Hannah Green's Magical Run: Four Wins in Five Starts Ahead of Chevron
A Twelve-Footer That Meant Everything
There are putts you drain because the line is obvious, and then there are putts you drain because something deeper takes over—muscle memory married to conviction, the kind of stroke that comes only when you've been here before and won. Hannah Green's curling twelve-footer on the first playoff hole at El Caballero was the latter. The ball tracked along a line she'd already read in regulation, found the heart of the cup, and with it, Green secured her fourth victory in just five starts this season.
This is the kind of form that transforms a season into a statement. This is the kind of golf that makes you clear your schedule for Houston.
The Remarkable Turnaround at El Caballero
What makes this victory even more extraordinary is how improbable it looked midway through the final round. When Kim Sei-young jarred her chip for eagle on the 11th hole, Green found herself staring at a six-shot deficit. In tournament golf, especially against a field this talented, six shots with seven holes remaining is usually a polite way of saying goodbye.
Green apparently didn't receive that memo.
What followed was a clinic in aggressive, fearless golf. Five birdies over her final six holes—the kind of finishing kick that separates major champions from the rest of the field. By the time the three-way playoff materialized between Green, Kim, and Im Jin-hee, the momentum had shifted entirely. Kim's 35-foot birdie attempt slid past. Im, still perhaps feeling the sting of that slow-play penalty from Saturday's third round, couldn't recover from a wayward tee shot.
Green, meanwhile, looked like a woman who'd already seen the ending.
The El Caballero Factor
This was the second consecutive year the JM Eagle LA Championship called El Caballero home, a temporary arrangement while Wilshire undergoes renovations. It's worth noting that Green won at Wilshire in both 2023 and 2024—meaning she's now claimed this title three times in four years, regardless of venue. Some players simply own certain events, and Green has made this one her personal property.
A Season for the History Books
Let's take a moment to appreciate the scope of what Green has accomplished in 2026:
- Women's Australian Open – The first Australian winner since 2014
- LPGA Women's World Championship
- Australian WPGA Championship
- JM Eagle LA Championship
Four titles. Five starts. The 2019 Women's PGA Championship winner is playing with the kind of supreme confidence that makes her opponents feel like they're competing for second place.
"I didn't think I was still in the tournament," Green admitted after her playoff victory. That kind of honesty only amplifies the achievement. She found a way when the math suggested otherwise.
The Stakes Just Got Higher
During Saturday's third round, tournament officials announced a $1 million increase to the purse, bringing the total to $4.75 million—the richest event on the LPGA Tour outside of majors and the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. Green's winner's check jumped to $712,500, up from the originally announced $562,500.
It's a reflection of where women's professional golf stands right now: purses growing, stakes rising, and players like Green delivering performances worthy of the moment.
Eyes Turn to Houston
The Chevron Championship begins Thursday in Houston, Texas, and the narrative practically writes itself. Green arrives as the hottest player in women's golf, riding unprecedented form into the first major championship of the season. The question isn't whether she'll contend—it's whether anyone can stop her.
For those of us who live for major championship theater, this is the kind of storyline that makes April feel electric.
Key Takeaway
Hannah Green's playoff victory at El Caballero wasn't just another win—it was confirmation of a player operating at a different level entirely. Four victories in five starts, a six-shot comeback in the final round, and now the weight of expectation heading into the Chevron Championship. Whatever happens in Houston, Green has already made 2026 unforgettable.