A golf tournament can become part of a place without ever losing its professional edge. That is what has happened in Rogers, Arkansas, where the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship has spent two decades bringing LPGA Tour competition to Pinnacle Country Club.
| Detail | 2026 information |
| Tour | LPGA Tour |
| Competitive dates | September 25–27, 2026 |
| Championship week | September 21–27, 2026 |
| Venue | Pinnacle Country Club, Rogers, Arkansas |
| Field | 144 players |
| Format | 54-hole stroke play |
| Purse | $3 million |
| Milestone | 20th anniversary |
The 2026 edition of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship carries a little more weight because it is the 20th anniversary. Championship week runs September 21–27, with the three competitive rounds scheduled for September 25–27. A 144-player field is set to compete for a $3 million purse.
There is also a lot happening away from the leaderboard. The week includes a 5K, junior golf, community panels, food, family activities and women’s programming. For Northwest Arkansas, the tournament has become an annual event rather than simply another stop on a tour schedule.
Walmart NW Arkansas Championship 2026: The essential details
The competitive part of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship takes place at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, the tournament’s home since 2007. Players will contest 54 holes of stroke play over three days, with the lowest aggregate score taking the title.
| Year | Champion | Winning score |
| 2024 | Jasmine Suwannapura | -17 |
| 2023 | Haeran Ryu | -19 |
| 2022 | Atthaya Thitikul | -17 |
| 2021 | Nasa Hataoka | -16 |
| 2020 | Austin Ernst | -20 |
| 2019 | Sung Hyun Park | -18 |
| 2018 | Nasa Hataoka | -21 |
| 2017 | Sung Hyun Ryu | -18 |
| 2016 | Lydia Ko | -17 |
| 2015 | Na Yeon Choi | -15 |
| Date | Major scheduled activities |
| Sept. 19 | 5K at Walmart Home Office; 5K and one-mile Fun Run/Walk |
| Sept. 21 | Practice, Monday Pro-Am, qualifier, Yoga for Kids |
| Sept. 22 | Practice, Fassi’s Friends Junior Clinic |
| Sept. 23 | Official Pro-Am Day 1, Community Momentum Panel |
| Sept. 24 | Official Pro-Am Day 2, Women’s Empowerment Summit, Self Care Soirée |
| Sept. 25 | Round 1, opening ceremony, Kids Confidence Club, BITE |
| Sept. 26 | Round 2, Yoga on Green, Kids Confidence Club, BITE |
| Sept. 27 | Final round, #PlayYellow Sunday, bike ride, Junior Golf Zone |
What is the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship?
The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is an LPGA Tour tournament held at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas. The event began in 2007 and has remained at the same venue, giving it a continuity that many newer tournaments do not have.
Its first edition was hardly a quiet introduction. Weather reduced the 2007 tournament to 18 holes, and Stacy Lewis won with a 65. Lewis was an amateur and a University of Arkansas standout at the time, so the result carried an obvious local connection.
Over the years, the winners have included some of the biggest names in women’s golf. Lydia Ko, Nasa Hataoka, Sung Hyun Park, Austin Ernst, Atthaya Thitikul and Haeran Ryu are among the former champions.
Twenty years has changed the tournament and the town around it
The 20th anniversary gives the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship a chance to look backward, but the more interesting story is how much the event has settled into local life.
The tournament now stretches beyond the three rounds on television. There are charity and community activities, junior programs, fitness events and food experiences. The result is closer to a week-long sports festival than a tournament that disappears when the final putt drops.
That growth also gives returning players something familiar. Pinnacle Country Club has been the home of the event from the beginning, so the course itself has become part of the championship’s identity.
A familiar course creates a different kind of storyline
Pinnacle Country Club started as farmland and opened around 1990. Randy Heckenkemper redesigned the course in 2009, and the layout has continued to host the tournament since its inaugural year.
For spectators, the closing stretch is particularly useful. Public viewing decks are available at holes 1, 16, 17 and 18, allowing fans to follow the action in some of the most important parts of the course.
