The first edition of the Chevron Championship in 1972 featured a game-changing $110,000 purse and a field that reads like a who’s who list of golf.
Mickey Wright, Kathy Whitworth, Patty Berg, JoAnne Carner, Betsy Rawls, Judy Rankin, Louise Suggs, Marilynn Smith, Sandra Palmer.
Jane Blalock won the first one, a glamorous 54-hole event that transformed the LPGA. Her prize: $20,050.
This week’s purse of $5 million is up 60 percent over last year. The winner will receive $750,000. The player finishing around 46th this week will earn a paycheck that’s similar to what Blalock earned all those years ago.
It’s not all about the money, of course, but with the U.S. Women’s Open moving to a $10 million purse, Chevron’s elevation of this event matters.
Here’s a closer look back on that starry first field:
Name | Position | Score | Money |
Jane Blalock | 1 | 213 | $20,050 |
Carol Mann | T-2 | 216 | $11,550 |
Judy Rankin | T-2 | 216 | $11,550 |
Jo Ann Prentice | 4 | 217 | $6,550 |
Sandra Haynie | T-5 | 218 | $4,500 |
Mickey Wright | T-5 | 218 | $4,500 |
Kathy Whitworth | T-7 | 218 | $4,500 |
Pam Higgins | T-7 | 219 | $3,200 |
Sandra Palmer | T-9 | 221 | $2,500 |
Pam Barnett | T-9 | 221 | $2,500 |
Gloria Ehret | T-11 | 222 | $2,000 |
Betsy Cullen | T-11 | 222 | $2,000 |
Kathy Cornelius | T-13 | 223 | $1,700 |
Clifford Creed | T-13 | 223 | $1,700 |
Marlene Hagge | T-13 | 223 | $1,700 |
Louise Suggs | T-13 | 223 | $1,700 |
Jan Ferraris | T-17 | 225 | $1,475 |
JoAnne Carner | T-17 | 225 | $1,475 |
Marilynn Smith | T-19 | 226 | $1,350 |
Murle Breer | T-19 | 226 | $1,350 |
Kathy Ahern | T-19 | 226 | $1,350 |
Beth Stone | T-22 | 227 | $1,200 |
Cynthia Sullivan | T-22 | 227 | $1,200 |
Sandra Elliott | T-22 | 227 | $1,200 |
Peggy Wilson | T-25 | 228 | $1,075 |
Margie Masters | T-25 | 228 | $1,075 |
Donna Young | T-27 | 229 | $925 |
Mary Mills | T-27 | 229 | $925 |
Ruth Jessen | T-27 | 229 | $925 |
Althea Darben | T-27 | 229 | $925 |
Betsy Rawls | T-31 | 230 | $775 |
Kathy Farrer | T-31 | 230 | $775 |
Gerda Boykin | T-31 | 230 | $775 |
Sue Berning | 34 | 231 | $725 |
Judy Kimball | 35 | 232 | $700 |
Barbara Romack | T-36 | 233 | $662.50 |
DeDe Owens | T-36 | 233 | $662.50 |
Sandra Spuzich | 38 | 234 | $625 |
Lesley Holbert | 39 | 236 | $600 |
Patty Berg | 40 | 237 | $575 |
Here’s how much money each player will make this year.
2022 Chevron Championship prize money payouts
Position | Earnings |
1 | $750,000 |
2 | $460,636 |
3 | $334,159 |
4 | $258,498 |
5 | $208,063 |
6 | $170,232 |
7 | $142,491 |
8 | $124,839 |
9 | $112,228 |
10 | $102,139 |
11 | $94,571 |
12 | $88,266 |
13 | $82,718 |
14 | $77,676 |
15 | $73,135 |
16 | $69,100 |
17 | $65,572 |
18 | $62,545 |
19 | $60,024 |
20 | $58,004 |
21 | $55,989 |
22 | $53,969 |
23 | $51,954 |
24 | $49,934 |
25 | $48,170 |
26 | $46,406 |
27 | $44,637 |
28 | $42,873 |
29 | $41,108 |
30 | $39,595 |
31 | $38,081 |
32 | $36,567 |
33 | $35,054 |
34 | $33,540 |
35 | $32,282 |
36 | $31,019 |
37 | $29,761 |
38 | $28,498 |
39 | $27,235 |
40 | $26,228 |
41 | $25,220 |
42 | $24,213 |
43 | $23,200 |
44 | $22,193 |
45 | $21,436 |
46 | $20,679 |
47 | $19,923 |
48 | $19,166 |
49 | $18,409 |
50 | $17,652 |
51 | $17,151 |
52 | $16,645 |
53 | $16,139 |
54 | $15,637 |
55 | $15,131 |
56 | $14,625 |
57 | $14,124 |
58 | $13,618 |
59 | $13,116 |
60 | $12,610 |
61 | $12,360 |
62 | $12,104 |
63 | $11,853 |
64 | $11,603 |
65 | $11,347 |
66 | $11,097 |
67 | $10,846 |
68 | $10,590 |
69 | $10,340 |
70 | $10,089 |
71 | $9,964 |
72 | $9,834 |
73 | $9,708 |
74 | $9,583 |