{"id":602709,"date":"2026-04-24T01:39:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-24T01:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/602709\/"},"modified":"2026-04-24T01:39:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-24T01:39:29","slug":"can-memorial-park-save-the-lpgas-chevron-championship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/602709\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Memorial Park Save the LPGA’s Chevron Championship?"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s no secret the Chevron Championship<\/a> struggled in its three-year stint at the Club at Carlton Woods outside of Houston. What the first women\u2019s major of the season lacked in both juice and prestige, it made up for in poor fan turnout, stubbed chips<\/a>, egregious backboarding<\/a>, and even a near drowning<\/a> from Mao Saigo\u2019s celebratory leap last year into a murky pond off the 18th green. <\/p>\n

One of the highlights of LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler\u2019s first year on the job was announcing Memorial Park, a Houston muni and host of the PGA Tour\u2019s Texas Children\u2019s Houston Open, as the Chevron\u2019s new home beginning this week. Players, media, and fans praised the relocation across town, but the question remains: Can Memorial Park save the Chevron Championship?<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Before diving into the answer, it\u2019s important to look at how we ended up here. Dating back to 1983, the LPGA\u2019s season-opening major historically took place the week before the Masters at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California, under an eclectic mix of title sponsors. The announcement of the inaugural Augusta National Women’s Amateur in 2019, scheduled for that same weekend, left the championship founded by actress Dinah Shore in 1972 scrambling for its place on the golf calendar. Unable to compete with the allure of Augusta National and left without a sponsor and a dwindling purse, the Chevron Corporation stepped in to revive the championship in 2021 and was left no choice but to find a new date and venue.<\/p>\n

Memorial Park jumped into the golf limelight in recent years thanks to a large-scale renovation by Tom Doak<\/a>, courtesy of Jim Crane and the Houston Astros Foundation. Doak, with a little help from Brooks Koepka<\/a>, brought the struggling municipal course back to life with bold green complexes, updated bunker placement, and a re-established barranca system throughout the front nine. All of Tom\u2019s design work restored key strategic elements to the golf course for both tour players and everyday golfers. With its headquarters in Houston, keeping the championship in Space City was important to Chevron, and Memorial Park was the perfect solution on paper. The LPGA could piggyback on a PGA Tour setup and build out with better access to fans at a trending municipal course in the heart of the city. <\/p>\n

LPGA fans were apoplectic when the move from Mission Hills was first announced back in 2021, and the blandness of the Club at Carlton Woods proved them right. While I\u2019ll always appreciate the championship\u2019s history in the Coachella Valley, Memorial Park is far superior to Mission Hills as a major championship venue. But is that enough?<\/p>\n

Seeing this on the heels of Masters week where every move is calculated and steeped in decorum and tradition is especially jarring. Truly unserious stuff happening in Houston. Sidenote: 4ft is no where near deep enough and decent chance someone gets hurt. https:\/\/t.co\/eQOUR2GLL6<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Matthew Galloway (@matthewgalloway) April 13, 2026<\/a> <\/p>\n

One thing is certain: Clinging to the wistfulness of Amy Alcott’s jump into Poppie\u2019s Pond in 1988 at Mission Hills won\u2019t bring the Chevron back to prominence. The four-foot-deep water feature<\/a> installed near the 18th green at Memorial Park this week is a gimmick, a poor attempt at upholding a tradition that should’ve been left in California. Because traditions aren’t formed overnight. They take years of moments and meaning and memory to stick. Leaving behind what’s familiar isn’t the end; it’s the first step towards creating something new and fresh. <\/p>\n

Time will only tell if Memorial Park can carry the Chevron Championship into a bright new era for the LPGA and women\u2019s golf. The kiddie pool on the 18th hole<\/a> aside, I like its potential.<\/p>\n

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