Chevron Championship 2026: All Tee Times and favorites at a glance

The first women's major of the 2026 season will take place in Houston from April 23 - all Tee Times, the most exciting pairings, the most important facts about the tournament and the hottest favorites at a glance.

Chevron Championship 2026 at a glance

The 2026 women's golf season kicks off in Houston. The Chevron Championship, the first of five majors on the LPGA Tour, kicks off on April 23 - and for the first time in the tournament's history, Memorial Park Golf Course will be the stage. The traditional municipal course in the middle of the Texan metropolis welcomes the best women's field in the world, distributes $9 million in prize money and promises four days of top-class golf at the highest level. Defending champion Mao Saigo from Japan goes into the race as one of the favorites - but the competition is particularly strong this year.

Chevron Championship 2026: The start times for the first round

The first match day of the Chevron Championship 2026 begins on Thursday, April 23, at 7:15 a.m. local time in Houston (Central Time). The field will start in a two-tee format: groups will start the round from hole 1 and hole 10 at the same time. For spectators in Europe: Houston local time is CEST minus seven hours - a 7:15 a.m. start in Texas means 2:15 p.m. in Central Europe.

A brief overview of the day's most exciting pairings before we move on to the full table:

• 1:39 p.m., Hole 10: The highlight par excellence - defending champion Mao Saigo faces Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu, two of the strongest contenders for the title, in her starting group.
• 8:15 a.m., hole 1: The most in-form players in the field start together: Hannah Green, Hyo-Joo Kim and Charley Hull - numbers five, three and four in the world rankings.
• 13:27, hole 10: World number one Jeeno Thitikul starts the round together with Brooke Henderson and Ruoning Yin.
• 8:39 a.m., Hole 1: A group full of history - Lexi Thompson, Patty Tavatanakit and Lydia Ko have three chevron titles between them.
• 13:03, Hole 10: An emotional farewell: Stacy Lewis, who won the tournament in 2011 and announced her retirement this week, starts together with Yani Tseng and Grace Kim.

Start times round 1 - Chevron Championship 2026

Who will win the 2026 Chevron Championship? Check out the top favorites

Nelly Korda - in the footsteps of legends

The American is one of the hottest contenders for the title. Korda already won the tournament in 2024 and also had an almost flawless spring season in 2026. Her scoring average of 68.27 is the best on the entire Tour. Statistician Justin Ray has noted that Korda is only the third player since 1980 to start a season with at least four finishes in the top two. The other two - Karrie Webb and Annika Sorenstam - each won the first major of their season. The bar could hardly be higher.

Hannah Green - the most in-form player in the field

Four wins this season, including the JM Eagle LA Championship - the Australian is simply the most consistent player in the field. Her world number five ranking belies the fact that Green is currently in the best form of her career. She starts the Chevron Championship at 8:15 a.m. (local time) together with Hyo-Joo Kim and Charley Hull - a group that is likely to dominate the entire morning.

Hyo-Joo Kim - two wins in a row

The South Korean recently won both the Fortinet Founders Cup and the Ford Championship and is rolling into the first major of the season with a huge tailwind. Kim is ranked third in the world and has recently proven that she is capable of controlling tournaments over several rounds.

Jeeno Thitikul - the world number one is looking for her first major title

Atthaya Thitikul from Thailand tops the world rankings - and this week carries expectations accordingly. She has yet to win a major title. The question of whether 2026 will be her year is one of the big narratives this week. She starts at 13:27 from hole 10 together with Brooke Henderson and Ruoning Yin.

Mao Saigo - the defending champion

The Japanese player won the 2025 Chevron Championship in a dramatic playoff and returns to Houston as defending champion. In this year's Champions Group, she starts at 13:39 from hole 10 - in a group with Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu, who are also among the favourites.

These former winners will start 2026 in Houston

Eleven former winners are taking part this year - and they all carry the special status of chevron champion with them. With two titles (2009 and 2015), Brittany Lincicome is the only one in the field with multiple victories. The complete list:

• Mao Saigo (2025)
• Nelly Korda (2024)
• Lilia Vu (2023)
• Jennifer Kupcho (2022)
• Patty Tavatanakit (2021)
• Jin Young Ko (2019)
• Lydia Ko (2016)
• Brittany Lincicome (2015, 2009)
• Lexi Thompson (2014)
• Stacy Lewis (2011)
• Yani Tseng (2010)

The participation of Stacy Lewis, who announced her retirement from professional golf this week, is particularly moving. The two-time major winner and Hall-of-Famer is ending her career where she celebrated one of her greatest triumphs in 2011. Lewis will start at 13:03 from hole 10 - together with another former chevron winner: Yani Tseng.

