What Is the Bizarre Chevron Championship Ritual That Rose Zhang Won’t Voluntarily Follow?

Lilia Vu did it. Lexi Thompson did it. Annika Sorenstam, too. As did Karrie Webb 18 years ago. And then there was Amy Alcott in the late 1980s. So, would Rose Zhang do it, too? We are talking about the celebratory jump into the water after winning the Chevron Championship, of course. She won’t do it “voluntarily,”  but “if you’re a major championship, why not?”.

Zhang admits that the pool at Dinah Shore, the previous venue, looked much nicer than this. That was also the main concern for Jennifer Kupcho last year. The one at 18th in the Club at Carlton is all natural, after all. However, Vu still did it. What explains the enduring appeal behind the tradition?

How did it become synonymous with the Chevron Championship?

Amy Alcott first jumped into Poppie’s Pond in 1988. Her caddie convinced her. “He said, ‘Are you a Pisces or not?’ I thought it would sure feel good. But I didn’t know how deep the water was. I thought I might break my leg. But then I thought, What the heck? It’s worth it,” the five-time Major champion told the LA Times.

However, just like the Green Jacket, it wasn’t immediately synonymous with the Major. After Alcott, Juli Inkster didn’t do it. Neither did Betsy King. Alcott got a chance again in 1991, and she took Dinah Shore to Poppie’s Pond with her. 

However, even then, the next two winners chose to skip that part. But Donna Andrews jumped in after her 1994 triumph. Since then, it has become part of the tradition. The Chevron Championship has changed names a handful of times, but the jump on the 18th has never faded away. Not even after the event changed its venue. 

There were doubts last year about whether the next champion would do it after the event moved to Texas. The organizers set up a 12-foot jumping pad. But the question was, would the next champion honor the tradition? Lilia Vu did, although the pond did scare some golfers.

Never mind the gators, snakes, and whatnot

The club at Carlton Woods went through a complete overhaul before the Chevron Championship. Among other things, the club officials had in mind the celebrated tradition of jumping into Poppie’s Pond. The initial strategy was to deepen the existing pond by dredging the entire area. 

However, this could have an impact on the greens of the Jack Nicklaus-designed course. So they dredged only until the rock wall of the lake. Additionally, they dispatched divers to search for any concrete blocks or rocks beneath the surface. There wasn’t. A gator protector was installed as well. As for snakes, they believe there aren’t any. But Rose Zhang clearly won’t give two hoots if she wins the Chevron Championship.