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| Chevron Championship | |
|---|---|
| Name | Chevron Championship |
| Established | 1972 |
| Course | Mission Hills Country Club (Dinah Shore Tournament Course) |
| Tour | LPGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Purse | $5,800,000 (2023) |
| Month | April |
| Aggregate | 269 Amy Alcott (1991) |
| To-par | −19 Amy Alcott (1991) |
| Current champion | Lilia Vu |
Chevron Championship is a major championship on the LPGA Tour that has been contested since 1972 and is one of the five women's professional golf majors. Founded during the administration of Richard Nixon and contemporaneous with events like the 1972 United States presidential election, the tournament grew from an invitational event into a globally recognized major, attracting leading players from the United States, South Korea, Japan, Australia, and Sweden. The championship's history intersects with influential figures such as Dinah Shore, corporate partners like Chevron Corporation and Kraft Foods, and venues including Mission Hills Country Club and Shadow Creek Golf Course.
The event originated in 1972 as the Colgate-Dinah Shore, co-founded by Colgate-Palmolive and entertainer Dinah Shore, who used her platform to raise the profile of women's golf alongside personalities such as Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. Early champions included pioneers like Kathy Whitworth and JoAnne Carner, whose careers paralleled the expansion of the LPGA. In 1981 it adopted the Dinah Shore name permanently, and by 1983 the tournament was elevated to major status by the LPGA, joining the ranks of the U.S. Women's Open and Kraft Nabisco Championship traditions. Corporate stewardship shifted through partners including Nabisco, Allianz, ANA (All Nippon Airways), and Chevron Corporation, each bringing different prize funds and global marketing strategies. The event moved from its long-time home at Mission Hills Country Club to Shadow Creek in Las Vegas for 2023 before returning to California in subsequent editions.
The championship is contested over 72 holes of stroke play with a 36-hole cut, following a format consistent with other majors such as the Women's British Open and the U.S. Women's Open. Field composition combines LPGA members, winners of major amateur events like the U.S. Women's Amateur, top finishers from the Race to the CME Globe, and special exemptions awarded by the tournament committee, mirroring qualification pathways used in events such as the Solheim Cup and the Olympic golf tournament. Playoffs, when required, have employed sudden-death formats similar to those at the Masters Tournament and the PGA Championship.
The Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California served as the iconic venue for decades, a course co-designed by architects who collaborated with influencers like Pete Dye-era architects and hosting marquee moments comparable to those at Augusta National Golf Club. The facility's signature 18th green and amphitheater setting created a festival atmosphere echoed in events like the Ryder Cup fan zones. For 2023 the championship relocated to Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas, Nevada, a facility developed by Steve Wynn's era projects and associated with high-profile tournaments such as The Match exhibitions, before logistics and stakeholder negotiations prompted venue adjustments in later years.
Winners include major champions and hall of famers such as Nancy Lopez, Patty Sheehan, Amy Alcott, Karrie Webb, Annika Sörenstam, Lorena Ochoa, Yani Tseng, Inbee Park, Lydia Ko, and Brittany Lincicome. Record performances feature Amy Alcott's 269 aggregate and −19 to-par score, and memorable playoff victories akin to famous finishes at the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. International champions from South Korea and Japan reflect the globalization evident in tours like the KLPGA and JLPGA. Multiple winners among legends mirror repeat champions of the Masters Tournament and underline the event's competitive pedigree.
The tournament's commercial identity evolved through sponsorships by Colgate-Palmolive, Kraft Foods, Allianz, ANA, and Chevron Corporation, leading to several name iterations paralleling corporate naming practices seen with the Ryder Cup and the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Naming rights shifted as sponsors sought alignment with corporate social responsibility campaigns and global branding strategies similar to those of Nike and Adidas in sports sponsorship. Celebrity affiliation with Dinah Shore remained a branding anchor despite corporate transitions, providing cultural continuity comparable to long-running partnerships like Wimbledon's relationships with heritage brands.
Economically, the championship generated tourism revenue for Riverside County, California and Clark County, Nevada markets, influenced hospitality sectors associated with properties like The Ritz-Carlton and regional convention bureaus, and supported local charities in patterns observed with events such as the AT&T Byron Nelson. Culturally, the tournament played a role in advancing women's professional sports visibility alongside landmark developments like the Title IX era and international expansion driven by federations such as the European Tour and the Korean Golf Association. The Dinah Shore legacy catalyzed ancillary events including the Dinah Shore Weekend, blending celebrity culture with sports tourism much like the US Open Tennis Championships' surrounding festivals.
Broadcast partners have included networks such as NBC Sports, cable outlets like Golf Channel, and international distributors in markets such as Japan and South Korea, echoing media strategies used by the PGA Tour and European Tour. Rights negotiations reflected trends in sports media rights involving conglomerates like Comcast and Amazon exploring streaming, comparable to recent deals for the NFL and English Premier League. Television and digital coverage emphasized player storylines, social media engagement on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, and partnerships with production companies experienced in major tournament broadcasts similar to those used for the Olympic Games.
Category:LPGA Tour events