Arizona Tribune - 8 PGA of America Golf Professionals and LPGA Professionals Set to Compete in 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship as Corebridge Financial Team

Set to compete against the world's best women golfers, Corebridge Financial Team members earned a spot in the field by way of the 2025 LPGA Professionals Championship and the 2026 PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship.

Kim Paez, PGA, won the LPGA Professionals Championship at Hermitage Golf Course, in Hickory, Tenn., last July to earn her second appearance in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Allie Knight, PGA/LPGA, won the PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., in February and will make her sixth appearance. With Knight already exempt from her 5th-place finish at the LPGA Professionals Championship, Joanna Coe, PGA claimed the spot in a two-hole playoff victory.

"We're incredibly proud of the PGA of America and LPGA Professionals competing this week in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship," said Acting PGA of America President Nathan Charnes, PGA. "Our eight women on the Corebridge Financial Team represent women golf professionals everywhere on one of the biggest stages in the game. Their efforts in teaching, coaching and golf operations directly correlate to the massive growth the game has experienced in more women and girls playing golf. We wish the team the best of luck this week at Hazeltine National Golf Club."

2026 Corebridge Financial Team Members

Sandra Changkija, PGA/LPGA Assistant Professional at Sugar Mill Country Club in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., is competing in her 10th KPMG Women's PGA Championship this week. She earned her way to Hazeltine with a T-6 finish in the LPGA Professionals Championship. She won the 2025 Women's PGA Professional of the Year Award, becoming the second two-time winner (2022) of the Award (Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth, 2023-24). She also won the 2025 North Florida PGA Player of the year and Women's Player of the Year Honors. She made Association history in November at PGA Golf Club in Port St. Lucie, Fla., when she became the first woman to win the Assistant PGA Professional Championship. Before becoming a PGA of America and LPGA Professional, she played on the LPGA Tour from 2012-19.

Joanna Coe, PGA Director of Instruction at Merion Golf Club in Ardmore, Pa., is competing in her seventh KPMG Women's PGA Championship following a two-hole playoff win at the PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship. In April, Coe competed in her fifth PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes and is coming off a successful 2025 season, earning the Philadelphia PGA Section's Women's Player of the Year title for the fourth consecutive year. Last June she won the Monday qualifier to get into the 2025 ShopRite LPGA Classic, a feat she also accomplished 16 years ago as an amateur. Coe won the 2024 Women's Philadelphia PGA Professional Championship just 12 weeks after giving birth. Coe was named to Golf Digest's 2025-26 Best Young Teachers in America and 2026-27 Best Teachers in Every State lists.

Nicole Felce, PGA/LPGA, is the Assistant Golf Professional at Countryside Country Club in Clearwater, Fla. Following a fourth-place finish at the LPGA Professionals Championship, she will compete in her second KPMG Women's PGA Championship after debuting at Fields Ranch East last year. In May of 2025, she became an LPGA Class A Member and then was elected to Class A Membership with the PGA of America in February 2026. Felce competed at LPGA Q-School in the summer of 2022 in Palm Springs, Calif., and earned partial status on the Epson Tour during the 2023 season. She began competing in junior golf tournaments at the age of six and set a scoring record at the 2016 FCG Callaway Jr. World Championship with a three-round 12-under 204 in the Girls 11-12 division.

Loretta Giovannettone, PGA Teaching Professional at Loblolly in Hobe Sound, Fla., and Weekapaug Golf Club in Westerly, R.I., will compete in her second career KPMG Women's PGA Championship this week after an 8th-place finish in the LPGA Professionals Championship. She made her Major Championship debut in 2023 at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. She finished runner-up in the 2025 South Florida PGA Women's Section Championship. Her caddie this week is her best friend and PGA of America Professional Lizzy Blomgren, a First Tee PGA Coach in the Metropolitan PGA Section.

Allie Knight, PGA/LPGA Professional Teaching Professional at Fairways and Greens Golf Center in Knoxville, Tenn., is appearing in her sixth-consecutive KPMG Women's PGA Championship (2021-25). A member of the Tennessee PGA Section, Knight finished 5th at the LPGA Professionals Championship before winning the PGA Women's Stroke Play Championship. In April she competed in the PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes and finished T-62. Earlier in her competitive career, Knight made 16 cuts on the Epson Tour and qualified for two U.S. Women's Amateur Championships.

Kim Paez, PGA Player Development Manager for PING, will play in her second career KPMG Women's PGA Championship thanks to her victory at the LPGA Professionals Championship. The Northern Texas PGA Section Member also played in her second PGA Professional Championship at Bandon Dunes in April. In 2023 she became the first woman to win the Southwest PGA Professional Championship and the fourth woman to ever win a PGA Section Championship. The win earned her a sponsor exemption to play in the 2024 Ford Championship presented by KCC on the LPGA Tour. The 2025 NTPGA Women's Player of the Year also teaches junior golf clinics at The Ronny Golf Park at the NTPGA headquarters. On the bag this week at Hazeltine is her husband, Nick, who is a PGA of America Associate.

Natalie Vivaldi, PGA Teaching Professional at Goal Hill Park in Oceanside, Calif., is playing in her second consecutive KPMG Women's PGA Championship following her 2025 Major Championship debut. Representing the Southern California PGA Section, she won twice during the 2026 SCPA Women's Stroke Play Series as well as the 2025 SCPGA Youth Player Development Award and back-to-back SCPGA Women's Player of the Year honors (2023-24). Vivaldi played college golf at San Diego State University and the University of Colorado.

Allie White, PGA/LPGA Director of Golf at Lancaster Golf Club in Ohio will appear in her third-consecutive KPMG Women's PGA Championship. She finished runner-up in the LPGA Professionals Championship following wins in the 2024 and 2023 editions. Not a stranger to Women's Majors, White competed in two U.S. Women's Opens ('21, '09). She also made the cut in the 2024 Dana Open, one of the longest-running events on the LPGA Tour's schedule, and has played in over 100 Epson Tour, LPGA and Ladies European Tour events combined.

Stephanie Connelly Eiswerth, PGA/LPGA, also finished in the top eight at the 2025 LPGA Professionals Championship, but will instead play in the 2027 KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Congressional Country Club after taking a maternity exemption under the LPGA policy.

Corebridge Financial has partnered with the PGA of America as the sponsor of the PGA of America Member teams in the Association's three Major Championships: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, PGA Championship and Senior PGA Championship. The three groups are recognized collectively as the Corebridge Financial Team.

For more information on the Corebridge Financial Team competing at the 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, click here

About the PGA of America
The PGA of America is one of the world's largest sports organizations, composed of more than 30,000 PGA of America Golf Professionals who love the game, are expert coaches, operators and business leaders, and work daily to drive interest, inclusion and participation in the sport. The PGA of America owns and operates numerous championships and events, including major championships for men, women, seniors and the Ryder Cup, one of the world's foremost sporting events. For more information, visit PGA.com and follow us on X, Instagram and Facebook.

For individual and group photos of the Corebridge Financial Team, click here

Media Contacts
Jesse Dodson, PGA - PGA of America, [email protected]
Jared Minski - Mastro Communications, [email protected]

SOURCE: PGA of America

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

T.Perez--AT