Out of the Rough: Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G (2026)

The Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G has found a new slot in the LPGA schedule, moving from September to May this season.

Along with the move within the schedule, a new host venue will take center stage this week.

The Donald Ross designed Maketewah Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio will host a professional golf event for the very first time.

Kenwood Country Club was the original host of this event, founded in 2023. The event then moved to TPC River’s Bend for the 2024 and 2025 installments. 

When the Kroger Queen City Championship was first played in 2023, it was the first time in 30 years that the LPGA had played in southwest Ohio.

The Field

With just two events remaining before the second major of the season, the U.S. Women’s Open, a star studded field is inline for this week.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda comes into this week winning both of her two previous starts, the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba and The Chevron Championship. In six events so far this season, Korda has won three of them and placed second in the other three.

She’ll be joined by World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul, No. 4 Charley Hull, No 6. Miyu Yamashita, No. 8 Ruoning Yin, No. 9 Lydia Ko and No. 10 Lottie Woad of those who are ranked within the top ten of the Rolex Women’s World Rankings.

Although at a different course and time slot on the schedule, Hull comes in as your defending champion, topping Thitikul on the final hole to win her first LPGA title since 2022.

The Course

The Maketwah Country Club was originally designed by Tom Bendelow and formed in 1910. Within a decade of the club opening the course was designed by Donald Ross.

During that time period, Ross reworked many of Bendelow’s designs soon after developing them. Most of these courses would list Ross as the architect but Maketwah Country Club shares the honor between the two of them.

It plays as a par-70 at 6,416 yards.

Off-the-tee golfers will face a plethora of obstacles.

First are the crumbled fairways, which means they play more to that of a links style course. These crumbled fairways are also tree-lined.

The course is most known for the various ravines that run throughout the property.

One of the more notable ravines on the property is featured on the final hole. It is a short par-three that forces a carry of a deep ravine that guards the green. The front of the green also features a large bunker.

From there golfers face bentgrass greens that feature kick slops. This essentially means that the greens funnel into various pin placements. Strong approach play will be needed to land the ball on the proper area of the green.

In all, Maketwah Country Club is a true test of golf.

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, Thursday currently calls for just a five-percent chance of precipitation. Friday is calling for a 15-percent chance, Saturday a 25-percent chance and Sunday a 30-percent chance of morning showers. Temperatures will begin the week at 68-degrees on Thursday before jumping to 73-degrees on Friday, 82-degrees on Saturday and 83-degrees on Sunday. Winds will begin the week at ten miles-per-hour before bumping up to 11 miles-per-hour on Friday. Winds will then peak at 12 miles-per-hour on Saturday before returning to 11 miles-per-hour on Sunday. 

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Ball Striking

• Driving Accuracy Percentage

• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)

• Scrambling Percentage

• Par-4 Scoring Average

Betting Card

Haeran Ryu (+2300)

In preparing for this course to be a ball striker's venue and who better to roll out than the LPGA Tour’s best. It’s not Korda, Thitikul or Green, it's Ryu who leads the LPGA Tour in ball striking. She is also second in par-four average scoring, fourth in SG: APP, 23rd in scrambling and 27th in driving accuracy percentage. The problem for Ryu is always the putter as she ranks 138th on Tour in SG: PUTT. She’ll need a spike week with the flat stick if she wants to best Korda or Thitikul. Ryu placed 14th last week at the Mizuho Americas Open. Prior to that she placed 12th at The Chevron Championship and fifth at the JM Eagle LA Championship coming into this week. 

Allisen Corpuz (+6000)

I was on Corpuz a week ago at the Mizuho Americas Open where she placed seventh. Prior to that she placed 27th at The Chevron Championship, 13th at the JM Eagle LA Championship and 11th at the Aramco Championship across her last four stats. She is currently fourth on tour in driving accuracy percentage, 12th in both ball striking and par-four average scoring, 14th in scrambling, 27th in SG: APP and 63rd in SG: PUTT. There isn’t a glaring weakness to her game and she’s in some great form. 

Erika Hara (+7500)

Hara comes into this week with back-to-back ninth place finishes at the Mizuho Americas Open and Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba. She was also 38th at The Chevron Championship. Hara is currently tenth on Tour in ball striking, 25th in driving accuracy percentage, 26th in scrambling, 35th in SG: PUTT, 41st in SG: APP and par-four average scoring. A great stats line for someone 75/1. 

Lauren Coughlin (+9000)

Coughlin won on the LPGA just three starts ago at the Aramco Championship. She placed 28th at The Chevron Championship, 55th at the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba and missed the cut last week at the Mizuho Americas Open following that victory Coughlin is currently sixth on Tour in SG: APP, 14th in driving accuracy percentage, 22nd in ball striking, 43rd in par-four average scoring, 76th in scrambling and 102nd in SG: PUTT. A massive number for someone who won just three starts ago and is one of the best pure ball strikers on the entire LPGA Tour.