Out of the Rough: The Chevron Championship (2026)

The first major of the season is upon us as the best women golfers in the world head to Houston, Texas for The Chevron Championship

This event was played at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California which annually saw the victor leap into “Poppie’s Pond” in celebration since its inception in 1972.

After Chevron took over naming rights in 2021, the event was eventually moved to Texas in 2023 and played at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas.

Following three seasons played at The Club at Carlton Woods, The Chevron Championship has once again found a new home.

Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas will play host this season for the very first time. The course may sound familiar and that is because it is the host of the PGA Tour’s Texas Children’s Houston Open.

This season marks the 55th edition of this event which has been classified as a major since 1983. 

The Field

With this week being the first major of the season, all of the world’s best women golfers will be in attendance this week.

The field consists of past The Chevron Championship winners, major winners, LPGA event winners, the top-ten of the 2025 edition, top-80 of last year’s LPGA Points List, top-two of the Ladies European Tour, LPGA of Japan Tour and LPGA of Korea Tour, sponsor invites, medical exemptions and amateurs. The rest of the field will be occupied by those ranked highest in this year’s points list without otherwise qualified.

Both Minjee Lee and Lydia Ko would complete the career grand slam with a victory this week, meaning they have won each of the other four majors. A victory this week would cement themselves into golf history.

Mao Saigo comes in as the defending champion, having topped four other women in a five-women playoff, producing one of the most dramatic finishes on the LPGA in years. Ariya Jutanugarn, Hyo Joo Kim, Ruoning Yin and Lindy Duncan were the four others in the playoff. They all will be back this season in hopes of avenging what happened to them a year ago.

Other former winners of this event, although at other courses, teeing it up include Nelly Korda (2024,) Lilia Vu (2023,) Jennifer Kupcho (2022,) Patty Tavatanakit (2021,) Jin Young Ko (2019,) Lydia Ko (2016,) Brittany Lincicome (2015 and 2009,) Lexi Thompson (2014,) Stacy Lewis (2011) and Yani Tseng (2010.)

The Course

Memorial Park Golf Course is actually a public course that sees upwards of 30,000 rounds played by amateur golfers each year. It also hosts the PGA Tour’s Texas Children’s Houston Open which took place roughly a month ago.

The course was overhauled in 2019 by Tom Doak who used Brooks Koepka to consult on.

Koepka’s influence is present as this course now plays much like that of a major event. The course emulates major conditions with its combination of length and difficult green-side runoffs.

It was in disrepair and was on the verge of losing its place on the PGA Tour until the revitalization came along.

Memorial Park Golf Course now plays as a long par 72 at 6,811 yards and will test every aspect of each golfer’s game.

It plays very untraditionally with five par-threes and five par-fives with just eight par-fours. 

The par-threes too play long at this course, as that is the case for everything at this golf course.

The only real chance at consistent birdies here come on the par-fives and must be capitalized on for anyone hoping to win.

Approach play will be key here, especially with the long-iron approach shots. The course on paper already plays long but plays even longer than what it advertises.

Only five holes on this golf course feature a scoring average under par on the PGA Tour.

There isn’t much in terms of bunkers, water hazards or out-of-play areas, but the thick rough that too offers difficult lies can derail any hole.

Due to Koepka’s influence, this course features major-esque greenside run-off areas that will see greens hard to hold. Due to this, golfers must come with a competent around-the-green game this week as well. 

Greens in regulation will be crucial as well, simply because any hopeful winner cannot leave any strokes out on the course.

In all, golfers will be facing firm conditions, tight runouts around the green and the unpredictable gusting Texas winds that all make this golf course play much more difficult than the scorecard may suggest.

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, Thursday currently calls for a 25-percent chance of precipitation. Friday currently calls for a 55-percent chance of thunderstorms. Saturday is calling for a 35-percent chance of isolated thunderstorms and Sunday is calling for a 60-percent chance of thunderstorms. Temperatures will begin the week at 82-degrees and remain constant through Saturday. Temperatures will decrease to 81-degrees on Sunday. Winds will be the highest on Thursday at 17 miles-per-hour. Winds will settle to 15 miles-per-hour on Friday and are set for 13 miles-per-hour across the week. In all, it appears Mother Nature will have her say in who wins this week. The gusting Texas winds are already unpredictable and adding storms to that will cause some severe challenges. The course is also designed to play firm-and-fast so we’ll see what the rain does to the scoring. 

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Ball Striking

• Average Driving Distance

• Par Five Average Scoring

• Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)

• Scrambling

• Strokes Gained: Putting (SG: PUTT)

• Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)

• Par Three Average Scoring

• Bogey Avoidance

Betting Card

Check back for my full betting card!

2025 Betting Card

• A Lim Kim (+2500) - T40th

• Nasa Hataoka (+2800) - T52nd 

• Akie Iwai (+3300) - T44th

• Gaby Lopez (+6000) - MC

• Patty Tavatanakit (+8000) - MC

2024 Betting Card

• Brooke Henderson (+2800) - T3rd

• Sei Young Kim (+2800) - T30th

• Yuka Saso (+3300) - T30th

• Lucy Li (+15000) - MC

2023 Betting Card

• Georgia Hall (+1800) - T12th

• Atthaya Thitikul (+1800) - T4th

• Nasa Hataoka (+2200) - T37th

• Ruoning Yin (+6500) - T41st