Atlanta Athletic Club hosted KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Media Day, ahead of the 2021 Championship.
After having no fans on site at Aronimink last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was announced that the Championship will be played with limited spectators.
Atlanta Athletic Cub has hosted a number of golf championships, including the 1981, 2001 and 2011 PGA Championships.
Sei Young Kim, 28, will defend the 2020 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship she won at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, last October.
The Championship will also feature the annual KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit.
“We have expectations and high expectations that the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and the KPMG Women's Leadership Summit will inspire and challenge and leave players and our people, young women professionals, to aspire to do great things, to aspire to amazing heights, and to know that they can do more,” said Laura Newinski, KPMG’s Deputy Chair and Chief Operating Officer. “But even more importantly than that, we know that these two -- that the championship week as well as the KPMG Women's Leadership Summit, will inspire leaders to make different decisions about opening those doors and knocking down those barriers and making it happen for talented women and talented players and talented future leaders to have a way to success that they didn't see before. Inspiration and aspirations.”
Mariah Stackhouse, just the seventh African-American player to receive an LPGA Tour card and the only active Black player on Tour today, was on hand for Monday’s event. The 27-year-old who grew up 45 minutes away from AAC in Riverdale, Georgia, is doing her part to inspire the next generation of Black golfers and announced the formation of the soon-to-be-launched Mariah Stackhouse Foundation to give back to the community.
“It honestly inspires me to understand that I am an inspiration to a lot of young Black golfers playing the game,” said Stackhouse, who will be playing in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for the fourth time in her career. “I think that I've gotten an opportunity to see those numbers growing, especially with junior and college golf right now, and I think I'm able to witness that a bit because of how social media has allowed a lot of people platforms.
“But I see a lot of young girls that remind me of myself when I was little playing and playing well, and I think in larger numbers than was the case when I was playing junior golf,” she said. “I think the game is truly growing, and I'm excited to be able to continue to provide a bit of visibility along with the other players that are out on the LPGA and Symetra Tour, and I will do everything in my power to continue to uplift the young women coming up, and I'm excited for them to make their way through college and be out here, as well.”
Stackhouse said that her old coach of over 15 years was based out of Atlanta Athletic Club. Though Stackhouse didn’t play the course much growing up, she did say she spent plenty of time at the practice facilities. She’s also played the course a few times recently gearing up for what’s sure to feel like a home game.
“I love this course,” Stackhouse said. “I think Jim [Richerson, PGA President] said it earlier best that there's no area of your game that can be off on this course. There are going to be some tight tee shots, some really challenging approach shots, and some greens that you have to really place yourself on the right tier or right levels in order to have an opportunity for birdie or really even a steady, easy-going par. I think we're going to see this course test everyone, and like all KPMG's Women's PGA Championships, you're going to have to rise that week and play your absolute best golf to play well here.”
The field for the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will include eight PGA/LPGA Club Professionals who qualified during the 2020 PGA Women’s Stroke Play Championship, which was won by Sandra Changkija (LPGA) of Kissimmee, Florida, by five strokes, February 17-18, 2021, at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Florida.
Joining Changkija at Atlanta Athletic Club will be Joanna Coe (PGA) of Lutherville, Maryland; Stephanie Connelly-Eiswerth (LPGA) of Fleming Island, Florida; Moira Dunn-Bohls (LPGA) of Tulsa, Oklahoma; Ashley Grier (PGA) of Glen Falls, Pennsylvania; Allie Knight (PGA) of Knoxville, Tennessee; Samantha Morrell (LPGA) of North Kingstown, Rhode Island; and Alisa Rodriguez (PGA) of Austin, Texas.
