Two weeks after the first men’s Major of the year, The Masters at Augusta National, the women’s game sees its opening showpiece tournament of 2023 with the Chevron Championship.
There is one big change this year, though. After being played at Mission Hills in California since the tournament’s inception in 1972, this year it moves to Texas and the The Club at Carlton Woods in Houston. One of the much-loved traditions at the previous venue saw players jump into Poppie’s Pond at the end of the tournament, and there is a dock at the pond on the 18th at the new location, meaning there could yet be a similar scene this week.
Another less dramatic change sees the tournament move to a different slot in the calendar, several weeks further into spring than its traditional scheduling around late March and early April.
One aspect that will be familiar is the quality of the field, with 42 of the world’s top 50 in action this week. One of those is reigning champion Jennifer Kupcho. The World No.20 held off the challenge of Jessica Korda to bag the $750,000 first prize in 2022. Korda also plays, hoping to avenge that narrow defeat and claim her first Major title.
Jessica’s sister, Nelly, also plays, hoping for her second Major win after claiming victory in the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship. She’s come close to winning the Chevron Championship twice in recent years, with ties for second and third in 2020 and 2021 before missing last year’s tournament due to a blood clot in her arm.
World No.1 Lydia Ko returns to action for the first time since her tie for 34th in the DIO Implant LA Open at the start of the month. While that tournament didn’t see her at her best, she has still had a solid start to the season, with victory in February’s Aramco Saudi Ladies International and a tie for sixth in the Honda LPGA Thailand later that month among the highlights.
Ko, who won the tournament in 2016, came close to victory for the second time in 2021. However, she missed out by two shots to Patty Tavatanakit. The Thai player is also in the field this week hoping for a repeat of that success. As for Ko, there’s added incentive for her to win this week as to do so would see her gain entry into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.
Lydia Ko will enter the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame with victory this week
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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