Nasty rainstorms pushed LPGA players (and our writer) into a nightmare travel situation after the KPMG Women’s PGA

June 28, 2023

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The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol in Springfield, New Jersey, was a fantastic event. Several stars made Sunday charges, including Rose Zhang and Yuka Saso, but it was 20-year-old Ruoning Yin who held the hardware when it was all said and done.

Although the week was a memorable one, many players want to forget all about what happened to them when they tried to fly back home.

More than 1,600 U.S. flights have been canceled and over 5,400 more have been delayed as of Tuesday evening, according to flight-tracking website FlightAware.

United Airlines flights were impacted most heavily, with 471 flights scrapped – 16 percent of its schedule – and more than 1,000 delayed. Newark Liberty International Airport and LaGuardia Airport in New York saw the most cancellations and delays.

The disruptions came as severe weather rolled through the East Coast and Central Plains. Strong weather that moved through the Northeast, especially around New York, was behind many of the cancellations and delays.

This wreaked havoc, forcing several players to ditch their plane tickets for car keys.

Here’s what several LPGA players faced this week after competing at the 2023 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship:

Mel Reid tees off on the 4th hole during the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

Reid, with pregnant wife Carly by her side, was forced to rent a car and drive 14 hours back to Jacksonville, Florida. To pass the time, the couple hosted a Q&A on Mel’s Instagram where they posted the answers to Mel’s story.

Reid tied for 24th at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Photo: Mel Reid’s Instagram

Emma Talley tees off on the 4th hole during the second round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

After Talley’s flight was canceled, she drove to Washington D.C. to catch a flight home to Nashville. Six hours after getting back, she flew to Florida for a sponsor’s event.

Talley missed the cut at the KPMG Women’s PGA.

Allisen Corpuz reacts after making a shot on the 4th hole during the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-USA TODAY Sports

After finishing T-15 at Baltusrol, Corpuz spent 30 hours waiting for a flight back to Los Angeles, according to her Instagram story.

Photo: Allisen Corpuz’s Instagram

After an opening-round 73, Sagstrom settled in and finished the tournament at 3 over, good enough for a tie for 39th.

However, the 30-year-old Swede also apparently fell victim to travel issues from the storm as she posted a photo of herself eating some Chick-Fil-A and another of the inside of an Uber.

Our own senior writer was part of the travel snafu, as she took part in a Golfweek-heavy Golf Today on set in Stamford, Connecticut. She then spent eight hours at the airport after her flight to Tampa was canceled. Another flight was canceled after sitting on the tarmac for almost four hours.

Nichols then spent hours waiting for a bag that never showed up. Since there were no rental cars and she couldn’t get ticketed for another flight until the weekend, she took a Lyft to Baltimore, slept in a hotel for three hours and then boarded a flight to Tampa.

She did have a good time with our Eamon Lynch on Golf Channel, however. But now comes the big question, will her luggage arrive in Florida before she departs for the U.S. Women’s Open in Pebble Beach?