[Photo: Harry How, Getty Images]
With two players inside the top seven of the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking and coming off a two-win major season in 2025, Aussie hopes are high heading into the first LPGA major of the year, The Chevron Championship in Texas.
Hannah Green’s fourth win of 2026 at the JM Eagle LA Championship on Sunday sees the West Australian move into fifth on the world ranking, Minjee Lee dropping two spots to No.7.
Lee won the ANNIKA Major Award for a second time last year courtesy of her third major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, a tie for third at the Amundi Evian Championship and top-15 finishes at The Chevron Championship and AIG Women’s Open.
Backing up the Aussie big two are six 20-somethings with credentials that strengthen week after week.
Grace Kim is a major winner following her Evian Championship win last year while Karis Davidson, Cassie Porter and Robyn Choi are each looking more and more comfortable in LPGA company.
After two years at Carlton Woods, The Chevron Championship moves into the heart of Houston and Memorial Park Golf Course.
It is a venue where an Australian has enjoyed recent success, Min Woo Lee able to provide valuable insight on the back of his PGA TOUR breakthrough at the Texas Children’s Houston Open little more than 12 months ago.
“Carlton Woods was a great venue, but I didn’t have much success there,” Green said after her third JM Eagle LA Championship win.
“Memorial Park will hopefully do me good mentally. I also am coming into the first major of the year probably the most confident I have been in my own game.”
All four rounds of The Chevron Championship will be broadcast live on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports.
The Chevron Championship
Memorial Park Golf Course, Houston, Texas
Defending champion: Mao Saigo
Past Aussie winners: Karrie Webb (2000, 2006)
Prizemoney: $US8m (approx. $A12 million)
Live scores: lpga.com
TV coverage
Friday: Live 1am-5am on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports; Live 8am-10am on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports
Saturday: Live 1am-5am on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports; Live 8am-10am on Fox Sports 503 and Kayo Sports
Sunday: Live 4am-8am on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports
Monday: Live 4am-8am on Fox Sports 505 and Kayo Sports
[Photo: Golf Australia]
Australian Player Profiles
Hannah Green
World ranking: 5
Age: 29
Major wins: 1
LPGA Tour wins: 8
Best finish at Chevron Championship: T8 (2022)
The lowdown: There is no player hotter in world golf right now than Hannah Green. Fresh off a run of three straight tournament victories, the West Australian bounced back from a missed cut in Las Vegas with a fourth win from her past five starts at the JM Eagle LA Championship. The move to Memorial Park is believed to suit Green who is without a top-10 finish in a major since the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Minjee Lee
World ranking: 7
Age: 29
Major wins: 3
LPGA Tour wins: 11
Best finish at Chevron Championship: T3 (2017)
The lowdown: Comes into the first LPGA major of the year having withdrawn after Round 1 of the JM Eagle LA Championship. Adding a third major at last year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Lee was tied third in her season debut at the HSBC Women’s World Championship and was tied fifth at the Fortinet Founders Cup.
Grace Kim
World ranking: 26
Age: 25
Major wins: 1
LPGA Tour wins: 2
Best finish at Chevron Championship: T59 (2025)
The lowdown: Makes her fourth Chevron start and first since Kim’s stunning playoff victory at the 2025 Amundi Evian Championship. It has been a steady if unspectacular start to Kim’s 2026 season, making the cut in all six events with a best finish her tie for 10th at the Australian Open at Kooyonga.
Stephanie Kyriacou
World ranking: 64
Age: 25
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at Chevron Championship: T30 (2025)
The lowdown: After two consecutive top-15 finishes to end the 2025 majors season, it has been an extremely challenging start to the year for the Sydneysider. There wern e encouraging signs at Webex Players Series Sydney but Kyriacou comes into Houston having missed each of her past five cuts, including both the Australian Open and Australian WPGA Championship.
Karis Davidson
World ranking: 81
Age: 27
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at Chevron Championship: T56 (2023)
The lowdown: Comes into the year’s first major with two top-five finishes this season and at a career high of No.81 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking. Tied for fourth at the Australian Open, Davidson dealt with the challenge of Wolf Creek in Las Vegas better than most, finishing tied fifth at the Aramco Championship. Making her third Chevron Championship start.
Cassie Porter
World ranking: 83
Age: 23
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at Chevron Championship: T40 (2025)
The lowdown: Delivered one of the great final rounds in Australian Open history to finish second behind Hannah Green at Kooyonga last month. The 23-year-old followed that up with a tie for fifth at the Fortinet Founders Cup a week later and pushed inside the top 80 in the world ranking for the first time in her career with a top-15 finish at the Ford Championship.
Gabriela Ruffels
World ranking: 123
Age: 26
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at Chevron Championship: T15 (2020)
The lowdown: A delayed start to her season due to a wrist injury, Ruffels celebrated her 26th birthday last Saturday. Her best finish this year is a tie for 27th at the Aramco Championship and her best result in the Chevron Championship came when she was still an amateur, finishing tied 15th at Mission Hills Country Club in 2020.
Robyn Choi
World ranking: 125
Age: 28
Major wins: 0
LPGA Tour wins: 0
Best finish at Chevron Championship: T54 (2024)
The lowdown: Quietly establishing herself as a consistent performer on the LPGA Tour. The Gold Coaster has made 19 of her past 25 cuts over the past two seasons with seven top-15 finishes in that period. Rose to a career high of No.123 in the world on the back of a tie for 12th at the Fortinet Founders Cup last month.
The Course
Redesigned by renowned architect Tom Doak in 2019, Memorial Park Golf Course offers top-tier facilities and a welcoming experience for both players and fans. According to Doak and consultant Brooks Koepka, the course’s priority is “not to defend par, but to provide opportunities for dramatic lead changes and excitement for both golfers and fans”. Memorial Park will play as a par 72 this week with a total yardage of 6,811 yards (6,228m).
