One week after The Masters, it’s the ladies’ turn to have their first major of the season as the LPGA heads to Houston for the Chevron Championship. As dominant as Scottie Scheffler has looked on the men’s side, World No. 1 Nelly Korda (5/1) has won four consecutive events on the LPGA Tour coming into this week, and the 12-time LPGA Tour winner is looking to add her second major championship at a venue where she nearly won last year before finishing third. 

Fellow American and World No. 2 Lilia Vu (33/1) is the defending champion here but comes in a little out of form with just one Top 10 finish this season. 

 

There is a big drop off on the odds board from Nelly Korda to the next choices on the odds board with several players residing in the 25-30/1 range including Jin Young Ko, Atthaya Thitikul, Brooke Henderson, Lydia Ko (the winner of the season opener in Orlando), Patty Tavatanakit (a winner this season in her native Thailand), Sei Young Kim, and Rose Zhang. 

In total, 38 of the Top 40 players in the Rolex Rankings are here this week along with 34 past LPGA major champions competing for a $7.9 million purse, which has increased 154% since 2022. 

The Event

The Chevron Championship was founded in 1972 as the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winners Circle by singer and actress Dinah Shore and Colgate-Palmolive chairman David Foster and was played at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California from its inception through 2022. In 2023, the championship was played in The Woodlands, Texas for the first time at The Club at Carlton Woods – Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. Sometimes referred to as The Dinah Shore in deference to its founder, the tournament has had many official sponsored titles, all of which included Shore’s name until 2000. The tournament relocated to the Greater Houston area in 2023 due to a new sponsorship agreement with Chevron Corporation.

The Course

The Club at Carlton Woods (Jack Nicklaus Signature Course) was designed in 2001 by the aforementioned Nicklaus and is located in The Woodlands, TX, located just 28 miles north of Houston. It is a Par 72 of 6,824 yards and is the longest course on the LPGA Tour. Length is really the main defense of this course unless the wind picks up, which it often can during the springtime in Texas. 

There are 62 bunkers, and water is in play on nine of the 18 holes.

The Bermuda fairways are about 30 yards wide on average, so they are not exactly tight but are on the narrow side with 2.5″ rough surrounding said fairways.

The greens are large here at an average of 6,800 sq ft and will roll at around 12 on the stimpmeter. 

Recent History/Winners

2023: Lilia Vu (-10/278); 18/1*
2022: Jennifer Kupcho (-14/274); 70/1
2021: Patty Tavatanakit (-18/270); 200/1
2020: Mirim Lee (-15/273); 600/1**
2019: Jin Young Ko (-10/278); 9/1
2018: Pernilla Lindberg (-15/273); 225/1***
2017: So Yeon Ryu (-14/274); 14/1****
2016: Lydia Ko (-12/276); 5/1
2015: Brittany Lincicome (-9/279); 66/1*****
2014: Lexi Thompson (-14/274); 22/1
2013: Inbee Park (-15/273); 14/1
2012: Sun Young Yoo (-9/279); 66/1******


Playoff win over Angel Yin – *
Playoff win over Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson – **
Playoff win over Inbee Park, Jennifer Song – ***
Playoff win over Lexi Thompson – ****
Playoff win over Stacy Lewis – *****
Playoff win over IK Kim – ******

Note: In 2023, the Chevron Championship moved to its present venue. 

Selections

Nelly Korda 3/2 Top 10 Finish DraftKings
It is tough to bet a 5/1 outright in any golf event, particularly a major. However, this might be the best way to have some exposure on the clear No. 1 player in the world. Nelly was 3rd here last year. 

Patty Tavatanakit 28/1 DraftKings
Patty T is a two-time winner this year having won the Saudi Ladies International and the LPGA event in her native Thailand within consecutive weeks back in February. 
She ranks 5th off-the-tee and at 6th in driving distance she’s one of the longest players on tour.

Yuka Saso 40/1 Bet365
The 2021 U.S. Women’s Open Champion, Saso hasn’t missed a cut yet this season, starting the year with a 7th-place finish in the Saudi Ladies International and has since recorded five top 30s in a row on the LPGA (four of them top 20s)

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