Brandel Chamblee sounds off on Chevron Championship course design after Ariya Jutanugarn’s disastrous finish

Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee strongly criticized the course setup at the 2025 Chevron Championship after Ariya Jutanugarn's heartbreaking playoff loss. The first LPGA Tour major of the season concluded at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas, on Sunday, April 27.

Chamblee particularly criticised the placement of the grandstands behind the 18th green, a reachable par-5. Jutanugarn, a two-time major champion, lost in a five-way playoff after a mishap on the final hole. The golf analyst shared clips of Jutanugarn's shots on the final hole and wrote on X:

"Hate to see a major end the way Chevron did today. Why is there a grand stand so close to the back edge of a closing hole par 5 that players can hit in two? It allows players to bounce into the grandstands but also forces everyone all week to walk in the same area, no doubt chewing up the spot where players have to chip from."

The 29-year-old led the field until the 18th hole, where a mishit from worn grass moved the ball only three inches and made a bogey. As a result, she was forced into a five-way tie. She lost to Mao Saigo in the playoff, who scored a birdie on the final hole. Chamblee further wrote:

"Ariya Jutanugarn's ball should have been off the back of the green some 10 yards leaving a basic chip, but instead was in a horrid lie from which she whiffed her chip and then lost in a playoff."

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Ariya Jutanugarn missed a chance to end her four-year LPGA Tour drought. Her last win came at the 2021 Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. She took home $500,759 from a prize purse of $7.9 million at the 2025 Chevron Championship. She also received 284 Race to CME Globe points for her performance at the tournament.

A look at Ariya Jutanugarn's performance in 2025

Ariya Jutanugarn has had a decent start to the 2025 season. She has competed in six tournaments and missed the cut in one of them. She has had two top-10 and three top-15 finishes in six starts. She jumped 15 spots after her runner-up finish at the Chevron Championship in the Race to CME Globe standings and is currently positioned 14th. Her other notable finishes include a T3 at the T-Mobile Match Play and a T14 at Honda LPGA Thailand.

Here's a look at Jutanugarn's performances in the 2025 season:

Founders Cup pres. by U.S. Virgin Islands: T48 (283, -1)
Honda LPGA Thailand: T14 (275, -13)
HSBC Women's World Championship: 38 (289, +1)
Ford Championship pres. by Wild Horse Pass: Missed Cut (149, +5)
T-Mobile Match Play pres. by MGM Rewards: T3
The Chevron Championship: T2-y (281, -7)

About the author

Rohit is a Golf writer at Sportskeeda who specializes in PGA Tour coverage. With a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Delhi University and a Master's degree in Global Studies from Ambedkar University, he has always been passionate about writing on varied topics.

Rohit has over 4 years of prior work experience under his belt. He prioritizes thorough fact-checking of every article he pens with the aim of providing readers with the most accurate and insightful content.

Rohit's favorite celebrity sportsperson is Novak Djokovic; he admires his determination in the face of challenges and fighting spirit. Rohit is an avid reader and when he's not busy reading and writing about the latest developments in the vast world of pop culture and sports, he can be seen absorbed by a book. He also loves playing chess.

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Edited by Aayush Kapoor