Overview
- The LPGA’s first major of 2026 begins Thursday at Memorial Park in Houston after three years at Carlton Woods, using the same public course that hosted the PGA Tour’s Houston Open last month.
- The 132-player field includes world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, Nelly Korda, Hannah Green and defending champion Mao Saigo, plus eight amateurs that feature the world’s top four.
- To keep the post-win jump alive, crews installed a 15-by-10-by-4.5-foot plunge pool to the right of the 18th green that grants free relief if a ball goes in, with a permanent water feature planned for 2027.
- Players say Memorial Park is a different test at par 70 and 6,811 yards, with long par-3s and sloped, sectional greens that put a premium on precise approach shots and smart misses.
- Recent form shapes the early storylines as Thitikul hunts a first major, Green arrives off a playoff win in Los Angeles, and Korda enters with a run of final-group Sundays.
- Most outlets report an $8 million purse with a $1.2 million winner’s share, though one outlet lists $9 million and $1.35 million, a discrepancy as play is set to start.