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.
After an injury ravaged 2022, World No.3 Jin Young Ko returned to winning ways in the HSBC Women’s World Championship last month, and she goes in search of her second win in the tournament after claiming the 2019 title.
Other notable names in the field include World No.4 Atthaya Thitikul, World No.5 Minjee Lee, who is eyeing her third Major win, and World No.6 Lexi Thompson, whose sole Major victory to date came in this tournament in 2014.
Brooke Henderson is surely another who will fancy her chances of victory. The Canadian already has two Major wins to her name, including last year’s Evian Championship, and she will be looking to go one better than her highest finish in the Chevron Championship to date, when she tied for second three years ago.
Swede Pernilla Lindberg, who won in 2018, also plays along with Georgia Hall, who won the Women’s British Open the same year. Before this year's tournament, Hall spoke about her excellent form this season and how confident she is ahead of the Chevron Championship.
World No.8 Celine Boutier and the player directly beneath her in the world rankings, Hyo Joo Kim appear too. Meanwhile there are also appearances from So Yeon Ryu, who won the tournament in 2017 and two-time winner Brittany Lincicome.
One high-profile player who misses out this year is Swede Linn Grant. The 23-year-old is unable to play because of her vaccination status.
Aside from the prestige of winning a Major, there is a record purse on offer this year, too, as players compete for a share of $5.1m, an increase of $100,000 on 2022.
Below is the full breakdown of the prize money and field for the 2023 Chevron Championship.
Chevron Championship Prize Money
Chevron Championship Field
- Marina Alex
- Brittany Altomare
- Narin An
- Pajaree Anannarukarn
- Amari Avery (a)
- Saki Baba (a)
- Pia Babnik
- Jess Baker (a)
- Jaravee Boonchant
- Celine Borge
- Celine Boutier
- Ashleigh Buhai
- Zoe Antoinette Campos (a)
- Matilda Castren
- Hye-Jin Choi
- Chella Choi
- In Gee Chun
- Carlota Ciganda
- Allisen Corpuz
- Lauren Coughlin
- Paula Creamer
- Daniela Darquea
- Perrine Delacour
- Amanda Doherty
- Gemma Dryburgh
- Jodi Ewart Shadoff
- Ally Ewing
- Dana Fall
- Maria Fassi
- Isabella Fierro
- Ayaka Furue
- Eila Galitsky (a)
- Hannah Green
- Georgia Hall
- Mina Harigae
- Lauren Hartlage
- Nasa Hataoka
- Brooke Henderson
- Esther Henseleit
- Yaeeun Hong
- Wei-Ling Hsu
- Ting-Hsuan Huang (a)
- Charley Hull
- Caroline Inglis
- Eun Hee Ji
- Ariya Jutanugarn
- Moriya Jutanugarn
- Danielle Kang
- Haeji Kang
- Minami Katsu
- Sarah Kemp
- Cristie Kerr
- Megan Khang
- A Lim Kim
- Sei Young Kim
- Hyo Joo Kim
- Gina Kim
- Grace Kim
- Frida Kinhult
- Cheyenne Knight
- Jin Young Ko
- Lydia Ko
- Nelly Korda
- Jessica Korda
- Jennifer Kupcho
- Stephanie Kyriacou
- Bronte Law
- Maude-Aimee Leblanc
- Minjee Lee
- Andrea Lee
- Alison Lee
- Mi Hyang Lee
- Jeongeun Lee6
- Stacy Lewis
- Lucy Li
- Xiyu Lin
- Brittany Lincicome
- Pernilla Lindberg
- Yu Liu
- Ruixin Liu
- Gaby Lopez
- Polly Mack
- Nanna Koerstz Madsen
- Leona Maguire
- Stephanie Meadow
- Wichanee Meechai
- Azahara Munoz
- Yuna Nishimura
- Yealimi Noh
- Ryann O'Toole
- Alexa Pano
- Sung Hyun Park
- Annie Park
- Emily Kristine Pedersen
- Pornanong Phatlum
- Mel Reid
- Paula Reto
- Valentina Rossi (a)
- Pauline Roussin
- So Yeon Ryu
- Hae Ran Ryu
- Madelene Sagstrom
- Mao Saigo
- Lizette Salas
- Yuka Saso
- Sarah Schmelzel
- Sophia Schubert
- Hinako Shibuno
- Jenny Shin
- Jennifer Song
- Angela Stanford
- Maja Stark
- Lauren Stephenson
- Linnea Strom
- Jasmine Suwannapura
- Maddie Szeryk
- Elizabeth Szokol
- Kelly Tan
- Patty Tavatanakit
- Atthaya Thitikul
- Lexi Thompson
- Mariajo Uribe
- Albane Valenzuela
- Lilia Vu
- Chanettee Wannasaen
- Lindsey Weaver-Wright
- Amy Yang
- Ruoning Yin
- Angel Yin
- Xiaowen Yin
- Pavarisa Yoktuan
Where Is The Chevron Championship?
The 2023 Chevron Championship takes place at a new venue, The Club at Carlton Woods in Houston. That brings to an end its association with Mission Hills in California, which had been its home since the tournament's inception in 1972.
Who Is In The Field For The Chevron Championship?
Not surprisingly for a Major, most of the world's best are in action this week, including last year's winner Jennifer Kupcho and the three highest-ranked players in the world, Lydia Ko, \Nelly Korda and Jin Young Ko.
