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Ladies Professional Golf Association
Ladies Professional Golf Association.svg
Logo introduced in October 2007
Sport Golf
Founded 1950; 74 years ago (1950)
Founder 13 original LPGA players
Inaugural season 1950
Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan
Country  United States, with events in other countries around the world
Most titles United States Kathy Whitworth (88)
TV partner(s) NBC Sports
Golf Channel
CBS Sports

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at the LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite women professional golfers from around the world.

Organization and history

Other "LPGAs" exist in other countries, each with a geographical designation in its name, but the U.S. organization is the first, largest, and most prestigious. The LPGA is also an organization for female club and teaching professionals. This is different from the PGA Tour, which runs the main professional tours in the U.S. and, since 1968, has been independent of the club and teaching professionals' organization, the PGA of America.

The LPGA also administers an annual qualifying school similar to that conducted by the PGA Tour. Depending on a golfer's finish in the final qualifying tournament, she may receive full or partial playing privileges on the LPGA Tour. In addition to the main LPGA Tour, the LPGA also owns and operates the Epson Tour, formerly the Futures Tour, the official developmental tour of the LPGA. Top finishers at the end of each season on that tour receive playing privileges on the main LPGA Tour for the following year.

The LPGA is the oldest continuing women's professional sports organization in the United States. It succeeded the WPGA (Women's Professional Golf Association), which was founded in 1944 but stopped its limited tour after the 1948 season and officially ceased operations in December 1949. The WPGA was founded by Ellen Griffin, Betty Hicks, and Hope Seignious.

The LPGA was founded in 1950 at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wichita, Kansas. Its 13 founders were: Alice Bauer, Patty Berg, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Marlene Hagge, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson, Sally Sessions, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs, and Babe Zaharias. Patty Berg was its first president. The founders were elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame as a group in 2023 though six had already been inducted individually.

The first LPGA tournament was the 1950 Tampa Women's Open, held at Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club in Tampa, Florida. Ironically, the winner was amateur Polly Riley, who beat the stellar field of professional founders.

In 1956, the LPGA hosted its first tournament outside the United States at the Havana Open in Havana, Cuba.

In 1996, Muffin Spencer-Devlin became the first LPGA player to come out as gay.

In 2001, Jane Blalock's JBC Marketing established the Women's Senior Golf Tour, now called the Legends Tour, for women professionals aged 45 and older. This is affiliated with the LPGA, but is not owned by the LPGA.

Since 2006, the LPGA has played a season-ending championship tournament.

Michael Whan became the eighth commissioner of the LPGA in October 2009, succeeding the ousted Carolyn Bivens. Whan is a former marketing executive in the sporting goods industry.

After a lawsuit filed by golfer Lana Lawless, the rules were changed in 2010 to allow transgender competitors. In 2013, trans woman Bobbi Lancaster faced local scorn for attempting playing in Arizona's Cactus Tour and attempting to qualify in the LPGA Qualifying Tournament.

In 2018, the LPGA acquired an amateur golf association, the Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA), and expanded its emphasis to include amateur golfers in the U.S. and North America. Initially called the LPGA Women Who Play, the amateur organization was rebranded as the LPGA Amateur Golf Association. The LPGA Amateur Golf Association has member-operated chapters throughout North America and the Caribbean.

Prize money and tournaments

In 2010, total official prize money on the LPGA Tour was $41.4 million, a decrease of over $6 million from 2009. In 2010 there were 24 official tournaments, down from 28 in 2009 and 34 in 2008. Despite the loss in total tournaments, the number of tournaments hosted outside of the United States in 2010 stayed the same, as all four lost tournaments had been hosted in the United States. By 2016, the number of tournaments had risen to 33 with a record-high total prize money in excess of $63 million. In 2019, a new record was set with total prize money amounting to $70.5 million (a rise of over $5 million in one year).

