THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Some records in golf will never be broken. Kathy Whitworth’s 88 LPGA Tour victories come to mind. So do Jack Nicklaus’ 18 major titles and 154 consecutive majors played.
What about Mickey Wright’s 13 LPGA Tour wins in 1963? That’s a number no player on the LPGA or PGA Tour has matched post 1950.
But it now feels like the collective golf world has entered an era in which those records have become even more dusty, buried in books crammed on shelves that haven’t been opened in decades. In the Annika era and the Tiger era, those records were still being broken, new benchmarks were still being set, scoring records toppled as the game modernized.
And that fact makes what Angela Stanford is doing even more impressive.
The 46-year-old Texan is playing in her 98th consecutive major at this week’s Chevron Championship, having been extended a sponsor exemption by the title partner at the end of February. Stanford’s stretch of consecutive majors played is the longest active major streak in professional golf at the moment and is on pace to become the second-longest ever, behind only Nicklaus, who played in 154 straight majors for which he was eligible, 146 of which were in a row from 1962 to 1998.
Having the chance to play in 100 consecutive majors is something that Stanford never dreamed of when she joined the LPGA Tour in 2001, but now, it’s one of her only reasons for still competing at this point in her life, a goal that continues to get her out of bed every morning as the sun has started to set on her playing career.
“Even if it wasn't me, I would still want one of our players to cross the line. I wouldn't care who it was,” said Stanford what 100 majors would mean. “I would want an LPGA player to get to 100 because I think it is going to be a historical once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal because Jack Nicklaus is the only human to ever do this.
“When I look at the streak, I think, ‘What a blessing.’ God knew in 2002 what was going to be happening in 2024. So, for me, I just think I'm so grateful that He's given me the blessing of that.”
Stanford has amassed seven victories and 93 additional top-10 finishes in her 24 years on the LPGA Tour, making $12,217,650 in career earnings. Her most recent win came at the 2020 Volunteers of America Classic, and she has one major title on her resume, winning The Amundi Evian Championship in 2018.
This week’s Chevron Championship marks Stanford’s fifth tournament of the 2024 LPGA Tour season, and it hasn’t been the hottest of starts for the veteran. She missed two cuts in her first two events of the season and then finished T45 and T53 in her starts at the Ford Championship presented by KCC and the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards, respectively, never really kicking things into gear out West. But the always gritty Stanford will be grinding to turn that around at The Club at Carlton Woods as she enjoys one of the last opportunities she’ll have to play on the LPGA Tour in Texas.
And while she doesn’t just want to show up, play 36 holes and pack her bags this week in front of a home-state crowd, the real challenge on Stanford’s mind is her upcoming U.S. Women’s Open qualifier next week, an opportunity she’ll have to solidify her 99th major start without having to rely upon the USGA for a special exemption.
But she’s still looking for a solid performance at the Chevron Championship, one that would certainly be a confidence-booster for Stanford in her dogged pursuit of LPGA Tour history. And that’s really what she’s hoping for at The Club at Carlton Woods – proof that she still has what it takes to make her dream a reality.
“The thing about trying to get to 100 and maybe needing some help, if I don't qualify for the (U.S. Women’s) Open, if the USGA extends a special exemption, I didn't just want to show up. This offseason I really, really went back to work,” said Stanford. “The thing that was important for me going into this year is that I needed to prove that I am playing well and I'm trying to play well. Because out of respect for a sponsor and out of respect for competitors, I'm not just going to show up and take up a spot.
“I hope I get (to 100). I appreciate Chevron helping me in this step, the 98th step. I have my U.S. Open qualifier next week, so I've been thinking about that quite a bit. But I don't want it to stop at 98.”
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