A muni becomes a major stage: Memorial Park Golf Course

The Memorial Park Golf Course is located just five miles from the center of Houston and is one of the most-played municipal courses in the USA with over 60,000 rounds per year. it was extensively renovated in 2019 at a cost of 34 million dollars - architect Tom Doak and consultant Brooks Koepka redesigned every single hole. Since 2020, the course has been home to the PGA Tour event Texas Children's Houston Open. For the Chevron Championship, it is played to a Par 70 at 6,811 yards - with major Rough, narrow Fairways and fast greens.

No pond, no problem: the plunge pool tradition at the Chevron

It's one of the most beautiful moments in women's golf: the winner jumping into the water after the last Putt on hole 18. Amy Alcott established this Traditions in 1988 when she spontaneously jumped into the pond on the final hole at Mission Hills - and since then, the jump has been a must for every Chevron winner.

But Memorial Park has no water hazard on the 18th green. The solution: a temporary plunge pool - 15 by 10 feet in size and 4.5 feet deep - was built to the right of the closing green, especially for this one Traditions. The LPGA clarified:

$9 million prize purse: Chevron Championship sets new benchmark

The 2026 Chevron Championship will pay out $9 million in prize money - $1 million more than last year and almost $6 million more than the first tournament under Chevron's title sponsorship in 2022. The winner's purse is $1,350,000. Also worth noting is the cut scholarship: any player who misses the cut will receive $10,000 to cover their expenses for the week. The Chevron Championship is one of only eleven of the 33 LPGA events to offer this support.

In addition, the tournament offers its participants an environment that sets it apart from other tournaments: All players receive a personalized Cadillac Courtesy Car. Former winners are allowed to drive a Bentley this week, occupy a suite in the Post Oak Hotel - the only Forbes Five-Star Hotel & Spa in Texas - free of charge and enjoy an exclusive Champions Locker Room.

The Champions Dinner is also a tradition: this year, Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller was at the stove and the menu was created in collaboration with defending champion Mao Saigo.

In addition to the famous Dinah Shore Trophy - the symbol of tournament victory since 1983 - the winner will receive a pair of individually designed western boots from Republic Boot Company: one pair to wear, a second pair, gold-plated, for permanent display.

Laura Lane, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at Chevron, commented on the prize money increase, "At Chevron, we are proud to further strengthen women's golf by increasing the prize money to $9 million and making this tournament a special experience for the players. This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to advancing opportunities in women's sports, recognizing the extraordinary achievements of these athletes and helping to ensure the sport continues to grow and inspire future generations." (Source: LPGA.com)

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about the 2026 Chevron Championship

When will the 2026 Chevron Championship take place? The 2026 Chevron Championship will be held from April 23-26, 2026.

Where will the Chevron Championship 2026 be played? The tournament will take place at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston, Texas - the first time in the tournament's history at this venue.

Who is the defending champion of the 2026 Chevron Championship? The defending champion is Mao Saigo from Japan, who won the play-off in 2025.

How much is the prize money for the 2026 Chevron Championship? The total prize money is $9 million. The winner receives $1,350,000.

When does Nelly Korda start at the Chevron Championship 2026? Nelly Korda will start on Thursday, April 23, at 13:39 local time (20:39 CEST) from hole 10 - together with defending champion Mao Saigo and Lilia Vu.

When will Jeeno Thitikul start at the 2026 Chevron Championship? Jeeno Thitikul (world ranking #1) tees off from hole 10 at 13:27 local time (20:27 CEST) - in a group with Brooke Henderson and Ruoning Yin.

What is the winning women's jump at the Chevron Championship? Since 1988, the Chevron winner has jumped into the water after her final Putt on hole 18 - a Traditions started by Amy Alcott. As Memorial Park does not have a water hazard on the 18th green, a temporary plunge pool was specially installed in 2026.