LPGA's first major of 2026 comes with big questions and massive stakes

The stakes for all parties are major at this week's Chevron Championship Getty Images HOUSTON — For the first time in 2026, the LPGA is center stage, and the year’s first major comes with massive stakes. Under the direction of new commissioner Craig Kessler, the LPGA has big plans to break through . That includes a new broadcast television deal, schedule changes, purse increases and a plan to create a stable of global stars.

All this serves Kessler’s main focus: Finding a way to grab attention and hold on to it — to better satisfy the current fans who desperately want to see women’s golf elevated while harvesting a new group of supporters. Making that climb is easier said than done. Perhaps no tournament better underscores the challenges facing the LPGA and women’s golf than this week’s Chevron Championship.

It’s the year’s first major, but one that has lacked a significant identity. It was elevated to major status in 1983 but has gone through numerous name changes and moved from Mission Hills to the Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, in 2023. The only things that have stayed the same are the iconic jump into Poppie’s Pond and the winning robe, and even that has had to be shoehorned in since the move.

The move to Texas didn’t help with this unique crisis, as the course at Carlton Woods and the event’s broadcast failed to make it feel like the major it’s billed as. As the LPGA has looked to grow and expand, the Chevron Championship has found itself at a crossroads. It has a rich history, and Chevron has invested in the event, but it hasn’t fully cemented a major championship identity that the LPGA needs for the first big tournament of the season.