The winner of the Chevron Championship traditionally jumps into water near the 18th green. This year’s host venue has no water on its final hole, but tournament organizers are getting creative, writes Art Stricklin.
that a temporary swimming pool will soon be installed to the right of the 18th green at Memorial Park Golf Course, the site of this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open on the PGA Tour and, next month, the Chevron Championship, which is the season’s first LPGA major.
It’s tradition that the Chevron champion takes a leap into water near the 18th hole, which dates back to 1988, when the event was staged at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., and winner Amy Alcott spontaneously grabbed her caddie and jumped into the murky water. The tradition was spurred on by then-host Dinah Shore and eventually took hold as one of the signature moments on the LPGA’s calendar. When Chevron signed on as a sponsor, the event was moved to Club at Carlton Woods in Texas in 2023. A dock was installed, along with a protective gator net, off the pond near the 18th hole so the jumps could continue. Last year’s edition was particularly harrowing, as winner Mao Saigo jumped inThis year the event is moving here to Memorial Park, which has no natural water feature on the 18th hole. So, a granite-surface pool will be dug four feet into the ground at an estimated cost of $100,000 to keep the tradition, if not the winner herself, afloat. The LPGA is hosting a pre-tournament press conference in Houston on April 2nd and will reveal more details about the unique project, along with the event’s $8 million total purse. Saigo will return to defend. “It’s something they really wanted to do, they got the approval of the LPGA, and we are getting ready to go,” said Giles Kibbe, President of the Astros Golf Foundation, who is running this week’s PGA Tour Children’s Houston Open and is heavily involved in the Chevron Championship, which will be held April 23-26.Art Stricklin is an award-winning golf writer based in Dallas and the president of the Texas Golf Writers Association. He spent more than a decade working for Texas newspapers. Stricklin is the author of 10 books, including, “Thanks for the Memories,” on the history of Northwood Club in Dallas, and “Links, Lore & Legends: The Story of Texas Golf.” He has become one of Texas’ foremost experts on golf history and travel, having witnessed a countless number of professional and amateur golf tournaments in the state. His work has been published in regional, national and international titles, including Sports Illustrated, Connoisseur Golf, Golf Magazine, Texas Monthly, Global Golf Post, D Magazine and Texas Golfer Magazine. Email: astrick@flash.net; Twitter: @artstricklin
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