HOUSTON (AP) — The Chevron Championship is moving the LPGA's first major of the year to Memorial Park, just four weeks after Houston's public course hosts the Houston Open on the PGA Tour.
The Chevron had been played at The Club at Carlton Woods, a Jack Nicklaus suburban club about 40 miles north of Houston, since relocating in 2023. The move to Memorial Park was to bring the tournament closer to Chevron's headquarters and to downtown Houston.
“For
more than a century, Houston has been central to Chevron's story,” said Laura Lane, the chief corporate affairs officer for Chevron. “Collaborating with Memorial Park allows us to honor that legacy while advancing our commitment to women's golf and giving back to the community.”
Tom Doak redesigned Memorial Park, and it returned to hosting the Houston Open in 2020, first in the fall portion of the PGA Tour and then moving to the spring in 2024.
The Houston Open is March 26-29. The Chevron Championship will be played April 23-26. It was not clear if the LPGA would be using any of the infrastructure in place for the PGA Tour event.
Chevron took over as title sponsor in 2022 of the major that since 1972 — it became a major in 1983 — had been held at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California. It was the only LPGA major that didn’t move, and featured its fabled tradition of the winner jumping into Poppie’s Pond around the 18th green.
The Chevron attempted to revive the tradition jumping into a murky lake to the left of the 18th green at Carlton Woods. There is no water around the 18th at Memorial Park.
“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 strengthens that vision. It brings the event closer to the heart of Houston, connecting more fans and communities to our athletes, and helping ensure this major ... continues to shine as one of the game’s most meaningful stages.”
___
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
