Chevron Championship "A New History Begins"

LPGA Tour Season's First Major Date and Venue Changed
Lydia Ko and All Top 20 World Rankings to Compete
Ko Jin-young Aims for 2nd Win, Jeon In-ji Challenges Career Grand Slam

The beginning of a new history.

This is the story of the first major of the 2023 season on the U.S. Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour, the Chevron Championship (total prize money of $5.1 million). It will be held over four days starting on the 20th (local time) at The Club at Carlton Woods Jack Nicklaus Signature Course (par 72, 6,824 yards) in Houston, Texas. The Chevron Championship was held under the name ANA Inspiration until 2021. Last year, the title sponsor changed, leading to a change in the tournament's name, and this year both the timing and location of the event were changed.

This tournament was held annually during the first week of April at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. The winner’s tradition of jumping into a pond on the course with their caddie was famous. Starting this year, the tournament location has moved to Texas, and the timing has been pushed back to late April. With the event taking place at a new venue, there is anticipation for spectacular moments that might surpass the diving ceremony. There are a total of five LPGA Tour major championships: the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in June, the U.S. Women’s Open and the Evian Championship in July, and the AIG Women’s Open in August.

The major Chevron Championship will be held this year at The Club at Carlton Woods Jack Nicklaus Signature Course in Houston.
[Photo by LPGA]

The fiercely competitive Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course at Carlton Woods opened in 2001. It features wide teeing areas, landing zones surrounded by lakes, and greens with undulations surrounded by bunkers. It was selected by Golf Digest as the “Best New Private Course in the U.S.” It has hosted the US Junior Amateur Championship in 2014 and numerous United States Golf Association (USGA) qualifying events.

This year’s field is spectacular. All players ranked within the top 20 in the world are participating, ensuring that the top-tier players are all present. The main focus is the championship battle among the world’s top three ranked players: Lydia Ko (New Zealand), Nelly Korda (USA), and Ko Jin-young. Lydia Ko, who got married last December, is challenging to reclaim the title after seven years since 2016. Korda aims for her second major victory following the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Ko Jin-young, who bounced back with a win at the HSBC World Championship in March, is poised to notch her 15th tour victory with a major win, which she has not achieved since this tournament and the Evian Championship in 2019.

Jeon In-ji challenges the 'Career Grand Slam' at the Chevron Championship.

Attention is also on whether “major hunter” Jeon In-ji will achieve the “career Grand Slam.” Of her four LPGA Tour wins, three have been majors. Jeon won the 2015 U.S. Open, the 2016 Evian Championship, and last year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Adding a title at this tournament or the AIG Women’s Open would make her a “career Grand Slam” winner. Jeon narrowly missed this last year, finishing runner-up after a playoff at the AIG Women’s Open. Among Korean players, only Park In-bee has completed the “career Grand Slam.”

Korea has collectively won six titles at the Chevron Championship. Three of those wins came in the last six years. Starting with Park Ji-eun in 2004, followed by Yoo Sun-young (2012), Park In-bee (2013), Yoo So-yeon (2017), Ko Jin-young (2019), and Lee Mi-rim (2020), all have collected the winner’s trophy. This year, former champion Yoo So-yeon dreams of “Again 2017.” She said, “I feel a bit disappointed that the tournament venue has changed from a course with history, but I still expect the new title sponsor to create a new tradition going forward, and I hope it becomes that kind of tournament.” Korea has 16 players entered, including Kim Hyo-joo, Kim A-rim, Lee Jeong-eun 6, Kim Se-young, Park Sung-hyun, Ji Eun-hee, Choi Hye-jin, An Na-rin, Choi Woon-jung, Yang Hee-young, Shin Ji-eun, Yoo Hae-ran, and Lee Mi-hyang.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.