The 2026 Chevron Championship is the first major of the LPGA season with world number two Nelly Korda heading the betting odds to land another major title in Texas.
The tournament takes place from April 22-26 at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, as the Jack Nicklaus-designed layout once again hosts the LPGA’s opening major of the year.
Korda memorably triumphed here in 2024 as part of her historic hot streak and arrives in 2026 looking to regain the title, as do recent Chevron winners Lilia Vu, Jennifer Kupcho and Patty Tavatanakit.
Mao Saigo is back to defend the title she won in 2025 when coming out on top in a five-way play-off.
The 120-player field also features world number one Jeeno Thitikul, Hyo Joo Kim, Miyu Yamashita and Hannah Green, all of whom have contended regularly on the LPGA Tour over the past 12 months.
Current The Chevron Championship 2026 Betting Odds
| Player | Betting Odds |
|---|---|
| Nelly Korda | +650 (13/2) |
| Jeeno Thitikul | +1300 (13/1) |
| Hyo Joo Kim | +1700 (17/1) |
| Hannah Green | +1900 (19/1) |
| Miyu Yamashita | +1900 (19/1) |
| Akie Iwai | +2100 (21/1) |
| Haeran Ryu | +2100 (21/1) |
| Minjee Lee | +2100 (21/1) |
Leading The Chevron Championship Contenders
Nelly Korda
Nelly Korda arrives at the 2026 Chevron Championship still firmly established as one of the dominant forces in the women’s game, already a multiple major champion that includes the 2024 Chevron.
Her victory at Carlton Woods in 2024 was her fifth win in a row on the LPGA Tour, tying the all-time record for consecutive victories alongside Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam and underlining just how high her ceiling is when she catches fire.
The American has repeatedly shown that she can overpower this golf course with a high-class tee‑to‑green game and the ability to attack the par fives, which suits Carlton Woods perfectly.
Korda sets the standard and rightly goes off a short price to add another Chevron to her growing major collection.
Jeeno Thitikul
World number one Jeeno Thitikul heads to Texas as perhaps the most consistent player in the women’s game, having climbed to the top of the rankings through an almost relentless run of high finishes.
The Thai star has already added to her LPGA haul in 2026, winning the Honda LPGA Thailand on home soil at 24‑under‑par for what was reported as her eighth LPGA title, achieved with all four rounds in the 60s.
She has shown she can handle Carlton Woods, having recorded finishes of T4 and 12th since the event moved here, and if she finds her top gear Thitikul looks tailor‑made to contend deep into Sunday.
Hyo Joo Kim
Hyo Joo Kim is one of the most quietly accomplished major performers in the field, with a resume that already includes a major victory at the 2014 Evian Championship and multiple close calls in big events.
Crucially for this week, she has already come within a whisker of winning this very championship, having lost in a five‑way playoff at the 2025 Chevron after another typically controlled performance.
Kim’s 2026 campaign has started in style, with a wire‑to‑wire victory at the Fortinet Founders Cup and success over Korda in the Ford Championship.
Given the near‑miss at Carlton Woods in 2025 and the confidence of early‑season wins, Kim brings both proven course form and current momentum into the 2026 Chevron.
Miyu Yamashita
Japan’s Miyu Yamashita continues to establish herself as one of the most technically impressive players on the LPGA or JLPGA circuits, with advanced strokes‑gained numbers highlighting a very modern, well‑rounded game.
In recent LPGA statistics she ranks strongly in total strokes gained, with a positive profile in approach play and around‑the‑green performance and a notably elite mark in strokes gained putting, where she has been inside the top five.
Yamashita’s first full LPGA season in 2025 delivered a string of encouraging finishes, including a solid top‑30 on debut at the Chevron Championship and victory in the AIG Women’s Open for her first major.
That progression suggests upside at Carlton Woods, particularly if she can pair her sharp putting with just a slight improvement off the tee, where she still gives up a little to the longest hitters.
Hannah Green
Hannah Green arrives at the Chevron Championship as arguably the hottest player in women’s golf, riding a surge of form that has seen her rack up four worldwide victories already in 2026.
The Australian has won the HSBC Women’s World Championship, the Women’s Australian Open, the Australian WPGA and last week the JM Eagle LA Championship, where she claimed the title for the third time in four years.
Green is already a proven major champion thanks to her 2019 KPMG Women’s PGA win, and her current run takes her LPGA victory tally to eight marks her as a genuine candidate to carry her streak into Houston this week.
James is an avid golfer and reviews golf equipment and new gear for GolfReviewsGuide.com as well as providing the latest golf news. You will find him on a golf course wherever possible.