#AweSummer is Here! 10 Things to Know About the Next 10 Events

1. What are the #AweSummer 10 Events?

10 of the biggest events of the LPGA season kick off this week with the second major championship of the year, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and conclude with the year’s final major in September at The Evian Championship. Here’s a full list of the upcoming 10 events:

June 8 – 14                KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (MAJOR)

June 22 – 28               Walmart NW Arkansas Championship Presented by P&G

July 6 – 12                 U.S. Women’s Open (MAJOR)

July 13 – 19                Marathon Classic Presented by Owens Corning and O-I

July 20 – 26                Meijer LPGA Classic Presented by Kraft

July 27 – August 2    RICOH Women’s British Open (MAJOR)

August 10 – 16            Cambia Portland Classic

August 17 – 23            Canadian Pacific Women’s Open

August 24 – 30            Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic

September 7 – 13     The Evian Championship (MAJOR)

2. #AweSummer Road Trip

Players hit the road for the next 10 events in 15 weeks, in seven different states and four countries. Here’s the breakdown:

New York

Arkansas

Pennsylvania

Ohio

Michigan

Oregon

Alabama

Canada

France

Scotland

United States

3. #AweSummer is Pretty Major

Four of the five majors of the year are held in the next 15 weeks, including this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, U.S. Women’s Open, RICOH Women’s British Open and The Evian Championship.

4. Ready for RAMA

Each of the year’s major champions are eligible for the Rolex Annika Major Award. The winner will be announced at the final major of the year. Points are awarded all season long but even more are up for grabs with 25% more points awarded during the summer’s four majors with 625 points to going to the champion.

5. Show Me the Money

$23.9 million dollars are up for grabs during the #AweSummer 10 events with five of the six largest purses of the season during this stretch. That’s a $1.65 million dollar increase over these same events last year.

6. Summer of Solheim

In just eight weeks, the U.S. Solheim Cup team will be finalized following the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open. These next eight events are critical for players hoping to earn points for this year’s team, especially those on the bubble. Points are doubled during the major championships and with three majors during the next eight weeks, it’s a great time for players on the verge of making the team to lock up their spot. The top-8 players in the Solheim Cup points standings automatically qualify, with two spots going to those not already qualified through the Rolex Rankings, and the final two spots are selected by captain Juli Inkster following the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

Here’s a look at the current top-15 in the U.S. Solheim Cup standings:

1. Stacy Lewis
2. Lexi Thompson
3. Michelle Wie
4. Cristie Kerr
5. Brittany Lincicome
6. Angela Stanford
7. Morgan Pressel
8. Jessica Korda
9. Paula Creamer
10. Gerina Piller
11. Lizette Salas
12. Brittany Lang
13. Mo Martin
14. Austin Ernst
15. Christina Kim

7. How Team Europe is Shaping Up this #AweSummer

Led by Captain Carin Koch, the European Solheim Cup team is comprised differently than the U.S. team. The top-4 players on the Ladies European Tour Solheim Cup points standings as well as the Rolex Women’s World Rankings automatically qualify The final four spots are selected by the captain. Here’s a look at the current standings:

Solheim Cup Points Top 10:

1. Gwladys Nocera
2. Charley Hull
3. Suzann Pettersen
4. Carlota Ciganda
5. Melissa Reid
6. Anna Nordqvist
7. Azahara Munoz
8. Valentine Derrey
9. Kylie Walker
10. Laura Davies

Rolex Points Top 10:

1. Suzann Pettersen
2. Anna Nordqvist
3. Azahara Munoz
4. Sandra Gal
5. Carlota Ciganda
6. Catriona Matthew
7. Charley Hull
8. Karine Icher
9. Gwladys Nocera
10. Caroline Masson

8. I Am Number One

It has been a tight race for number one in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings since Lydia Ko took over the top spot following the season opening Coates Golf Championship. Inbee Park has closed in on retaking the number one ranking with her wins at the HSBC Women’s Champions and Volunteers of America North Texas Shootout. The gap was narrowed after Ko took off the week of the Kingsmill Championship Presented by JTBC and Park finished T-16. Former No. 1 Stacy Lewis is currently third in the rankings. These three will be neck and neck all summer long with the top spot up for grabs. 

9. Want to Play For Your Country?

Golf makes its return to the Olympics next Summer in Rio and players around the world are strategically positioning themselves to play for their respective countries. On July 11, 2016 the Olympic teams will be finalized based on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, which allows for a maximum of four players per team from a given country if they are ranked in the top-15. Countries with players ranked outside the top-15 will be allowed two players per team.

There are just six remaining majors before teams are finalized next summer. At each major championship, all players who make the cut are awarded points. The number of points awarded depends on the strength of the field. With 10 of the biggest events coming up this #AweSummer, there will be plenty up for grabs as players jockey for a place on their Olympic Teams.

10. #AweSummer

Join in the action over the next three months, using #AweSummer to join the conversation on social media!