According to Colby Powell of Golf Channel on Tuesday, LPGA star Danielle Kang of San Francisco, California is taking a leave of absence from competitive golf due to a tumour on her spine. Kang, who is 29 years old, won the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship. She is currently anxiously awaiting to see if the tumour is malignant or benign.
At the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship, Kang was in a highly-contested battle with Brooke Henderson of Canada. Kang shot a four-round score of -13 to beat Henderson by a stroke at the Olympia Fields Country Club, outside of Chicago.
The 2017 Women’s PGA Championship was Kang’s first LPGA Tour win. Over the last five years, she has won five more titles–the 2018 and 2019 Buick LPGA event in Shanghai, China, the 2020 LPGA Drive on Championship in Fort Myers, Florida, the 2020 Marathon Classic in Toledo, Ohio, and the 2022 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida. Just like the 2017 Women’s PGA Championship, at the event in Orlando earlier this year, Henderson finished in second place.
Kang’s final tournament before her sudden leave of absence was the 2022 United States Women’s Open this past weekend at the Pine Needles Lodge and Golf Country Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina. The tournament was won by Australia’s Minjee Lee, who is -13. Kang, who is currently ranked 12th in the world, finished tied for 63rd at Pine Needles at +13, 26 strokes back of Lee. It was a very tough fourth round for Kang, as she shot a score of eight-over-par 79 this past Sunday.
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