Let’s step back from all of the Nelly Korda conversations and take a good look at this major championship venue. After 51 years in Rancho Mirage, Calif., The Chevron Championship moved to The Woodlands, Texas, and The Club at Carlton Woods last year. A 36-hole facility just north of Houston, this immense property has hosted a number of premier golf championships.
One of those championships was the 67th U.S. Junior Amateur, won by Will Zalatoris back in 2014. The Jack Nicklaus Signature Course bears the name of the greatest major winner of all time. Forget Korda’s streak of four straight victories for a moment and begin to consider what it will take any competitor in the 132-player field to win. The par-72 layout plays to 6,889 yards. It was the longest LPGA venue last year and will certainly sit at or near the top again in 2024.
Each of the top 25 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings are in this field, and with a $7.9 million purse and a major championship title on the line, who can blame them? The top 65 and ties will play the weekend looking for a first-place check of $1.2 million and a quick dip in the lake adjacent to the 18th green.
Jack Nicklaus designed the course in 2001, and it has 62 bunkers and nine holes where water comes into play. Some of those bunkers are as big as a par 3. The greens are an average of 6,800 square feet and possess unique slopes that partition them into distinct sections. The course itself covers an immense area. Walking between holes will keep these players expending energy through every step of the season’s first major championship.
The GCSAA report reveals a course in major championship shape. The Houston region has been warm, and the 2023 renovation has settled nicely. The forecast calls for temperatures in the 80s until Sunday, and a breeze will be blowing in the mid-teens with expectations for a rainy front to roll through on Saturday evening. Sunday’s closing round will be cooler and the windiest test of all four rounds.
Attending the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2014 provided many lessons about this venue. Just because the course is long, doesn’t mean length is the primary focus. If you look at the rounds and results of the top 10 from a year ago, their ability to produce success reveals a blueprint to contend in years to come.
- This is a complete tee-to-green affair. The top 10 from a year ago gained an average of 7 plus strokes on the field. Nelly Korda leads the 2024 field in strokes gained tee to green. Others in close proximity are Megan Khang, Alison Lee and Rose Zhang.
- Strokes gained approach is the second category that will catch your attention from the 2023 contenders. Greens in regulation in a major are a valuable commodity. Korda, Nasa Hataoka and Lydia Ko are the best strokes gained approach and greens in regulation players to watch this week.
- If length is a key, how can we differentiate the long hitters? Combine the scoring average and strokes gained off the tee analytics. Korda, Patty Tavatanakit, Brooke Henderson and Charley Hull are the top players available on the board.
- These greens are designed in sections, so if you hit it in the wrong quadrant, it will be tremendously hard to two-putt. Major championships are decided with the flat stick, and last year's Chevron Championship was no different. Don't forget to select great putters like Angel Yin, Hyo Joo Kim, Jin Young Ko and Sei Young Kim. Makes sense really, as Angel Yin lost to another great putte,r Lilia Vu, in the playoff last year.
Are there any other attributes that you should be looking at? Players are going to make mistakes, so avoiding bogeys with excellent around-the-green acumen will be key. Once again, Korda tops this field, but alongside her are Tavatanakit, Leona Maguire and Lydia Ko.
That’s obviously a list of major champions and elite young players, and there has to be a way to narrow all of these contenders down. Nelly gets the nod in so many categories, but she can be beaten. Prior to her winning four in a row, there were other winners this year, as (Lydia) Ko, Tavatanakit and Hannah Green all secured a victory earlier this spring.
The last factor to seriously consider is par-4 and -5 scoring, with par 4s weighing more than par 5s (70-30). Unsurprisingly, Korda leads the field, and those quick to follow her are Xiyu Lin and Hull. Now you’re getting an idea of how to break this all down. Individual stats come together in analytics like par-4 scoring, and by combining certain skills, we can see the winner’s picture a little clearer. It might look a lot like Korda, but based on this research, pay attention to Tavatanakit, Sei Young Kim, Henderson and just a few others.
We only get a couple of tournaments with a venue like this each year, so definitely pick some players for yourself. The action is going to be entertaining and will be even more engaging if you back some players to win.
Keith Stewart is an award-winning PGA Professional. He covers the LPGA and PGA TOUR for Golf Digest, The Sporting News, Sports Grid, and the two tours. If you are looking to raise your golf acumen and love inside information about the game, check out his weekly newsletter called Read The Line.
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