Before the second round of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship took over Pinnacle Country Club on Saturday, more than 100 participants gathered between the ninth and 18th greens for Yoga on the Green, a Chobani-sponsored event that reflected the tournament’s wider community focus.
Yoga on the Green Turns Pinnacle Into a Community Space
Long before Saturday’s second-round leaderboard began to shift, the space between the ninth and 18th greens at Pinnacle Country Club belonged to yoga mats, quiet movement and a crowd of more than 100 participants.
On a cool morning, with light mist at times, we watched Yoga on the Green, presented by Chobani. This event brought tournamentgoers and Northwest Arkansas residents together at 8 a.m. as part of the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship’s community-event lineup. Tournament officials said this year marked the 15th edition of the yoga event, which has become a familiar part of championship week beyond the competition ropes.
The event unfolded before the day’s most consequential golf began. Round 2 will determine the 36-hole cut and shape Sunday’s championship picture, but for 45 minutes, the setting was about wellness and access rather than birdies and leaderboard position.
Participants of all experience levels and ages, as we saw babies gathered with mats in the open space between two of Pinnacle’s most recognizable greens. The location itself reflected what makes the NWA Championship different from a conventional tournament stop: world-class LPGA competition shares the property with events designed to bring the surrounding community into the week.
Chobani sponsored Saturday’s session, a 45-minute class open to all skill levels. The event included a post-class offering of Chobani yogurt parfaits and La Colombe coffee, while registration included a $5 donation to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank and a complimentary daily tournament ticket.
The turnout provided its own statement. More than 100 people participating before the course fully shifted into tournament-day rhythm represented a different kind of fan engagement: not merely watching golf, but becoming part of an experience built around it.
That broader approach is central to the tournament’s identity during its 20th anniversary season. The Walmart NW Arkansas Championship has positioned itself as a weeklong celebration of Northwest Arkansas, pairing LPGA competition with children’s programming, spectator experiences, local food and community events. Yoga on the Green fit that model naturally, using the setting at Pinnacle to create an accessible morning activity for residents and visitors alike.
Saturday’s programming continues beyond the early yoga session. The BITE Experience at the LPGA opens later in the morning, connecting local restaurants and brands with championship-week crowds. Chobani also has public viewing decks positioned around the course, giving spectators free first-come, first-served places to watch the action.
For participants stretching and moving between the ninth and 18th greens, the focus was simpler: beginning a Saturday morning outdoors, surrounded by the setting of an LPGA event.
By the time the class ended, Pinnacle was transitioning toward golf’s competitive pressure. Early groups were already in motion, afternoon tee times awaited, and the cut line would soon become one of the tournament’s defining storylines. Yet Yoga on the Green offered a quieter opening to the day and a reminder that the NWA Championship’s reach extends beyond the players contending for the trophy.
The leaderboard will decide who wins Sunday. Saturday morning showed another measure of success: an LPGA event using its stage, scenery, and local partnerships to make the course feel open to the community.
