History and major championships go hand in hand, but perhaps never more so than at the first major of the year, The Chevron Championship. It’s where Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, and Angela Stanford are among those vying for a major title while also having their own records quest on the line. They’ll be chasing history at The Club at Carlton Woods, where the best in women’s golf will compete for $5.2 million in prize money, the Dinah Shore Trophy and a chance to continue the beloved tradition of making the celebratory leap into the pond beside the 18th green. It all begins Thursday in The Woodlands, Texas, just outside Houston, and here are five things you need to know about one of the biggest events of the year on the LPGA Tour.
History on the Line
Every player in the field will be seeking to be named the first major champion of the season, but there are also a lot of other history-making storylines to follow this week. Nelly Korda is in the hunt for her fifth consecutive victory on the LPGA Tour, and should she hoist the trophy on Sunday, Korda would secure her second major title and match the records of Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam, who have both won five straight events on Tour.
But Korda won’t be the only one pursuing history in Houston. With a victory on Sunday, Lydia Ko would secure the last remaining points she needs to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. Ko earned her 26th Hall-of-Fame point with her season-opening victory at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. A win would not only give Ko a second Chevron Championship but also a third career major title and 21 wins on the LPGA Tour.
When Angela Stanford decided to forgo a full-time broadcast career to continue competing on the LPGA Tour, she did so with the goal of playing in 100 consecutive major championships. Stanford was extended a special exemption into the field at The Chevron Championship in order to continue her quest. Her start this week marks her 98th consecutive major played, and should she qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June would mark her 100th major start, a milestone that has never been reached on the LPGA Tour. Stanford won her first major title at The Amundi Evian Championship in 2019 and then captured the Senior LPGA Championship in 2023.
Club Undergoes Course Renovation
After more than 50 years of being played in Rancho Mirage, Calif., The Chevron Championship moved to the Houston area and its new home at The Club at Carlton Woods in 2023. Immediately following last year’s championship, the club underwent a major renovation that saw all 18 holes modernized in some capacity. A new irrigation system was installed, fairways sand capped and every green was rebuilt to USGA specifications and standards. Expect the putting surfaces to play much differently than they did last year with firm and fast surfaces, in addition to newly constructed bunkers that have been moved closer to the green complexes to further enhance the major test.
Lilia Vu Defends
Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 2 Lilia Vu returns to The Club at Carlton Woods seeking to defend her title. It was at this venue last season that Vu won her first of two major titles in 2023, as she also went on to capture the AIG Women’s Open. Vu defeated Angel Yin on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff and continued the long tradition of making the celebratory leap beside the 18th green to officially bring the tradition from Palm Springs to The Woodlands, Texas. But Vu returns to Houston also looking for a spark as she’s recorded just one top 10 in seven starts to begin the year. Vu, who was ranked inside the top 10 last season in greens in regulation, putts per green in regulation and scoring average, has dropped to 38th, 51st and 20th, respectively, in those statistical categories.
The Field
A stacked field of 132 players is slated to compete in the first major championship of the season and features 34 major champions as well as 11 former winners of the Chevron Championship, including players like Jin Young Ko, who won this event in 2019. This week, Ko is making just her third start of the LPGA Tour season. She finished tied for eighth in her season debut at the HSBC Women’s World Championship and tied for 20th at the Honda LPGA Thailand. Ko has kept her playing schedule limited since withdrawing from the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship where she dealt with a left knee injury. Patty Tavatanakit, winner of the Chevron Championship in 2021, and already a winner earlier this season in Thailand, is also amongst the past champions in the field alongside Lexi Thompson (2014), Pernilla Lindberg (2018) and Jennifer Kupcho (2022).
In addition to these major champion standouts, Lottie Woad, winner of this year’s Augusta National Women’s Amateur, will make her LPGA debut at The Chevron Championship. Woad is one of six total amateurs who will compete against the game’s greats.
So Yeon Says So Long
After 13 seasons competing on the LPGA Tour, So Yeon Ryu is retiring from competitive golf. Ryu won six times on Tour, including two major titles – the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open and a playoff victory over Lexi Thompson at the 2017 Chevron Championship. Her last win came at the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give in 2018. The Korean took to Instagram on March 21 to announce that The Chevron Championship would be her first and only start of the season and the final event of her stellar LPGA Tour career.
)
)
)
