Welcome to this week’s Golf Insider, everyone!
From April 16–19, the LPGA Tour heads to Los Angeles for the 2026 JM Eagle LA Championship. Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad, in her second year on tour, is set to defend her title.
Last year, Lindblad posted a 4-under-par 68 in the final round to avoid a playoff with Akie Iwai, who bogeyed her last hole to drop a shot. It was Lindblad’s first career LPGA Tour victory. This year, she’s bringing those positive memories, along with some strategy, back with her to El Caballero Country Club.
“I mean, it’s always nice coming back to a golf course that you played before,” Lindblad said during a pre-tournament press conference on Tuesday, April 14.
“I feel like the practice rounds have been a little less stressful because I know—like whenever I played last year I hit drivers everywhere. We didn’t hit anything that wasn’t a driver off the tee box unless it was a par-3. That was our mindset this week, too, so far. Just trying to soak it all in.”
Lindblad certainly set the tone in 2025 at El Cab, as she tied the 18-hole scoring record during her second round with a 63 (-9). She also set the 72-hole tournament scoring record with a 267 (-21). Those scores were fantastic, but recently, Lindblad has been focused on recognizing the value of her game outside of those numbers.
“I think I’ve judged myself a lot based on my score, so lately been trying to do things that make me feel good on and off the golf course,” Lindblad said.
“Been trying to do like stats before I leave the golf course so I don’t have to bring it back to the hotel room basically, and try to like do things that are like outside of the golf course just to kind of let it go. On the golf course, just not look so much about the score, more kind of trusting, like especially driver. Like trusting the driver and like if we miss one, we miss one. It’s kind of part of the process.”
El Cab is, of course, set to be a test this week. The Robert Trent Jones design will play around 6,700 yards, give or take, throughout the four rounds. This will provide a challenge for the many stars gearing it up this week.
Speaking of stars, top-ranked AJGA amateur and Stanford commit Asterisk “Little Star” Talley is set to make her seventh start on the LPGA Tour. Coming off a disappointing finish at the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur, Talley is looking to capitalize on a course she’s a member at.
“I think it just suits my eye,” Talley said during a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday, April 15.
“It’s pretty open in terms of just how many trees and things are out here. It’s a pretty flat course I would say. Not super hilly. Some areas can be a little different, but I think it just suits my eye just knowing it for so long.”
The second-ranked AJGA amateur, Aphrodite Deng, is also set to tee it up this week. It’ll be the second start on the LPGA Tour for the 2025 U.S. Girls’ Junior champion.
Another notable player in the field is 2023 and 2024 JM Eagle LA Championship winner Hannah Green, who has been on a tear across the LPGA and LET lately. She’s coming to LA after missing the cut in Las Vegas at the Aramco Championship. But before that, Green won in back-to-back weeks at the Women’s Australian Open and Australian WPGA Championship on the LET. She also won the 2026 HSBC Women’s World Championship earlier this year.
“Yeah, it definitely has been a whirlwind. I didn’t really think that I would have, like, that much success so early into the season. I feel like sometimes it takes me a little bit to warm up,” Green said during a pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday, April 15.
“Nice to have this form coming into JM Eagle and obviously we have our first major of the year next week, so hopefully I can use that momentum to get myself in contention for those two events.”
Momentum is vital during these weeks leading up to major championship season. I’ll catch you next week to see how this one shakes out and gear up for the first major of the season.
See you then, golf fans.
This week in women’s golf
LPGA News
Featured groups: 2026 JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro
Andrea Lee excited to play close to home
Field breakdown: 2026 JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro
How to watch the 2026 JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro
LET News
Order of Merit title on the mind of teenage sensation Huang
Alexander excited for “special” week in Joburg as she targets home win
In-form Forsterling brimming with confidence heading into SA swing
Watch live: 2026 Joburg Ladies Open
Joburg Ladies Open kicks off South African swing on LET
Ciganda feeling confident heading into major season
Alexander leads Order of Merit heading into South African swing
Amateur/NCAA News
Asterisk Talley, Kiara Romero to headline 2026 U.S. Curtis Cup lineup
Illinois wins Boilermaker Spring Classic for second consecutive year
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Five at The IX: Quotes from the Madaëf Golfs Ladies Open by MSE on the LET Access Series
On Tuesday, April 14 in Fez, Morocco, Caroline Sturdza clinched her first ever LET Access Series win at the 2026 Madaëf Golfs Ladies Open by MSE. She sunk a 25-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole of the tournament to seal her victory. Here are some snippets from the Swiss star’s post-win interview, along with comments from runner-up, Natalie Armbruester, thanks to the folks at LET Communications.
Champion Caroline Sturdza on her focus during the final round:
“I came in today with the simple goal of focusing on myself and being in the present, and bringing myself back as much as I can. Trying to focus on my process and my behaviour on the course because that’s the only thing I could control. Cecilie [Leth-Nissen] was playing pretty good and making birdies, but I couldn’t really control it, so I was just focusing on myself and being present on the course.”
Sturdza on what was working and not working during her final round:
“My putting today was average, I gave myself a lot of chances and didn’t really convert anything, but on the last. I saved the best for the last [hole]. It could have been better, but my ball-striking was really solid.”
Sturdza on her drive to accomplish something this week:
“I felt really prepared coming here. I was here to show up and not just be here and play golf. I really wanted to do something good for myself, and try to do all the things I’ve been working on in competition because I didn’t have that before. It was nice to transfer that into competition. It led to winning this week!”
Runner-up Natalie Armbruester on if she was following the leaderboard during her final-round chase:
“I wasn’t aware of the scores, I was just playing for myself. I was two-over after four and just trying to get back into it. I was surprised at the end of the round.”
Armbruester on narrowing her focus to what she could control:
“I knew the girl [Maria] in my group was trailing my score by one and she was the only score I could measure myself against. We both stiffed it close to the pin on 18, my mentality was about making the putt to beat her and hoping that it would be enough to maybe end in third place.”
“Becoming Caitlin Clark” is out now!
Howard Megdal’s newest book is here! “Becoming Caitlin Clark: The Unknown Origin Story of a Modern Basketball Superstar” captures both the historic nature of Clark’s rise and the critical context over the previous century that helped make it possible, including interviews with Clark, Lisa Bluder (who also wrote the foreword), C. Vivian Stringer, Jan Jensen, Molly Kazmer and many others.
Mondays: Soccer
By: Annie Peterson, @AnnieMPeterson, AP Women’s Soccer
Tuesdays: Tennis
By: Joey Dillon, @JoeyDillon, Freelance Tennis Writer
Wednesdays: Basketball
By: Howard Megdal, @HowardMegdal, The IX Sports
Thursdays: Golf
By: Marin Dremock, @MDremock, The IX Sports
Fridays: Hockey
By: @TheIceGarden, The Ice Garden
Saturdays: Gymnastics
By: Jessica Taylor Price, @jesstaylorprice, Freelance Writer