The Chevron Championship: The first Major of the season on the LPGA Tour has been given a $2.7 million purse increase

The Chevron Championship is the first Major of the LPGA Tour's season

The best players in the world are heading to Texas for The Chevron Championship – the opening Major of the season on the LPGA Tour

The Chevron Championship is the first Major played on the LPGA Tour calendar. This is the second year The Chevron Championship will be played in Texas. Previously, The Chevron Championship was played in California, from its inception in 1972 until 2022.

Being the first Major Championship of the season, there is a star-studded field heading to The Woodlands, north of Houston, with high-hopes of finishing the week as either a first-time Major Champion or adding to their collection of Major Championships.

Over the years, The Chevron Championship has been known by several different names. However, one thing that’s always remained is that players are all competing for the Dinah Shore Trophy – named in honor of the television, film, and recording star Dinah Shore.

Dinah Shore founded the event in 1972 with David Foster, Colgate-Palmolive Chairman. From 1972 until 1982 The Chevron Championship was played as a standard event on the LPGA Tour. In 1983, The Chevron Championship was elevate to Major Championship status, where it has remained ever since.

There’s a tradition for the winner of The Chevron Championship to take a leap into Champions Lake or “Poppie’s Pond” (as it was at Mission Hills Country Club) – hence why the victor is often photographed in a bath robe!

Who’ll be the lucky golfer plunging into the lake this year?

Who is playing in The Chevron Championship?

Taking to the field for the first Major Championship of the 2024 LPGA Tour schedule is 132 of the best golfers in the world. As expected, this is the strongest field of the season so far with everyone wanting to get their hands on the Dinah Shore Trophy at the end of the week.

Teeing it up this week looking for her fifth consecutive victory is World No.1, Nelly Korda, and she has to be the main danger. However, there are 44 golfers from the top 50 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings lining up in Texas. The 2023 Chevron Championship, Lilia Vu, will be hoping to defend her crown as the only winner of this event while it’s being hosted in the Lone Star State.

Of the 132 golfers bidding for a Major Championship to be added to their resume, 34 of them are already Major Champions – just over 25% of the field. There are 36 representatives from the USA and European Solheim Cup Teams. Also, there are 40 Olympians in the field for The Chevron Championship including all three medalists – Nelly Korda (gold), Mone Inami (silver), and Lydia Ko (bronze).

The entire field has recorded 287 LPGA Tour victories, with 71 of the players being responsible for those victories. The Augusta National Women’s Amateur Champion, Lottie Woad of Florida State University is making her first appearance in a Major Championship. Former World No.1 Atthaya Thitikul, is set to compete in her first event of 2024, the Thai star hasn’t been seen since the CME Group Tour Championship in November due to injury.

What is the format of The Chevron Championship?

Despite being a Major Championship, the format of The Chevron Championship doesn’t differ from a standard strokeplay event on the LPGA Tour. It’s a strokeplay event played over 72 holes with a cut after 36 holes (two rounds) that sees the leading 65 players and ties make the final two rounds. The player who achieves the lowest score over four rounds will win the tournament.

Where is The Chevron Championship being played?

The Chevron Championship is being played at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas. This is only the second time The Chevron Championship has been played on this course to the north of Houston. The Chevron Championship had previously been played at Mission Hills Country Club on the Dinah Shore Tournament Course southwest of Palm Springs, California from 1972 – 2022.

The course now reserved for The Chevron Championship is the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Carlton Woods. The 18-hole championship golf course opened in 2001 after being designed personally by the Golden Bear himself.

The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at Carlton Woods measures 6,824 yards for The Chevron Championship and it’s played as a par 72.

Who will win The Chevron Championship?

With this being a Major Championship, every single one of the players teeing it up this week will be hoping to bring their A-game to Texas. This only makes it harder to pick out the winner from the 132 golfers set to start on Thursday.

The favorite among the bookmakers is Nelly Korda, hardly surprising considering she’s won her last four starts. However, what is astounding is how much shorter the 12-time LPGA Tour winner is in the betting than the second favorite, Jin Young Ko. Is this week going to be another Korda demolition?

Selected odds (correct at 12 pm GMT on Apr 13, 2024)

Nelly Korda 11/2

Jin Young Ko 22/1

Atthaya Thitikul 25/1

Sei Young Kim 25/1

Patty Tavatanakit 28/1

Lydia Ko 28/1

Brooke Henderson 28/1

Leona Maguire 30/1

Rose Zhang 30/1

Lilia Vu 30/1

Celine Boutier 35/1

Hyo Joo Kim 35/1

Minjee Lee 35/1

Ruoning Yin 40/1

Charley Hull 45/1

Carlota Ciganda 50/1

Linn Grant 60/1

Jennifer Kupcho 125/1

How much does the winner of The Chevron Championship get?

The purse on offer at The Chevron Championship was set to be the fifth largest on the LPGA Tour’s 2024 schedule – sitting pretty at $5,200,000. However, the purse has received a staggering $2,700,000 increase. The overall tournament prize money now stands at $7,900,000 – the fourth largest purse in the 2024 schedule.

At the 2021 Chevron Championship, the purse stood at $3,100,000, one year later it had risen to $5,000,000. The 2024 Chevron Championship has the largest purse on offer at this event since it began in 1972.

Last year’s winner, Lilia Vu, took home a sizeable share of the $5,100,000 purse, which equated to $765,000 for the 2023 Champion. When the purse was first announced with an increase of $100,000 from last year, the winner was set to receive $780,000. However, with the new purse being $7,900,000 the winner will receive $1,200,000.

While this is a Major Championship on the LPGA Tour, the purse on offer at the RBC Heritage is nearly three times larger. However, there is much more to play for at The Chevron Championship, the winner will be awarded a five-year exemption on the LPGA Tour, 600 Race to the CME Globe points, and a place in the field at all Major Championships this season.

How to watch The Chevron Championship

UK viewers can catch all the action on Sky Sports

All times GMT

Thursday, April 18: Sky Sports Golf, 15.00

Friday, April 19: Sky Sports Golf, 15.00

Saturday, April 20: Sky Sports Mix, 19.00

Sunday, April 21: Sky Sports Mix, 19.00

US viewers can catch all the action on Peacock

All times EST

Thursday, April 18: Peacock, 10.00

Friday, April 19: Peacock, 10.00

Saturday, April 20: Peacock, 14.00

Sunday, April 21: Peacock, 14.00

The Chevron Championship Tee Times

Tee time information for The Chevron Championship can be viewed here.

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About the author

James Hogg – Golf Equipment Writer

James has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University and an MA in Journalism from Kingston University.

He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.

James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.

You can contact James via email for loads more golf equipment insight.