In golf these days, the consensus is that you need more than just the game itself.
Be it LIV’s DJs on the tee box or TGL’s indoor, primetime format, to engage the younger audience, fans want more than just tee-to-green action.
In the women’s game, that’s no different. Step forward: Hilton Grand Vacations’ Tournament of Champions in Orlando.
On the face of it, this four-day event in the Sunshine State is the 2025 season opener for the best female players in the world, but in reality it is so much more.
First off, this is strictly invitation only. You can only play if you’ve won on the LPGA Tour in the past two years, making the field a who’s who of the best on the planet. There’s also no cuts, so all 32 players are locked in for the entire weekend.
As if that weren’t enough, add into the mix 51 celebrities of all shapes and sizes, playing alongside the pros – and for their own $500,000 purse.
This is the modern game, golf on steroids, and here in Orlando it is going down a storm.
A Lim Kim is presented with the Tournament of Champions trophy by HGV CEO Mark Wang
Kim saw off a late charge from Nelly Korda to seal her third win on the LPGA Tour at Lake Nona
Former hockey pro Joe Pavelski won the celebrity tournament on a star-studded weekend
‘Some of these celebs are just massive humans overall,’ HGV’s VP of Sports Marketing Aaron Stewart reflects in a conversation with Mail Sport. ‘They’re playing with LPGA pros that are half their weight and height, but they’re getting drummed out there on the golf course.
‘It really highlights how great these professional players are, and exposes an entirely new audience to the game.’
Stewart is son of the late, great three-time major champion Payne Stewart, and the architect behind HGV’s increasingly-popular season opener at Lake Nona.
‘Having the celebrity aspect of it brings out a different set of spectators that aren’t just golf fans,’ he explains. ‘We’ve got athletes from all the major sports. There’s entertainers, actors, actresses, commentators, musicians, something for everyone.
‘It’s not like, “oh, I’m just going to the golf course because I love golf and you can’t get enough of it”. It’s “oh, I didn’t real realize that the drummer from Creed is playing in the tournament… that’s cool, I’ll go check that out”.’
Larry The Cable Guy was a fans’ favorite, with many flocking to watch him across the four days
NFL icon Charles Woodson and actor Alfonso Ribeiro hug LPGA pro Celine Boutier on the 18th
Walking the course, though, it’s clear that the fans aren’t the only ones awestruck by what’s happening behind the ropes.
On Saturday afternoon, soccer icon Taylor Twellman revels in his ‘dream come true’ playing with World No 1 Nelly Korda. 24 hours later, Solheim Cup star Angel Yin pulls out her phone to record Alfonso Ribeiro – he of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air fame – playing a shot from an almost-impossible angle deep in the rough on 18.
Carolina Panthers NFL star Adam Thielen, meanwhile, waxes lyrical about the ‘consistency and ball-striking’ of the pros. ‘You learn so much from watching these gals,’ he tells Mail Sport. ‘They’ve been so impressive.’
Super Bowl champion Marcus Allen sums it up with his own reflections, insisting: ‘You want to be on this guest list, dude. Seriously, you want to be on the guest list!’
And he’s right, because there’s plenty more celebs that are desperate to play in this event, but haven’t had the call-up. Each year the names get more famous, the purse gets heavier, and the crowds get bigger.
Nelly Korda waves to fans during the final round of the competition, before finishing second
Soccer icon Taylor Twellman revealed it was a ‘dream come true’ to play alongside Korda
HGV chief Stewart reveals: ‘It is definitely one of the hardest things, because it’s not like we have more spots every year. So if you want new names, somebody else that had that great experience last year that might not get the call this year.
‘So it’s definitely hard in that respect, but it means that we’re doing something right. More and more people are showing interest, and you are seeing arguably bigger and bigger names in the field each year.’
One celebrity that will surely be back for 2026 is NHL legend Joe Pavelski, whose final score of +145 saw off last year’s champion Jeff McNeil and earned him a $100,000 paycheck on the 18th green.
Alongside him, rightfully holding a check three times the value, was South Korea’s A Lim Kim, who sealed her third win on the LPGA Tour at Lake Nona.
Korda is the biggest star in women’s golf, but she fell just short of victory in Orlando
Adam Thielen was in awe of the pros as he played with them in HGV’s LPGA season opener
On Saturday, Korda joked her rival was ‘playing a different golf course’, but in the end their battle came right down the 18th, before a birdie from Kim secured victory and a champagne shower from her fellow players.
And so the 2025 season is underway, and with a four-day showcase of the very best this sport has to offer.
Traditionalists may not like the DJ on the 18th green, or Larry The Cable Guy hacking it off the cart path on the 12th, but it is a glimpse into the new face of golf.
There is still a place for what made this grand old game so special, but modern innovation is here, and bringing plenty of new fans with it. Get used to it, or get left behind.