International presence

In its first four decades, the LPGA Tour was dominated by American players. Sandra Post of Canada became the first player living outside the United States to gain an LPGA tour card in 1968. The non-U.S. contingent is now very large. The last time an American player topped the money list was in 2014 (Stacy Lewis), the last time an American led the tour in tournaments won was in 2020 (Danielle Kang), and from 2000 through 2009, non-Americans won 31 of 40 major championships.

Particularly, one of the notable trends seen in the early 21st century in the LPGA is the rise and dominance of Korean golfers. Se Ri Pak's early success in the LPGA sparked the boom in Korean women golfers on the LPGA Tour. In 2009, there were 122 non-Americans from 27 countries on the tour, including 47 from South Korea, 14 from Sweden, 10 from Australia, eight from the United Kingdom (four from England, three from Scotland and one from Wales), seven from Canada, five from Taiwan, and four from Japan.

LPGA Tour tournaments

2009 LPGA Championship - Kristy McPherson (4)
Kristy McPherson during her practice round before the 2009 LPGA Championship
at Bulle Rock Golf Course in Maryland.

As a United States-based tour, most of the LPGA Tour's events are held in the United States. In 1956, the LPGA hosted its first tournament outside the United States at the Havana Open in Havana, Cuba. In 2020, fourteen tournaments are held outside of the United States, seven events in Asia, four in Europe, two events in Australia, and one in Canada.

Five of the tournaments held outside North America are co-sanctioned with other professional tours. The Ladies European Tour co-sanctions the Women's British Open, The Evian Championship in France, and the Women's Australian Open (also co-sanctioned with the ALPG Tour). The other two co-sanctioned events—the BMW Ladies Championship (LPGA of Korea Tour) and Toto Japan Classic (LPGA of Japan Tour)—are held during the tour's autumn swing to Asia.

LPGA majors

The LPGA's annual major championships are:

  • Chevron Championship
  • U.S. Women's Open
  • Women's PGA Championship
  • Women's British Open
  • The Evian Championship

Source:

LPGA Playoffs

Since 2006, the LPGA has played a season-ending championship tournament. Through the 2008 season, it was known as the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT; in 2009 and 2010, it was known as the LPGA Tour Championship; and in 2011, the event became the CME Group Titleholders, held in November.

From 2006 through 2008 the LPGA schedule was divided into two halves, with 15 players from each half qualifying for the Championship based on their performance. Two wild-card selections were also included for a final field of 21 players. The winner of the LPGA Tour Championship, which features three days of "playoffs" plus the final championship round, earns $1 million.

In 2009, the Tour Championship field was increased to 120 players, with entry open to all Tour members in the top 120 on the money list as of three weeks prior to the start of the tournament. The total purse was $1.5 million with $225,000 going to the winner.

The CME Group Titleholders, which resurrects the name of a former LPGA major championship (the Titleholders Championship), was first played in 2011. From 2011 to 2013, its field was made up of three qualifiers from each official tour event during the season, specifically the top three finishers not previously qualified. Beginning in 2014, the field will be determined by a season-long points race. The winner of the points race will receive a $1 million bonus.

2024 LPGA Tour

Historical tour schedules and results

Year Number of
official tournaments
Countries hosting
tournaments
Tournaments in
United States
Tournaments in
other countries
Total prize
money ($)
2024 33 11 22 11 124,000,000
2023 32 11 21 11 102,350,000
2022 32 9 23 9 93,900,000
2021 30 7 23 7 69,200,000
2020 18 3 14 4 41,300,000
2019 32 12 20 12 70,200,000
2018 33 13 19 14 66,950,000
2017 34 15 17 17 67,650,000
2016 33 14 18 15 63,000,000
2015 31 14 17 14 59,100,000
2014 32 14 17 15 57,550,000
2013 28 14 14 14 48,900,000
2012 27 12 15 12 47,000,000
2011 23 11 13 10 41,500,000
2010 24 10 14 10 41,400,000
2009 28 9 18 10 47,600,000
2008 34 8 24 10 60,300,000
2007 31 8 23 8 54,285,000
2006 33 8 25 8 50,275,000
2005 32 7 25 7 45,100,000
2004 32 6 27 5 42,875,000
  • Official tournaments are tournaments in which earnings and scores are credited to the players' official LPGA record.

