By Carey Van Lue
ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by Aviv Clinics
Galgorm & Castlerock Golf Club | Antrim, Northern Ireland | August 17-20, 2023
In the Winner’s Circle with Alexa Pano
Aug. 20, 2023
VICTORIES
LPGA TOUR: First career victory
RACE TO THE CME GLOBE
With her win, Pano earns 500 points and is projected to move from 132nd to 38th in the Race to the CME Globe
MONEY
With her win, Pano earns $225,000; she has earned $288,548 this season and in her LPGA Tour career
PREVIOUS ISPS HANDA WORLD INVITATIONAL RESULTS
This is her first appearance in the ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by Aviv Clinics
2023 LPGA TOUR PERFORMANCE
12 events, five cuts made, $288,548 earned; one win and one additional top-20 finish
OF NOTE
- Today is Pano’s birthday; she turns 19 years old
- The last LPGA Tour player to win on their birthday was Ally Ewing at the 2020 LPGA Drive On Championship at Reynolds Lake Oconee
- This is her first season on the LPGA Tour
- Her caddy is her father, Rick Pano
- Pano is the eighth Rolex First-Time Winner of the 2023 season, joining Lilia Vu (Honda LPGA Thailand), Ruoning Yin (DIO Implant LA Open), Grace Kim (LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei), Rose Zhang (Mizuho America’s Open), Allisen Corpuz (U.S. Women’s Open), Linn Grant (Dana Open) and Elizabeth Szokol ( Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational)
- She is the third LPGA Tour rookie with a win this season, joining Kim and Zhang
- She is the sixth American to win on the LPGA Tour this season, joining Vu (Honda LPGA Thailand, The Chevron Championship, AIG Women’s Open), Zhang (Mizuho Americas Open), Corpuz (U.S. Women’s Open), Cheyenne Knight (Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational) and Szokol (Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational)
- She is the third America to win on the LET this season, joining Nelly Korda (Aramco Team Series Presented By PIF – London) and Vu (AIG Women’s Open)
- She is the first American to win the ISPS Handa World Invitational presented by Aviv Clinics
- She is the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour this season at 19 years old
- The youngest winner this season was previously Zhang, who won the Mizuho America’s Open at 20 years and 11 days old
- This is her 12th event of the 2023 season; before her win, her season-best result was T17 at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational alongside playing partner Dewi Weber
- As an amateur, Pano was the first three-time national finalist in the Drive, Chip and Putt competition
- She was the youngest player in the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur
- Pano won the American Junior Golf Association’s 2019 Rolex Girls Junior Championship
- She was featured in the 2012 Netflix documentary The Short Game
- She is tied for most U.S. Kids Golf World Championships with five in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016
COURTESY LPGA TOUR COMMUNICATIONS
