“We didn’t have lockers last year” – Jessica Korda steps in to clarify the LPGA players’ substandard facilities situation at Tournament of Champions

Jessica Korda, the winner of the 2021 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, recently opened up about the substandard facility situation at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club.

Golf Week's Beth Ann Nichols highlighted this fact in her recent article and also tweeted about the same on her social media page. The journalist wrote:

"LPGA season off to a rocky start- no locker room access, practice facilities restricted at TOC."

In response to her tweet, the former TOC champion, Jessica Korda, commented:

"We didn't have lockers last year either - but we did have lockers years prior at TOC. *Important to clarify and have all the facts, so people don't think it's just this year."

There is no locker room for female golfers competing in the Tournament of Champions, as reported by Golf Week. The outlet reached out to the Hilton Grand Vacations VP of Sports Marketing, Aaron Stewart, who released a statement saying:

"I don't know why they canceled the lockers."

The Tournament of Champions is a pro-am event featuring the winners of the last two years. It was pretty shocking to see the officials plan out a grand event but miss the small things.

Lake Nona officials also released a statement that read:

"Hilton Grand Vacations has been an incredible partner in supporting the LPGA to expand and enhance amenities and accommodations for our players. With the return of hospitality this year, the tournament informed us that due to a need for public bathrooms, there would not be a private and secure locker room available for the LPGA players this week. There was an option presented to have temporary lockers added to a space within the clubhouse that did not include a bathroom area."

The statement continued:

“Due to a prioritization of space for other player uses, our tournament team made the decision that it was not in the best interest of the players and the event to pursue that option. Players have access to a locker room, although the space is not entirely private. We are always open to player feedback and work with our tournament partners to allocate finite space. We will continue to do so with our amazing partners from Hilton Grand Vacations moving forward."

According to Sports Illustrated, the officials installed 36 additional lockers on Wednesday after golfers and the media highlighted it.

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Golfers complain about practice restrictions at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions

The HGV Tournament of Champions has been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. Golfers complained about the practice restrictions on the greens. In a memo received by the players, there was a note about the one-hour practice session.

"(Players) may not use the practice facilities more than one hour prior to their practice tee times. Use of the practice facilities is not available unless playing a practice round," the memo read.

However, after Matilda Castren inquired about the same, the officials explained that the memo was applied last Sunday. It said underneath in bold that the restrictions were valid until "Sunday, January 15."

The VP of Sports Marketing said:

"Once they have their credentials, it's their course."

The Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions will take place from January 19 and continue until Sunday, January 22, at the Lake Nona Golf Course.