Jeeno Thitikul, Hannah Green Headline Chevron Championship as LPGA’s First Major Begins in Houston

Posted : 22 April 2026

The LPGA season’s first major, the Chevron Championship, gets underway on Thursday with world number one Jeeno Thitikul and in-form Australian Hannah Green among the leading storylines as the tournament begins at its new venue, Memorial Park in Houston.

Jeeno Thitikul enters the championship still searching for her breakthrough major title. The 23-year-old Thai star has already built an impressive résumé on the LPGA Tour, including eight career victories, but a major crown remains elusive despite multiple close calls. She has recorded nine top-10 finishes in majors and has been competitive across all five events, with her best result a runner-up finish at last year’s Evian Championship.

In the build-up, Jeeno opted to skip last week’s event in Los Angeles to refine her swing and regain consistency in her iron play. She acknowledged that recent adjustments have affected her control but remains confident that her form is improving. While she accepts the pressure that comes with repeated near-misses, she described contention in majors as a sign her game is trending in the right direction and insisted she is learning from each opportunity.

On the other side of the field, Hannah Green arrives as one of the hottest players in women’s golf. The Australian has won three of her last five events, including back-to-back victories in Singapore and her home events before adding another win in Los Angeles last week. Her strong run has elevated expectations, though she remains cautious about managing form and pressure heading into a major championship.

Green, already a major winner after her 2019 Women’s PGA Championship triumph, admitted that confidence is high but stressed the difficulty of maintaining winning momentum, particularly in consecutive weeks. She emphasised the importance of patience and balance, noting that staying grounded will be key if she is to add a second major title.

Elsewhere in the field, world number two Nelly Korda returns as the 2024 Chevron champion and remains one of the leading favourites, while England’s Charley Hull also arrives in strong form following a win earlier this season in Saudi Arabia. Hull, however, is still chasing her first major despite multiple top-10 finishes on golf’s biggest stages.

Defending champion Mao Saigo of Japan returns to the event, though her form this season has been inconsistent, with no top-20 finishes in 2026 so far. With several top-ranked players in contention and a new course adding uncertainty, the Chevron Championship is set for a highly competitive opening major of the year.

Jeeno Thitikul, Hannah Green Headline Chevron Championship as LPGA’s First Major Begins in Houston

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