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In Gee Chun with a shot at the career Grand Slam, and she's not the only one

THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Two weeks after Rory McIlroy achieved the career Grand Slam, In Gee Chun has a chance to do the same this weekend at the Chevron Championship.

With one caveat.

Unlike the PGA Tour, the LPGA has five majors: this week’s Chevron Championship, U.S. Women’s Open, KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Amundi Evian Championship and AIG Women’s Open.

But Chun only needs to win four different majors to achieve the career Slam. Not all five.

The LPGA defines the career Grand Slam as having won four different major championships during a player’s career. Those who win all five majors are considered to have achieved the super career Grand Slam.

Chun has three different majors on her resume. She won the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open as a non-member and immediately took up tour membership. She then captured the Amundi Evian a year later, in which shot 21 under par for the lowest winning total in LPGA major history. In 2022, Chun captured the third leg of the career Grand Slam with her victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA at Congressional Country Club.

“I always think that means a lot,” Chun said about the prospect of winning the career Grand Slam. “That’s why I’m here and keep grinding and keep working hard.”

Chun entered the weekend of the Chevron Championship at 3 under par, four strokes off the lead.

“I really struggled with my game last year, so I don’t want to make myself more pressure on me,” Chun said about trying to win a fourth major. “But I want to just trust my process because I had good winter training with my new coach. I just believe everything we’re doing is in the right direction. Staying present is my goal this week.”

In 2024, Chun split with her longtime swing coach, Won Park, who was Chun’s instructor since she was 16. She’s currently working with Songhee Kim, who joined the LPGA Tour in 2007 and won five times on the Epson Tour. Chun said that Kim is able to relate to what she’s experiencing and feeling during her life on the road, but Chun continues to maintain a relationship with Park, who is serving as one of her agents.

“My previous coach gave me a lot of good lessons,” Chun said about splitting from Park. ”I felt it was time to move on and I want to learn something new from another person, too.”

Kim recommended to Chun that she take a hiatus to regroup and refresh after a decade competing on the LPGA Tour. Last year, Chun cut her season short and made her final start at the U.S. Women’s Open in May and returned to competition nine months later at the Founders Cup this February. During her time away, Chun worked with Kim on retooling her swing while also spending time in the gym getting stronger in order to address ongoing back pain, which has persisted throughout her career. Today, Chun is able to play pain free.

Anna Nordqvist also came into the Chevron Championship with a chance to complete the career Grand Slam but will have a lot of work to do over the final 36 holes to give herself a chance as she made the cut on the number at 2 over par. Nordqvist could also win the U.S. Women’s Open this year to earn a fourth different major title.

Nordqvist and Chun are two of the four players who could complete the career Grand Slam this season. Lydia Ko could win the U.S. Women’s Open or the KPMG Women’s PGA to secure her fourth different major title. Yani Tseng needs the U.S. Women’s Open or a victory at the Amundi Evian Championship.

There are seven players who have achieved the career Grand Slam on the LPGA Tour. The last to accomplish the feat was Inbee Park when she won the AIG Women’s Open in 2015. Karrie Webb is the only player who has achieved the super career Grand Slam in winning five different major championships.