Last year, women’s professional golf tried everything in its power to engage its audience—from pouring investment into broadcasting to assembling one of its deepest fields in years to staging a $2 million event on one of its finest courses. But it looks like all those efforts were in vain, as two players withdrew ahead of Round 2 of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G. Both exited without even striking a ball on that day.
The LPGA Media announced via X on Friday afternoon that South Korean veteran Haeji Kang had withdrawn from the event because of a sore injury. Hours later, a second update followed. Taiwanese golfer Peiyun Chien also pulled out before her second round, but she has not stated her reason yet.
The spots will not remain empty, as per tournament entry protocol, with week-of alternatives filling places vacated by withdrawing players. However, the withdrawals still remove two recognizable international names from the field.
The fifth edition of the Kroger Queen City Championship is being played for the first time at Maketewah Country Club. The venue change came with high expectations, and the field featured 33 of the top 50 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. Charley Hull entered the week as the defending champion after her dramatic finish in 2025 against Jeeno Thitikul. And this year again, Hull is back, sitting at minus two after Round 1, alongside a stacked leaderboard that includes Thitikul and Jin Young Ko.
However, Kang’s exit is the more medically familiar of the two. The 35-year-old has been a fixture on the LPGA Tour since turning professional in 2008 and has developed a significant following across South Korea, Australia, and major Asian golf markets.
However, she has been dealing with injuries over the past season. In October 2025, she had to withdraw mid-tournament at the BMW Ladies Championship because of injury, having played two rounds of 73 before pulling out ahead of the third. She has not released an official statement so far regarding her withdrawal from this tournament.
Haeji Kang had withdrawn prior to her second round of the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G due to injury. @LPGA | @QueenCityLPGA
— LPGA Media (@LPGAMedia) May 15, 2026
Chien’s exit is harder to overlook given what this tournament means to her. The 35-year-old has been chasing a result at Queen City for years. In 2023, she held the tournament’s 36-hole scoring record after firing a 6-under 66 in Round 1, but eventually finished tied for fifth. She returned in 2025 and again opened with a 66, sitting tied for third after Day 1. Chien also represented Taiwan at the 2024 Olympics, finishing T18, which speaks to the level she has competed at. She did not give a reason for withdrawing on Friday, but the timing makes this a particularly frustrating exit.
These two withdrawals will also have a ripple effect on broadcast numbers. The LPGA draws a significant share of its global audience from South Korean and Taiwanese viewership, markets where both Kang and Chien carry strong name recognition.
The LPGA is already navigating a sharp decline in viewership. The final round of the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship drew 428,000 viewers on NBC. That figure accounted for a 50.63% drop from the prior year’s final round, which had itself attracted 867,000 viewers during Amy Yang’s victory.
The LPGA rebuilt its entire broadcast infrastructure
Starting in 2026, the LPGA aimed to air on major network channels, something that had not happened since 1995. It was possible through a multi-year partnership with FM, as announced in November 2025. FM’s investment unlocked a 50% increase in the number of cameras compared to the 2025 season and further expanded the Tour’s shot-tracing capabilities through TrackMan technology. By introducing slow-motion cameras, drone coverage, and expanded on-course audio, the production standards previously reserved for major championships are now the baseline for weekly LPGA events.
LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler described the partnership as “a game-changer”, saying fans would “immediately see and feel the difference” in 2026.
LPGA player Minjee Lee cut to the core of the announcement, sharing, “Television partnership is everything, really.” She is correct, but better cameras and wider coverage only solve part of the issue. What continues to drive week-to-week interest are the players themselves. In Cincinnati on Friday, two of them went home early.
