PGA of America Golf Professionals and LPGA Professionals to compete in most prestigious Major in women's golf

SAMMAMISH, WA / ACCESSWIRE / June 19, 2024 / The Corebridge Financial Team competing in the 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club is composed of eight PGA of America Golf Professionals and LPGA Professionals.

Corebridge Financial Team members earned a spot in the most prestigious major in women's golf by way of the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship, played at the River Course at Kingsmill Resort in Williamsburg, Virginia last July, and the 2024 PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship, at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida in February.

Corebridge Financial Team members Kim Paez, Allie White, Samantha Morrell, Wendy Ward, Jennifer Borocz, Allie Knight, Sandra Changkija, and Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth pose together during the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Sahalee Country Club on Wednesday, June 19, 2024 in Sammamish, Washington. (Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America)

LPGA Professional Apprentice Allie White, Director of Golf at Lancaster Golf Club (Ohio), will compete in her first KPMG Women's PGA Championship as the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Champion, winning in a playoff over Sandra Changkija, PGA/LPGA Professional.

Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth, PGA/LPGA Professional, the Teaching Professional at San Jose Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida, triumphed in the 2024 PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship. She rallied from three shots back to win by two over Changkija, who was seeking her fourth-consecutive title at the PGA Women's Stroke Play.

"The PGA of America Golf Professionals and LPGA Professionals competing this week at Sahalee Country Club represent the thousands of female golf professionals at the forefront of our game introducing, coaching and serving the millions of golfers in our country," said PGA of America President John Lindert, PGA Director of Golf at the Country Club of Lansing (Michigan). "We are proud to have these individuals represent our Associations at the highest level with their playing abilities. Their efforts both on and off the course have accelerated the recent growth of this game we all love and we're excited to celebrate them as members of the Corebridge Financial Team."

Corebridge Financial Team

Jennifer Borocz, PGA, the Senior Director of Membership & Finance for the North Florida PGA Section, will make her third KPMG Women's PGA Championship appearance after competing in the 2020 and 2022. She finished third at the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship to earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team. She played college golf at Sam Houston State University, where she was the first graduate of SHSU's PGA Golf Management Program in 2009. Borocz was inducted into the Sam Houston State University Athletics Hall of Honor in 2018.

Sandra Changkija, PGA/LPGA Professional, Manager of LPGA Alumni and Foundation Board Relations at the LPGA Foundation, earned a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team with her runner-up finish in the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship, making her eighth career appearance in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. In April at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas, she played in her second PGA Professional Championship. Before becoming a PGA of America and LPGA Golf Professional, she played on the LPGA Tour from 2012-2019.

Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth, PGA/LPGA Professional, Teaching Professional at San Jose Country Club in Jacksonville, Florida, will make her sixth-straight start (2019-24) in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, qualifying this year through a T-5 finish in the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship, an event she won in 2018 and 2019. She also won the 2024 PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship and finished T-26 in the 2024 PGA Professional Championship. In 2023, she won the Women's PGA Professional Player of the Year; North Florida PGA Women's Player of the Year; and the PGA Tournament Series Event No. 1 at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida, becoming the first woman to win a PGA Tournament Series event in its 46-year history. She played on the Symetra Tour between 2009-2016, claiming six top 10-finishes, and also competed on the Canadian Women's Tour.

Allie Knight, PGA/LPGA Professional, Teaching Professional at Fairways and Greens Golf Center in Knoxville, Tennessee, is appearing in her fourth-consecutive KPMG Women's PGA Championship (2021-‘23). She finished seventh at the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship to earn a spot at Sahalee Country Club and played in her first PGA Professional Championship in 2023. She played on the Epson Tour between 2016-2019, making 16 career cuts.

Samantha Morrell, PGA/LPGA Professional, Assistant Golf Professional at Fenway Golf Club in Scarsdale, New York, is appearing in her fourth KPMG Women's PGA Championship (2020, ‘21, ‘23). She qualified for the Corebridge Financial Team by finishing fourth in the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship, and also won the 2023 Connecticut Women's Open. She played college golf at Old Dominion University and graduated in 2013 as the ODU Alumni Association's Female Athlete of the Year and the first golfer to be named the Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year.

Kim Paez, PGA, PGA Player Development Manager for PING and PGA Coach at Cave Creek Golf Club's Reid West Golf Academy in Phoenix, Arizona, finished fourth in the 2024 PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship to clinch a berth on the Corebridge Financial Team. In 2023, she became the first woman to win the Southwest PGA Professional Championship and became the fourth woman to win a PGA Section Championship, joining PGA of America Past President Suzy Whaley in 2002 (Connecticut), Taylor Collins in 2021 (South Florida) and Changkija in 2022 (North Florida). Paez received a sponsor exemption to play in the 2024 Ford Championship presented by KCC on the LPGA Tour and made her PGA Professional Championship debut in April at PGA Frisco.

Wendy Ward, LPGA Professional, the LPGA Teaching Professional at Manito Golf & Country Club in Spokane, Washington, finished eighth in the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship to earn a spot on the Corebridge Financial Team. She is making her 19th appearance in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, her first as a Corebridge Financial Team member, after competing in 18 straight KPMG Women's PGA Championships from 1996-2013; her best finish was a T-3 in both 2000 and 2001. Ward won four times on the LPGA Tour: 1997 Fieldcrest Cannon Classic; 1998 Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open; 2001 Wendy's Championship for Children; 2005 LPGA Takefuji Classic. She played for the U.S. Team in three Solheim Cups (2002, ‘03, ‘05) and played in the 2023 U.S. Senior Women's Open at Waverley Country Club, in Portland, Oregon; her Senior Major Championship debut. She won the 1994 U.S. Women's Amateur and played college golf at Arizona State University, where she helped the Sun Devils to three national titles (1993-95).

Allie White, LPGA Professional Apprentice, the Director of Golf at Lancaster Golf Club in Ohio, is playing in her first KPMG Women's PGA Championship thanks to her victory at the 2023 LPGA Professionals National Championship. She has competed in two U.S. Women's Opens (2009, ‘21), finishing 65th as an amateur in 2009 at Saucon Valley Country Club. White, who competed in over 100 Epson Tour, LPGA and Ladies European Tour events combined, also works as a part-time assistant golf coach for the Denison Men and Women's Varsity golf teams.

The 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, held June 20-23, will be broadcast live on NBC, Peacock and Golf Channel. For more information about the 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, visit kpmgwomenspgachampionship.com.

Editors: For photos of Corebridge Financial Team Members, click here.

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Media Contacts:
Jesse Dodson, PGA of America, jdodson@pgahq.com
Jared Minski, Mastro Communications, jared@mastrocomm.com

SOURCE: PGA of America