Winning a Major is a surefire way of guaranteeing a place in the history books, and the prestige of winning one of the titles is almost unrivaled elsewhere in the game.
The women’s game offers five opportunities to do that each year, beginning with the Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods in Texas.
Like all Majors, there are plenty of perks with winning the event, some unique to it and some shared with the other four. Here are 10 of the best perks of winning the Chevron Championship
The Trophy
The Dinah Shore trophy is what each player in the field dreams of holding aloft on Sunday evening. Television personality Shore was one of the big driving forces of the women’s game before her death in 1994, and she regularly presented it to the winner, so it was apt when it was given her name.
The trophy was crafted in the 1980s at a cost of more than $25,000, taking over six months to complete.
The winner also receives a 12-inch silver plated replica of the elegant trophy personalized with her name.
Prize Money
One of the most obvious perks for the professionals in the field is the prize money, and that’s more apparent than ever at this year’s tournament, which sees a huge increase in the purse, from $5.1m to $7.9m.
But what does that mean for the winner? Quite simply, for the first time in the event’s history, the winner will walk away with a seven-figure sum, or $1.185m, to be exact.
Jumping In The Pond
Before the Chevron Championship moved to its new permanent home, it had been held at Mission Hills, and ever since Amy Alcott jumped in Poppie’s Pond near the 18th in 1988, it had been a tradition for subsequent champions to do the same.
Pleasingly (well, sort of) that tradition continued in 2023, although some would argue whether it remains a perk - that’s because the lake close to the 18th at Carlton Woods is known as a home for alligators!
Lilia Vu seemed quite perturbed when she took the plunge in 2023 and didn’t hang around to savor the moment, but steps have been taken to ensure its safety in 2024, including extending the dock away from the potentially slippery stone edge, building a new rock wall, and - most reassuringly - installing anti-gator netting in the water. Phew!
LPGA Tour Hall Of Fame Points
One of the greatest honors for any golfer is to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. It goes without saying that that is no easy proposition, with 27 points needed to book a place among the all-time greats in the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. For context, just one is awarded for each regular LPGA Tour win.
One way to make some headway is to win the Chevron Championship, which, like the other four Majors, awards two points for victory. For Lydia Ko, one will do, as she heads into the 2024 edition on 26.
Champions Dinner
It may not receive quite the publicity as the Masters Champions Dinner in the men’s game, but the Chevron Championship has its own meal to celebrate the previous year’s winner.
In 2024 defending champion Lilia Vu requested to celebrated chef Thomas Keller, who is also a keen golfer, a meal that included a steak dish and some Vietnamese influences. She wasn’t disappointed, saying in her pre-tournament press conference: “Oh, my God, last night was amazing. Every single course that came out, he hit it out of the park. It was so good.”
Rolex Women's World Golf Ranking Points
One of the big perks of winning a Major is the huge number of world ranking points on offer. Like the men’s game, Major winners claim 100 world ranking points, significantly more than other LPGA Tour events. For example, Nelly Korda won only 62 points for her win in the Ford Championship the month before the 2024 edition.
Race To CME Globe Points
The season-long Race To CME Globe is another area where players can seriously cash in with the number of points they win. Winners of regular LPGA Tour events would typically claim 500 points, but that’s bumped up to 650 for the Majors, including the Chevron Championship.
Exemptions
Winning any of the Majors in the women’s game guarantees a slot at the remaining four for the next five years, as well as the same length of time on the LPGA Tour.
Those who win the Chevron Championship don’t need to worry about how they will qualify for the tournament ever again, as they receive a lifetime exemption.
Points Towards The Rolex ANNIKA Major Award
Since 2014, another incentive has been the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, which recognizes the player with the most outstanding Major record during any given LPGA Tour season. Points are awarded for players finishing anywhere on the top 10 of the leaderboard, but there’s a catch: only players who have won a Major that season can ultimately be in the running for the award.
A Rolex Watch
One of the little-known perks of being a first-time women’s Major winner is a Rolex watch. That’s something 2022 Chevron Championship winner Jennifer Kupcho particularly loved.
Before the 2022 DIO Implant Open in Los Angeles later in the year, she said: “I think honestly like one of the coolest things is being able to get a Rolex. I think that’s pretty cool being a first-time winner.
"It’s part of the LPGA,” she continued. “Every first-time [Major] winner gets a Rolex watch.”
