Hannah Green’s already fine season continues in LA
Hannah Green – file image courtesy of WAPGA
Hannah Green’s love affair with the J.M. Eagle LA Championship in Los Angeles continued this morning when she holed an 18-foot downhill putt to triumph in a playoff and win the event for the third occasion. It was Green’s second LPGA Tour win of the year and the 8th of her career
Not only has Green not won the event three times in the last four years, but she also has a runner-up and a 3rd-place finish to her name.
With the winner’s cheque for US$712,000, Green now moves past Nelly Korda to the top of the money list and to third on the Race to the Globe in a season where she has now won twice in four LPGA Tour starts but, added to her wins at the Women’s Australian Open and the Women’s Australian PGA Championship, she is having an outstanding 2026.
Green was at one point during today’s final round five shots behind the then-leader Sei Young Kim through 10 holes, but with a closing nine of 31, she caught both Kim and Korea’s Jin Hee Im, who had finished her final round of 67, 30 minutes earlier.
Green then hit her approach at the first playoff hole 18 feet behind the hole, and the right-to-left downhiller found the cup.
“I honestly didn’t think I was in the tournament still,” said Green, given the deficit she was facing midway through her round. “I was just like, oh, well, just go for as many pins as possible, and got on a nice stretch there. I kind of thought the putt that I missed on 16 was the crucial moment.
“So, I mean, I’m just fortunate enough that I at least got into the playoff. I had that putt obviously very similar line in regulation, so I felt somewhat comfortable. It still was a tough putt, so really glad it went in the hole.”
With prize money increased by the tournament sponsors by a massive US$1 million during the event, the first prize of US$712,000 is the largest of any of the non-major events on the LPGA Tour other than the Tour Championship. It so provides Green with a huge boost heading into next week’s first major of the year, the Chevron Championship in Houston.