When and where is the 2026 tournament?
The 2026 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship will be played September 25–27 at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas. The broader championship week starts September 21.
Fans planning a visit should separate championship week from tournament days. Practice, pro-am and community activities begin before Friday’s opening round, so there are several ways to experience the event before competition begins.
What happens during championship week?
The schedule has been built so that the tournament does not arrive all at once. The early days focus on practice, pro-am events and community programs before the competitive pressure begins.
Friday brings the opening ceremony and first round. Saturday moves into the second round, while Sunday decides the champion and closes the week with the 18th Green Ceremony.
The 5K is part of the tournament story
The championship’s 5K moves to the Walmart Home Office in Bentonville on September 19. Participants can choose a traditional 5K or a one-mile Fun Run/Walk.
Registration includes a shirt, medal, gift bag and complimentary tournament ticket. It is a useful example of how the event reaches people who might not otherwise attend an LPGA tournament.
Who is expected to play in 2026?
The announced field has several different angles, which is useful for a tournament approaching its anniversary edition. Gaby Lopez, Rogers native Brooke Matthews and Maria Fassi were among the early commitments announced by tournament officials.
Maria José Marin received a sponsor invitation after winning the 2026 Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She was ranked No. 3 in the World Amateur Golf Ranking when the tournament announced her invitation.
Former champions are another reason to watch the entry list. Nasa Hataoka, Austin Ernst and Sung Hyun Park were named among the past winners returning. The official LPGA entry list can change before tournament week, so announced commitments should not be confused with a locked final field.
Brooke Matthews gives the event a genuine home story
Brooke Matthews is a Rogers native, which gives local spectators a player to follow beyond the usual star names. That kind of connection is difficult to manufacture and has been part of the tournament’s appeal from its earliest years.
Stacy Lewis provided a similar moment in 2007. Her victory as an Arkansas-connected amateur remains one of the championship’s most memorable early chapters.
What is the prize money for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship?
The 2026 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship has a $3 million purse, keeping the event among the notable financial stops on the LPGA calendar. That figure gives the tournament considerable financial importance, particularly when players are chasing strong finishes late in the season.
The 2024 champion, Jasmine Suwannapura, earned $450,000 after finishing at 17 under par. The 2026 distribution will follow the official purse breakdown released for the tournament.
Tickets, parking and the practical side of attending
General admission is straightforward. A single Friday-through-Sunday day ticket costs $10, while a weekly general ticket is $25.
The BITE Experience costs $50 per day, and the Choctaw Club is $75 per day. Children 17 and under can enter free with a ticketed adult under the current terms, while military guests and a plus-one can qualify for free general admission.
Weekend general parking is free, with shuttle service to Pinnacle Country Club. Fans can also use public viewing decks around holes 1, 16, 17 and 18.
Is it a good event for families?
Yes. Family programming is woven into the week, rather than being limited to a single children’s activity.
The Kids Confidence Club returns with STEM and confidence-building activities. Younger visitors can also look toward the Junior Golf Zone, Fassi’s Friends Junior Clinic and Yoga for Kids.
Sanrio and Hello Kitty programming adds another family-focused attraction. For parents introducing children to professional golf, the variety gives them reasons to stay longer than a single group’s round.
Food, fitness and community events add another layer
BITE is one of the clearest examples of the tournament’s local character. The experience uses food, art and music to highlight Northwest Arkansas culture alongside the golf.
The Women’s Empowerment Summit and Unilever Self Care Soirée bring a different audience into championship week. Yoga on Green and the guided bike ride add fitness to the schedule.
The point is not to distract from the golf. It is to make the week feel connected to the community hosting it.
How can fans watch the tournament?
The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship competitive rounds are scheduled for television coverage, with Golf Channel listed for Friday and Saturday. Sunday coverage is also listed on Golf Channel, with NBC Digital programming included in the schedule.
