The $2.8 million 47th ANA Inspiration tournament, women’s golf’s first major of the year, begins Thursday in Rancho Mirage.
Play begins at 7:10 a.m. on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course of the Mission Hills Country Club.
The field includes defending champion So Yeon Ryu and 10 other past winners of the tournament.
Ryu’s 2017 victory came amid a much-criticized ruling penalizing Lexi Thompson for improperly replacing a ball and signing an incorrect scorecard. Ryu then defeated Thompson in a sudden death playoff, a result that gave Thompson “nightmares,” she told reporters in Rancho Mirage this week.
Thompson, the 2014 tournament champion, is among the past ANA Inspiration winners in the field, along with two-time winner Brittany Lincicome, plus Stacy Lewis, Lydia Ko and Inbee Park.
The top 24 players in the world, and 33 of the top 35 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are set to play.
The tournament concludes Sunday, with the winner making the traditional leap into Poppie’s Pond.
Tickets starting at $35 are available at www.anainspiration.com. Ticket-related questions can be directed to (760) 834-8872 or kathy.davis@anainspiration.com.