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 |