The Chevron Championship is a standout event in the world of women's golf, and for good reason. But what makes it so unique?
How do players qualify, and where will the tournament be held this year? We've got all the answers as the first women's major of the season approaches, live on Sky Sports. The Chevron Championship is the third-oldest women's major, after the US Women's Open and the Women's PGA Championship, although it only gained major status in 1983. This year's tournament will be the 56th edition, with 132 golfers competing for the prestigious Dinah Shore Trophy.
The event was initially a 54-hole tournament but has since grown into one of the most highly anticipated events on the women's golf calendar, boasting a substantial prize purse. The Chevron Championship was first held at Mission Hills Country Club in California before moving to the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course at The Club at Carlton Woods in Texas in 2023.
For 2026, the tournament will take place at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, a par-72 course that regularly hosts the PGA Tour's Houston Open. One of the tournament's most beloved traditions was started by three-time champion Amy Alcott in 1988, when she jumped into the lake next to the 18th green at Mission Hills Country Club to celebrate her victory. Since then, it has become a tradition for every champion to leap into a pond next to the green. This year, the hosts at Memorial Park are taking the tradition seriously, installing a temporary pool near the 18th hole for the winner to jump into.
Unlike the AIG Women's Open, which allows amateur players with a handicap of 0.4 or lower to qualify, The Chevron Championship is reserved for the best of the best. The field includes past champions, former major winners, and LPGA Tournament winners, as well as the top-10 players from the previous year's championship. Players from other tours, including the top two players on the Ladies European Tour, LPGA of Japan, and the LPGA of Korea, are also invited to attend. The 2026 event will feature eight of the world's best amateur players.
Defending champion Mao Saigo is hoping to win back-to-back titles this year in Texas, after outlasting four other players in a playoff to claim victory at the 2025 Chevron Championship. Multiple British stars, including Charley Hull and Lottie Woad, are also in the field this week, with Hull looking to win her first major and Woad eyeing a first major victory in Houston.
In-form Australian Hannah Green is one of the favorites to claim victory in the first women's major of the season, having won four of her last five starts in 2026. South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim is another in-form player, having secured back-to-back victories at the Fortinet Founders Cup and the Ford Championship earlier in March. Nelly Korda, a past Chevron Champion, is enjoying a flying start to the 2026 season, having won one event and finished second in her other three starts. Former European Solheim Cup captain Annika Sorenstam is one of the event's most famous past champions, having won the major three times.
Lexi Thompson is another past champion, winning the event in 2014. The prize pot for The Chevron Championship has been raised by $100,000 this year, with a total of $8m to be split between the top finishers. The event will be live on Sky Sports, with coverage of all four days taking place between 23-26 April. Golf fans can tune in to Sky Sports Main Event or Sky Sports Golf from 4pm on Thursday and Friday for early coverage of the first and second rounds.
The action continues through the weekend, with live coverage of the final two rounds commencing at 7pm on Saturday and Sunday on Sky Sports Golf. Live action is available for all four tournament days along with a host of extra feeds and highlights on Sky Sports+.
Who will win The Chevron Championship? Watch the opening women's major of the 2026 season throughout the next week live on Sky Sports.