New analytics at KPMG Women’s PGA provide players more data, insight

FRISCO, Texas — The growth of women’s golf is everywhere at the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco.

That explosion starts with the purse size, which is up to $12 million this year, matching the U.S. Women’s Open as the largest in women’s major championship history, and also includes the broadcast coverage. For the first time this year, the Women’s PGA will offer featured-group streaming, which amounts to 30 more hours of coverage from a year ago.

But the purse and exposure aren’t the only steps forward for the women’s game this week, as the KPMG Performance Insights program continues to provide the world’s best players new analytics to help them tackle a major-championship test.

After Thursday’s opening round at Fields Ranch East, the KPMG Performance Insights report provided cut-line data, including what each player will likely need to shoot in Friday’s second round to play the weekend. KPMG’s Performance Insights currently has three over as the most likely cut number at 45 percent.

For a player like Charley Hull, who shot six over in Round 1, the analysis predicts that a Friday 67 (five under) will give her a 95 percent chance to play the weekend. Linn Grant and Lilia Vu will be targeting a second-round 68, while world No. 3 Lydia Ko will have a 95 percent chance to make the cut if she shoots two under on Friday.

The KPMG Performance Insights Program also provides a detailed look at each hole at Fields Ranch East, showing players how each hole played, how best to attack them and where not to miss.

On the par-4 6th hole, for example, which played the toughest in Round 1 at 0.50 strokes over par, players got into trouble when they drove into the right rough off the tee. Of the 21 players who played their second shots the right rough, they lost an average of 0.3 shots on the field. When approaching the diabolical green, the 31 players who missed short and left of the green lost an average of 0.27 strokes. Those who missed long and left in the rough lost 0.25.

Buut it was the greenside bunkers that proved most treacherous on No. 6. Cumulatively, the nine players who landed in the greenside bunker on the front left of the green lost 0.47 strokes on the field while the three players who went into the short right bunker lost 0.69 shots on the field.

In Round 1, only three players birdied the 6th hole: Yuna Nishimura, Muni He and Miranda Wang.

The second toughest hole was the par-4 16th, which played 0.49 strokes over par.

On No. 16, the 14 players who missed the green shot and to the left lost an average of 0.44 strokes while the eight who went long and right into the rough lost 0.53.

Only Auston Kim and Allie Knight made birdie on No. 16 in Round 1.

On the other end of the spectrum, the par-5 9th was the easiest in Round 1, playing at 0.17 under par.

The KPMG Performance Insights also look at which holes are playing the most difficult relative to expectation. While the 6th and 16th were expected to be difficult, the par-5 3rd was predicted to play under par but actually played 0.10 over par on Thursday, which was 0.19 over expectation. On Thursday, the par-5 3rd surrendered 23 birdies but also saw 33 bogeys and four doubles. The right fairway was the preferred target for the 3rd hole on Thursday, with the 64 players who landed their tee shots on the right side of the fairway gaining 0.16 strokes on the field. But those who missed the fairway to the right lost 0.35 shots on the field, showing the slim margin on the third hole of Gil Hanse’s championship design.

Each player and caddie are provided these insights after every round, which will help them improve their strategy as they navigate their way around PGA Frisco in search of a major title.