at even par through 18 holes. Based on insights from the report, a round of 75 Friday gives her a 95% chance to make the weekend. Additional insights from the recap show the relative difficulty of each hole from the first round. For example, hole 6 (a 446-yard par 4 with bunkers protecting the green) currently has a birdie or better percentage of 2% and a bogey or worse percentage of nearly 50%. As players head into their second round, they will know that a score of par on the sixth hole is actually helping them gain strokes on the field. Daily recap graphic. These are all great tools for LPGA fans and media, but they're invaluable to the LPGA players. Advertisement 'As part of our strategy, we are focused on setting the standard for excellence in women's golf,' Quill said. 'We are excited about our new KPMG Performance Insights Daily Recaps that include AI-powered course analysis, which provides players data on how each hole is playing, and AI-generated scoring targets, so the players can see the predicted cut line and winning scores. These powerful insights will equip the players so they can adjust their approach as they prepare for the next round.' This article originally appeared on Golfweek: KPMG Women's PGA Championship showcase advanced analytics platform
NBC Sports
6 hours ago
- NBC Sports
Thomas using 'creativity' to fuel Travelers rise
Golf Central looks at Justin Thomas' huge second round at the Travelers Championship, where he relied on creativity and shot-making to propel his rise up the leaderboard going into the weekend.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Jeeno Thitikul extends Women's PGA lead and semi-retired Lexi Thompson contending for another major
FRISCO, Texas (AP) — Semi-retired Lexi Thompson is going into the weekend contending for her first major title in more than a decade, and in a dwindling group of players under par at the KMPG Women's PGA Championship while Jeeno Thitikul extended her lead. Thitikul, the No. 2-ranked player in the world, finished a six-hour round Friday not long before sunset with consecutive birdies for a 2-under 70 to get to 6-under 138. She had a three-stroke lead over Rio Takeda (71) and Minjee Lee (72), and was four ahead of Thompson (70) after another steamy day on the Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco. Advertisement 'To be honest, didn't (think) it's going to be that good result out there,' said Thitikul, the 22-year-old seeking her first major win. 'Especially today just said to my coach, `Like if anybody can shoot under par today, that player will be really, really great.' I'm shooting 2-under par and I was like, `Wow!' With the feel-like temperatures going over 100 degrees and the ever-present Texas wind, only seven of the 156 players who started the season's third major were under par through two rounds. There have been no bogey-free rounds this week. There were 15 players under par after the first round, when Thitikul's opening 68 put her a stroke ahead of fellow North Texas resident Lee. Thitikul, a five-time winner from Thailand, was in the same group the first two rounds with top-ranked Nelly Korda, whose only two birdies Friday came over the final three holes. Korda had a 74 and is 2 over for the week. Advertisement Even though Thompson is no longer playing a full schedule, she still practices and works on her game pretty much all the time when at home. 'Any time I tee it up I want to come out here and compete and win. I just want to make sure that I'm fully ready every time I tee it up,' Thompson said. 'Yeah, I mean, it put my mind more at ease coming out here knowing that I'm not playing a full schedule, grinding week in, week out, and looking forward to the weeks off.' After an even-par round Thursday, Thompson was bogey-free in the second round until hitting her approach at the 18th into the bunker and being unable come up with yet another par-saver. The 30-year-old Thompson, who has said last year was her final one playing a full schedule, is in her seventh tournament this season, including all three majors so far, and indicated that she will play again next week at the Dow Championship in Michigan before 'a long time off.' Advertisement Her only major victory was at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in 2014, though her 13 top-five finishes in majors since 2013 are the most by any player and among her 20 top-10 finishes in those events. Thompson, whose last win in any tournament was in 2019, said she is not yet allowing herself to think about what it would mean to win another major. She missed the cut at the U.S. Women's Open three weeks ago, but last week was in contention in the final round before tying for fourth at the Meijer LPGA Classic. "It's just something that I'm going to take one shot at a time. When you get to thinking too far ahead of time it just gets to you, so I'm just really going to embrace the moment,' she said. 'Come out on the weekend and just hope for the best, that's all I can do.' Her shots to save par Friday were really better the three birdies — the longest an 11-footer, with a 6 1/2-footer and nearly 4-footer as well. Advertisement Thompson was only 70 yards from the pin after her tee shot at the 10th, but hit her approach into the bunker and was still 43 feet away after knocking it out of there before a curling right-to-left putt. At the par-5 14th, her 5-foot putt did a 360-degree roll around the lip before falling into the cup. 'Made No. 10 a lot more difficult from my drive. Hit a great drive and I got it pretty close to the green, but they tucked the pin back right over there, so got a little greedy instead of just hitting it out to the left and ended up plugging it in the bunker,' Thompson said. 'Saving pars out there are huge.' ___ AP golf: Stephen Hawkins, The Associated Press