Friday’s opening ceremony is scheduled for 7 a.m., followed by Round 1 tee times at 7:15 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. Broadcast schedules can move, so viewers should check the current listings close to tournament week.
Why weather remains part of the conversation
The championship has learned the hard way that a golf schedule is never completely protected from the weather. The 2007 event was shortened to 18 holes, and the 2025 tournament was disrupted even more severely.
In 2025, adverse weather left Pinnacle Country Club unplayable. The LPGA cancelled the remainder of the event, counted only the completed 18-hole scores and treated the tournament as unofficial with no CME points.
The winners tell the story of the tournament’s growth
The past champions show how quickly the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship became an international stop. Japan, South Korea, Thailand, New Zealand and the United States all appear in the recent winners’ list.
Several winning scores have also been deep under par. Nasa Hataoka’s 21-under total in 2018 remains one of the most striking numbers in the tournament’s history.
The leaderboard can move in a hurry
The scoring history suggests an event where players often need to make birdies. That can create an uncomfortable final round for anyone trying to protect a lead.
At Pinnacle, a player can arrive on Sunday with a narrow advantage and still face several groups capable of posting a very low number. It is one reason the closing holes deserve attention.
What makes the championship matter in Northwest Arkansas?
The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship has something many professional tournaments spend years trying to build: a recognizable local identity.
The connection comes through more than the title sponsor. Arkansas players have had their moments, local residents turn out for the week, and community programs bring people onto the grounds who may not follow the LPGA every weekend.
That is the real significance of the 20th anniversary. The tournament has survived weather problems, changing fields and two decades of a busy professional schedule. It still feels rooted in Rogers.
What should fans know before visiting Pinnacle Country Club?
The simplest plan is to check the official schedule before arriving. Weekend parking is free, shuttle service is available, and public viewing areas provide several places to watch without a premium ticket.
Fans who want more than golf can build a day around BITE, the Kids Confidence Club or other scheduled activities. Early arrival can also help spectators see more than one part of the course.
The competitive draw remains the main reason to attend. But in 2026, the 20th anniversary gives the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship a little more history to sit alongside the action.
Key Takeaways
1. The 2026 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship celebrates twenty years of LPGA Tour golf in Northwest Arkansas.
2. Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers remains the tournament’s long-standing home venue.
3. Competition in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is scheduled for September 25 through September 27, 2026.
4. The field is expected to contain 144 players competing over 54 holes.
5. The tournament purse is set at $3 million for the 2026 championship.
6. Former champions and Arkansas-connected players provide strong storylines for spectators.
7. Championship week includes golf, food, fitness, junior programs and community events.
8. General admission costs $10 daily or $25 for a full tournament week.
9. Golf Channel is scheduled to carry television coverage across competitive rounds.
10. Previous weather disruptions make conditions an important part of tournament planning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Nelly Korda not playing this week?
No. Nelly Korda is playing this weekend, but the event is the 2026 Solheim Cup rather than a regular individual LPGA Tour tournament. The Solheim Cup runs September 11–13 in the Netherlands, with Korda representing Team USA. The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is scheduled later, from September 25–27 in Arkansas.
Why is the golf tournament suspended?
No. The 2026 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship is not currently suspended. It is scheduled for September 25–27. The question may relate to the 2025 edition, when severe weather made Pinnacle Country Club unplayable and the LPGA cancelled the remainder after only 18 holes had been completed.
Is there an LPGA this weekend?
Yes. The 2026 Solheim Cup is being played September 11–13 at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. It is a team competition featuring the United States and Europe, rather than a normal individual LPGA Tour event. The next regular LPGA Tour tournament on the schedule is the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship later in September.
Is there an LPGA tournament on TV today?
Yes. The Solheim Cup has live television coverage during the September 11–13 competition window, with Golf Channel among the listed broadcasters. Coverage times can vary by session, so the latest LPGA or Golf Channel listings should be checked before viewing. The Walmart championship has separate broadcast coverage scheduled for its September competition.