Hall of Fame

The LPGA established the Hall of Fame of Women's Golf in 1951, with four charter members: Patty Berg, Betty Jameson, Louise Suggs, and Babe Zaharias. After being inactive for several years, the Hall of Fame moved in 1967 to its first physical premises, in Augusta, Georgia, and was renamed the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame. In 1998 it merged into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

LPGA Tour awards

The LPGA Tour presents several annual awards. Three are awarded in competitive contests, based on scoring over the course of the year.

  • The Player of the Year is awarded based on a formula in which points are awarded for top-10 finishes and are doubled at the LPGA's five major championships. The points system is: 30 points for first; 12 points for second; nine points for third; seven points for fourth; six points for fifth; five points for sixth; four points for seventh; three points for eighth; two points for ninth and one point for 10th.
  • The Vare Trophy, named for Glenna Collett-Vare, is given to the player with the lowest scoring average for the season.
  • The Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year Award is awarded to the first-year player on the LPGA Tour who scores the highest in a points competition in which points are awarded based on a player's finish in an event. The points system is: 150 points for first; 80 points for second; 75 points for third; 70 points for fourth; and 65 points for fifth. After fifth place, points are awarded in decrements of three, beginning at sixth place with 62 points. Points are doubled in the major events and at the season-ending Tour Championship. Rookies who make the cut in an event and finish below 41st each receive five points. The award is named after Louise Suggs, one of the founders of the LPGA.

American golfer Nancy Lopez, in 1978, is the only player to win all three awards in the same season. Lopez was also the Tour's top money earner that season.

