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Lindblad welcomes return to El Caballero Country Club

April 15, 2026

ENCINO — In just the third start of her rookie season on the LPGA Tour, Ingrid Lindblad surprised everyone, including herself, by winning the 2025 JM Eagle LA Championship at El Caballero Country Club.

While her victory earned Lindblad job security on Tour for the next two years, the euphoria that came from winning was eventually replaced with a sense of despair and frustration due to her ongoing struggles throughout the remainder of 2025 season and into early 2026. After her win, Lindblad posted just one top 20 the rest of the season, with her poor performance off the tee being a main culprit for her struggles.

Her exasperation came to a head in February of this year at the HSBC Women’s World Championship, where Lindblad finished at 24-over par, including a third-round 82, her highest round since joining the LPGA Tour. Lindblad was so distraught, she had to talk herself into going back on the final day to finish the tournament. And afterward, she also took to social media to vent her frustrations.

Her social post and acknowledged frustrations about her performance, garnered support from friends and competitors. After a few weeks at home in Sweden, to clear her head, Lindblad has returned with new optimism, which she believes will be enhanced this week by coming back to the site of her greatest moment as a professional.

“Obviously, I won here last year, so a lot of good memories,” Lindblad said. “I think it may be hard to recreate last year, but we are just going to take one week at a time, one shot at a time, and like that’s where we are at. I think I’ve judged myself a lot based on my score, so lately been trying to do things that make me feel good on and off the golf course. Just trying to not judge myself based on a score.”

Lindblad said she’s felt great during her practice rounds and has high hopes for a good performance starting in Thursday’s first round.

“Coming back here, like it’s all just happy memories,” Lindblad said. “It’s been nice. I’m like, I remember this hole. I remember what I did here. So it’s been two nice practice rounds. Everything is very familiar.”

Former UCLA standout Alison Lee makes adjustments with parenthood

Like Lindblad, former UCLA standout Alison Lee is hoping to garner some positive vibes about her game through a strong performance at this week’s tournament. Lee spent much of the last year away from the LPGA Tour taking care of her now 1-year-old son Levi, who was born shortly after last year’s JM Eagle LA Championship.

Lee returned to the LPGA Tour last fall, participating in three events. She initially planned to start her season next month, but the chance to play at a course she knows well and at home in Southern California in front of family and friends was too much to pass up.

“I have so many friends and family here and all the people coming out to support,” Lee said, “We play over 20 weeks a year in our schedule and it’s rare we even have one family member come out and watch. To have a big crowd out there supporting me will be so much fun. I like this golf course, too. I got to play at El Cab when we were in college at UCLA. So it’s just nice. It’s just nice. I feel like I’m coming back home, yeah. It just feels so familiar.”

Following an emergency C-section and the ensuing recovery, Lee has spent much of the last year learning to try to balance being a full-time mom and a full-time professional golfer. Before having her son, Lee spent long days at the course working on her game, but with a toddler at home, she is learning to adjust her routine.

“Every day looks so different, just trying to find time to sneak out of the house and hit some balls and prep,” Lee said. “I probably practice half the time that I used to. So when I think of it that way sometimes I just don’t feel prepared. Not because I’m not playing the way I want to. Just, I know what I’ve done in the past to prep for an event and it just didn’t look that way now. I’m still trying to come to terms with trying to perform well and practice efficiently to get ready for an event.”

Like everyone in the field, Lee’s ultimate goal is to win, but she said her first objective is to simply make the cut and give herself a chance to play four rounds. Levi will be staying with her parents in Valencia, allowing Lee to focus more on her day job. She plans to take advantage of the free hotel room afforded to all players in the field this week, at least a few nights, so she can get the type of sleep needed to perform at a high level.

While it’s challenging for her golf career, Lee wouldn’t change being a mom for anything in the world.

“Being a mom has been so cool, so rewarding, and I’m really lucky Levi is honestly super sweet,” Lee said. “Every day he’s learning new things and he’s changing. He’s growing up. He’s noticing this. He knows I’m his mom. I just feel really blessed with life this past year. I have no complaints.”

Asterisk Talley returns to the field

For the second consecutive year, 17-year-old Asterisk Talley is in the field on a sponsor’s exemption. An honorary member of El Caballero Country Club, Talley is coming off an emotional performance at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur, where she led the tournament heading to the final nine holes.

But like so many PGA Tour players who have seen their hopes of winning the Masters wiped out by Augusta National’s famed 12th hole, the same happened to Talley, who took a quadruple bogey after hitting two balls into Rae’s Creek, sinking her chances of winning the prestigious tournament.

Talley, who received praise for how she conducted herself after the meltdown, said she has put it behind her and is focused on playing well this week.

“I don’t think I still really have processed everything that’s happened,” Talley said. “Was honestly just trying to put it out of my mind after that, trying to more focus on this event instead of trying to focus on what happened there. But obviously, stuff happens and you kind of just move on after that. I think I was just trying to figure out kind of those little mistakes and trying to honestly just gear up for this event.”

Talley first played El Cab at the 2024 U.S. Girls’ Junior Championship, where she tied for fifth. Having played so many rounds at the course during that event and in last year’s JM Eagle LA Championship leaves the young golfer feeling positive about her chances this week.

“I’m feeling good. I think my game is in a good spot right now and I’ve been putting in the work,” Talley said. “I’ve played this course so many times that I know it like the back of my hand. That’s going to help me this week. Just leaning on that course knowledge is always helpful and I think that’s going to be a big plus this week. Hoping that it will be a good week this week.”

Playing in high-level events like the ANWA and this week’s LPGA tournament give Talley an opportunity to test her game against players she knows at this point are likely better than she is.

Talley knows getting a chance to play on a big stage like an LPGA event and tee it up against players like Nelly Korda is an experience that can make her better if she is open to the lessons provided.

“The experience of being around the top players and seeing what they do and then hopefully that can make my game a little better in the process,” Talley said. “Trying to learn something every time, whether it’s from myself or even from the people I’m playing with. So just trying to do my best to learn every time and trying to step up, I guess, every time.”

Orange County Register

News Details

Lindblad welcomes return to El Caballero Country Club

Former UCLA standout Alison Lee makes adjustments with parenthood

Asterisk Talley returns to the field

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