The LPGA's first major of the season drops into Houston this week as the Chevron Championship tees off at Memorial Park Golf Course. Defending champion Mao Saigo is back to protect her crown, while a lineup of recent winners, including Hyo Joo Kim and Hannah Green, will take on the city’s tournament-tested municipal layout. To keep one of golf's quirkiest traditions alive, organizers have even carved out a small temporary pond beside the 18th green so the champion can still celebrate with the signature victory leap.
According to LPGA, play runs April 23–26 with an $8 million purse and a $1.2 million winner’s share, with early-round coverage on Golf Channel and weekend windows on NBC. The move to Memorial Park was first flagged locally last November, setting off months of buzz about what a major on municipal turf would look like for fans, traffic and the neighborhood. Ticketing and visitor details live on the tournament site and its official partners.
Memorial Park Changes And Local Impact
For 2026, tournament staff have installed a temporary pond measuring 15 by 10 feet and 4.5 feet deep to the right of the 18th green, and they plan to expand it once Memorial Park's permanent routing is tweaked next year, as reported by the Houston Chronicle. The park already proved it can handle big-time golf when it hosted the Texas Children's Houston Open, and the walkable, fan-friendly layout should offer clean sightlines from fairway mounds and inside the ropes. Expect extra fencing, hospitality structures and some temporary adjustments to normal park access throughout tournament week.
Defending Champ And The Field
Mao Saigo returns as the player everyone is chasing after winning the 2025 title in a five-way sudden-death playoff, a finish chronicled by the AP. Saigo remains a rising star, young but already battle-tested, and she will sit squarely among the favorites when the leaders head out on Thursday. Local galleries will also be tracking other major champions in the field, players who bring both experience and serious power to Memorial Park's fairways.
Players In Form
Hyo Joo Kim shows up in Houston about as hot as anyone could hope to be. She posted back-to-back wins in late March, successfully defending her title at the Ford Championship after winning the Fortinet Founders Cup the previous week, according to LPGA media notes. That stretch included record-low rounds and a new 54-hole scoring mark, form that puts Kim among the sharpest players on tour heading into the season's first major. If she keeps rolling, Memorial Park's shorter par 4s and recovery-heavy holes could fit her game perfectly.
Hannah Green And Late Momentum
Hannah Green arrives on a serious high after a dramatic playoff victory at the JM Eagle LA Championship on April 19, flying into Houston with late-spring momentum that instantly thickens the top of the leaderboard, The Washington Post reports. Her knack for charging on the back nine and handling closing stretches under pressure makes her an easy fan favorite to trail on Sunday. With those recent results, she is firmly on the radar when the pins get tucked.
The field does not stop there. Three-time major winner Minjee Lee, Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko and England's Charley Hull, a consistent performer in big events, are all in the mix, with the Houston Chronicle detailing the full cast and subplots. Nelly Korda, Lauren Coughlin and veterans such as Stacy Lewis add even more storylines, setting Memorial Park up as one of the deeper and more volatile leaderboards of the year, from the opening tee shots through Sunday afternoon.
What Locals Should Know
Memorial Park Conservancy has advised that several parking lots and select park facilities will be closed during tournament week, and many entrances will require credentials, so visitors are urged to plan for alternate transit or rideshare, according to Memorial Park Conservancy. Ticket options and schedule changes are posted on the official tournament site, and those staying home can follow along via Golf Channel and NBC broadcast windows. Expect heavier foot traffic on Memorial Loop Drive and temporary traffic controls near Love Field and downtown during the busiest hours.
This year's Chevron Championship turns a city park into center stage, a major on public turf that still promises world-class golf and plenty of drama at the 18th. Watch for wild scoring swings, the debut of the new pond and a pack of in-form contenders trying to turn hot streaks into a major championship moment.
