The Chevron Championship officially has a new home.
On Wednesday, the LPGA and Chevron announced that the first major of the year will now be played at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, after being held at the Jack Nicklaus signature course at the Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, for the past three years. The move was first reported by Golf week in November.
The event, which is the first of five majors, will be contested from April 23-26, a month after Memorial Park will host the PGA Tour’s Texas Children’s Houston Open.
“Chevron’s partnership continues to set a standard for what it means to invest in women’s golf — not just as a championship, but as a platform to inspire and grow the game.” LPGA Commissioner Craig Kessler said in a statement. “Moving the Chevron Championship to Memorial Park Golf Course solidifies that vision. It brings the event closer to the heart of Houston, connecting more fans and communities with our athletes and helping this great event — a tradition that began in 1972 — continue to shine as one of the game’s most meaningful stages.”
Memorial Park hosted the Houston Open 14 times between 1947 and 1963. After the municipal jewel underwent a $34 million renovation led by architect Tom Doak, the tournament returned to Memorial Park in 2020. The Houston Open moved from fall to spring in 2024.
The Chevron Championship was contested at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California, for 51 years before moving to the Club at Carlton Woods in 2023.
Moving the Chevron Championship to Memorial Park should help the LPGA and tournament organizers draw a bigger crowd, with the event being held closer to downtown Houston.
“Bringing the Chevron Championship, the LPGA’s first major of the year, to the City of Houston’s Memorial Park Golf Course underscores our commitment to providing a world-class experience for fans and players that serves the greater Houston community and continues to showcase our great city to the world,” said Jim Crane, chairman of the Golfmorial Foundation, Golfmorial’s funder, A. in a statement. “The Astros Golf Foundation is proud to work alongside Chevron and the LPGA to strengthen this major tournament and help more Houstonians experience world-class events in the heart of the city. This event will highlight the incredible talent of the LPGA and further the growth and expansion of women’s golf – a mission we are proud to support.”
The move to Memorial Park will give the first title of the year a slightly different feel. Without the pond around the 18th green at Memorial Park, it could mark the end of the celebratory dance that was first made famous at Poppie’s Pond in California. Last year’s winner Mao Saigo jumped into the pond but tried to return to the dock because she is not a strong swimmer.
The decision to move the Chevron Championship sites is the latest in a series of major moves by Kessler, who has been commissioner for less than 200 days. Kessler submitted one groundbreaking deal to transform the LPGA’s television productbrought Saudi Golf as sponsor for a new tournament with a purse of 4 million dollars and began reworking the LPGA schedule to maximize the tournament’s ability to attract more attention; on Tuesday, TGL announced that will start a women’s league later this year. Now, the first major of the year will go to a municipal course near downtown Houston, which will lead to bigger crowds and an elevated profile.
