With the Masters done, the focus shifts towards the women’s Tour for its season-opening major, the Chevron Championship. The competition will feature some of the best female golfers in the world, with no clear winner in sight. Yet, who ranks in the top echelons of the power rankings for the inaugural major this year?

Time for new winners at the Chevron Championship?

Despite the history of the tournament, the event holds a new title: the Chevron Championship. Some of its previous traditions, such as the host course, Mission Hills, are set to be replaced by the Club at Carlton Woods. Could it be a sign of things to come in the season’s opening major championship?

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But which players in the 144-member field have the highest claim to the title? We’ll start with Canadian golfer, Brooke Henderson, who has been one of the most consistent players on tour. The 25-year-old has already clinched the season-opening Tournament of Champions this year, but can she add her third major championship to the tally?

Another two-time major champion, Jin Young Ko has had a parallel season. The 27-year-old has made heads turn with some dominant performances, which has left fans reminiscing about her exuberant talent. Indeed, a fit and firing Ko dominated the golf landscape for more than a year, which isn’t improbable if she continues in this sort of form.

Any power rankings without the World’s No. 1 golfer is baffling. Lydia Ko certainly gets into our standings, having already claimed victory this season at the LET’s Saudi Invitational. A past winner herself, Ko has first-hand experience winning the major championship.

A victory isn’t a far-fetched idea for Nelly Korda. The Olympic gold medalist has a solitary major to her name, with a runners-up finish coming closest in her bid to win the Chevron Championship. After a rollercoaster campaign last year, can the younger Korda pull off a crucial win to kick-start her season?

But on top of the power rankings is 20-year-old Atthaya Thitikul. Despite her brief time on the LPGA Tour, the Thai golfer has showcased incredible composure and talent, which has even rocketed her to the number one position on the Rolex standings. As is the case with many up-and-coming golfers, Thitikul’s early rise stands the best chance of coinciding with a victory, and the Chevron Championship couldn’t have come any sooner.

Who won the Chevron Championship last year?

The last edition of the tournament was remembered for its adieu to its long-time host, Mission Hills golf club. Yet, the event witnessed golfer Jennifer Kupcho’s inaugural victory on the tour, but it came with a heart-wrenching final few holes.

Having played beautifully across the first three rounds, Kupcho carried an overwhelming lead of nine shots heading onto Sunday. But her darkest dreams soon followed as the 25-year-old let slip her lead to merely two strokes, before she took a turn with another gusty performance on the final nine holes.

Kupcho’s victory marked the second consecutive occasion of a golfer winning the event as her debut LPGA Tour victory. Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit clinched the tournament in what was her first win in the 2021 edition.

Unsurprisingly, the event’s purse has witnessed a slight increase. This year’s Chevron Championship will feature a purse of $5.1 million, with a little more than $750,000 dished out to the winner.

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