Kroger Queen City Championship LPGA event back at Kenwood Country Club with bigger purse

Since the first official tee shots flew in 1930, the historic Kenwood Country Club has hosted four professional tournaments. Soon it will be five.

The Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G is back for another year with a bigger payday. It was announced Tuesday that the purse will increase to $2 million, up from $1.75 million in 2022. The event is one of 33 official LPGA Tour dates of the 2023 season bringing 144 of the top women's golfers to town.

“The Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G is more than a professional golf tournament,” said Kate Meyer, Kroger Vice President of Health & Beauty Merchandising. "Last year we had 15 of the top 20 golfers here and this city was really vibrant. We're really excited to make it bigger and better for this year."

In addition to the golf tournament, the Queen City Game Changers Leadership Program advancing women in sports, business and education is included. Recently 135 Cincinnati-based women from corporate and entrepreneurial backgrounds graduated. This September, the Kroger Foundation and P&G’s Always® Brand will award 23 scholarships to diverse female students from across the country, up from the five scholarships awarded the prior year.

Tournament director Emily Norell is back for a second year and is ecstatic about the increase in total purse to $2 million.

"I think it shows Kroger and Procter & Gamble's commitment to driving diversity, equity and inclusion as an organization and an LPGA supporter," Norell said. "We set the bar pretty high last year but we're looking to go bigger and better with clinics and a DJ on the range and making sure we're airing all of the major sporting events that weekend. Making sure folks get the best of both worlds with watching LPGA professionals and watching their other favorite teams on the big screen."

She plans a festive, welcoming event. Field commitments from players should be coming later this summer six weeks out from the event set for Sept. 6-10. The tournament is broadcast domestically on the Golf Channel with more than 12 hours of live coverage and is distributed around the globe to more than 220 countries.

Added P&G Senior Vice President of Sales Pat Cady, “What better than our two companies to support our community and bring the Game Changers platform back? It's a golf tournament but it's also a women's leadership program and also a scholarship program, the three things Kroger and Procter & Gamble are super committed to help elevate women in business, in sport to make our community and frankly our nation better."

Kroger and P&G brands will be prevalent in and around the course like Pampers, Secret, Dawn, Febreze, Swiffer, Mr. Clean, Tide, Gain, Gillette and many others.

"Fans can see our brands, experience our brands, try our brands, sample our brands in a fun atmosphere as they watch some awesome sports," Cady said. "They'll also be some great food from our city. We'll have great food, great brands and great golf. What more could you ask for in a couple of days?"

The inaugural Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G welcomed over 50,000 fans at Kenwood Country Club in 2022. More than 70 local and national partners supported the tournament, and 700 volunteers served in various roles throughout the week.

"Kroger and Procter & Gamble have really stepped up to elevate this event," said Casey Ceman, Vice President of Tournament Business Affairs, LPGA. "That says a lot about how the first year went and the strong foundation that was built. For them to put the confidence in this becoming a bigger and better event on the LPGA schedule is really impressive and fun to see."

Prior to coming to Cincinnati the LPGA tour has a stop in Portland (Aug. 31-Sept.3). Post-Kroger Queen City Championship they'll have a week off before preparing for the Solheim Cup in Spain which runs Sept. 22-24.

Kenwood, one of 39 clubs over 90 years in existence, hosted the 1933 U.S. Amateur, the 1954 Western Open, the 1963 U.S. Women's Open and the inaugural Kroger Queen City Championships sponsored by P&G last September.

"It's great when a community and a city embrace an event," Ceman said. "It makes the players feel welcome and adds to the allure of being here at a great club."