Hannah Green has won the 2021 Aon Risk Reward Challenge trophy and the $1 million prize that comes with winning the season-long competition.
The Aon Risk Reward Challenge recognizes players who score the best on some of the most strategically challenging holes on both the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour. Aon offers a $1 million prize to the PGA Tour golfer -- this year, it was Matthew Wolff -- who scores the best on average on the holes from 38 PGA Tour events and a $1 million prize to the LPGA Tour golfer who scores the best on average on the holes from 31 LPGA Tour events.
The idea is that these golfers are using information and insight to make better decisions. The Aussie Green did just that. She made birdie on 72 percent of the Aon Risk Reward Challenge holes, eagle on another 10 percent and par on the remaining 18 percent. Players were required to play at least 40 rounds to qualify for the challenge.
With the competition ending at last week's Pelican Women's Championship, Green was already in the lead. She decided to skip the event, figuring she had command over the competition. Her hunch was right, and her average score of -0.938 under par per hole won.
“Winning this season-long competition means so much to me,” Green said. “Because of the focus on decision making, winning really validates the level of solid strategic play that I am capable of. ... I’m so excited to join Matthew Wolff as this year’s winner and can’t thank Aon enough for creating this opportunity.”
The equal $1 million prize money for the PGA Tour and LPGA Tour competitions is powerful, as 14 women have earned more than $1 million this season the LPGA Tour. In eight events in the new PGA Tour season, 14 men have already earned $1 million.
"The Aon Risk Reward Challenge is one of the most game-changing initiatives that has happened within the LPGA in our 71-year history," said LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “Not only does this challenge help our players make better decisions on the golf course, but it is also a powerful example of Aon’s significant leadership and commitment to equal pay.”
Green joins Carlota Ciganda, who won the first Aon Risk Reward Challenge on the LPGA Tour in 2019. In 2020, the Aon Risk Reward Challenge was paused, with Aon committing the $1 million in support of one of the LPGA Tour's Drive On Championship events in the LPGA's return.