Year Player of the Year Vare Trophy Rookie of the Year
2023 United States Lilia Vu Thailand Atthaya Thitikul South Korea Ryu Hae-ran
2022 New Zealand Lydia Ko New Zealand Lydia Ko Thailand Atthaya Thitikul
2021 South Korea Ko Jin-young New Zealand Lydia Ko Thailand Patty Tavatanakit
2020 South Korea Kim Sei-young United States Danielle Kang
2019 South Korea Ko Jin-young South Korea Ko Jin-young South Korea Lee Jeong-eun
2018 Thailand Ariya Jutanugarn Thailand Ariya Jutanugarn South Korea Ko Jin-young
2017 South Korea Sung Hyun Park
South Korea So Yeon Ryu
United States Lexi Thompson South Korea Sung Hyun Park
2016 Thailand Ariya Jutanugarn South Korea In Gee Chun South Korea In Gee Chun
2015 New Zealand Lydia Ko South Korea Inbee Park South Korea Sei Young Kim
2014 United States Stacy Lewis United States Stacy Lewis New Zealand Lydia Ko
2013 South Korea Inbee Park United States Stacy Lewis Thailand Moriya Jutanugarn
2012 United States Stacy Lewis South Korea Inbee Park South Korea So Yeon Ryu
2011 Taiwan Yani Tseng Taiwan Yani Tseng South Korea Hee Kyung Seo
2010 Taiwan Yani Tseng South Korea Na Yeon Choi Spain Azahara Muñoz
2009 Mexico Lorena Ochoa Mexico Lorena Ochoa South Korea Jiyai Shin
2008 Mexico Lorena Ochoa Mexico Lorena Ochoa Taiwan Yani Tseng
2007 Mexico Lorena Ochoa Mexico Lorena Ochoa Brazil Angela Park
2006 Mexico Lorena Ochoa Mexico Lorena Ochoa South Korea Seon Hwa Lee
2005 Sweden Annika Sörenstam Sweden Annika Sörenstam United States Paula Creamer
2004 Sweden Annika Sörenstam South Korea Grace Park South Korea Shi Hyun Ahn
2003 Sweden Annika Sörenstam South Korea Se Ri Pak Mexico Lorena Ochoa
2002 Sweden Annika Sörenstam Sweden Annika Sörenstam United States Beth Bauer
2001 Sweden Annika Sörenstam Sweden Annika Sörenstam South Korea Hee-Won Han
2000 Australia Karrie Webb Australia Karrie Webb United States Dorothy Delasin
1999 Australia Karrie Webb Australia Karrie Webb South Korea Mi Hyun Kim
1998 Sweden Annika Sörenstam Sweden Annika Sörenstam South Korea Se Ri Pak
1997 Sweden Annika Sörenstam Australia Karrie Webb England Lisa Hackney
1996 England Laura Davies Sweden Annika Sörenstam Australia Karrie Webb
1995 Sweden Annika Sörenstam Sweden Annika Sörenstam United States Pat Hurst
1994 United States Beth Daniel United States Beth Daniel Sweden Annika Sörenstam
1993 United States Betsy King United States Betsy King England Suzanne Strudwick
1992 United States Dottie Mochrie United States Dottie Mochrie Sweden Helen Alfredsson
1991 United States Pat Bradley United States Pat Bradley United States Brandie Burton
1990 United States Beth Daniel United States Beth Daniel Japan Hiromi Kobayashi
1989 United States Betsy King United States Beth Daniel Scotland Pam Wright
1988 United States Nancy Lopez United States Colleen Walker Sweden Liselotte Neumann
1987 Japan Ayako Okamoto United States Betsy King United States Tammie Green
1986 United States Pat Bradley United States Pat Bradley United States Jody Rosenthal
1985 United States Nancy Lopez United States Nancy Lopez United States Penny Hammel
1984 United States Betsy King United States Patty Sheehan United States Juli Inkster
1983 United States Patty Sheehan United States JoAnne Carner United States Stephanie Farwig
1982 United States JoAnne Carner United States JoAnne Carner United States Patti Rizzo
1981 United States JoAnne Carner United States JoAnne Carner United States Patty Sheehan
1980 United States Beth Daniel United States Amy Alcott United States Myra Blackwelder
1979 United States Nancy Lopez United States Nancy Lopez United States Beth Daniel
1978 United States Nancy Lopez United States Nancy Lopez United States Nancy Lopez
1977 United States Judy Rankin United States Judy Rankin United States Debbie Massey
1976 United States Judy Rankin United States Judy Rankin United States Bonnie Lauer
1975 United States Sandra Palmer United States JoAnne Carner United States Amy Alcott
1974 United States JoAnne Carner United States JoAnne Carner Australia Jan Stephenson
1973 United States Kathy Whitworth United States Judy Rankin United States Laura Baugh
1972 United States Kathy Whitworth United States Kathy Whitworth Canada Jocelyne Bourassa
1971 United States Kathy Whitworth United States Kathy Whitworth South Africa Sally Little
1970 United States Sandra Haynie United States Kathy Whitworth United States JoAnne Carner
1969 United States Kathy Whitworth United States Kathy Whitworth United States Jane Blalock
1968 United States Kathy Whitworth United States Carol Mann Canada Sandra Post
1967 United States Kathy Whitworth United States Kathy Whitworth United States Sharron Moran
1966 United States Kathy Whitworth United States Kathy Whitworth United States Jan Ferraris
1965 United States Kathy Whitworth Australia Margie Masters
1964 United States Mickey Wright United States Susie Maxwell
1963 United States Mickey Wright United States Clifford Ann Creed
1962 United States Mickey Wright United States Mary Mills
1961 United States Mickey Wright
1960 United States Mickey Wright
1959 United States Betsy Rawls
1958 United States Beverly Hanson
1957 United States Louise Suggs
1956 United States Patty Berg
1955 United States Patty Berg
1954 United States Babe Zaharias
1953 United States Patty Berg

Leading money winners by year

Year Player Country Earnings ($) Most wins
2023 Lilia Vu  United States 3,502,303 4 – Celine Boutier, Lilia Vu
2022 Lydia Ko  New Zealand 4,364,403 3 – Lydia Ko, Jennifer Kupcho
2021 Ko Jin-young  South Korea 3,502,161 5 – Ko Jin-young
2020 Ko Jin-young  South Korea 1,667,925 2 – Danielle Kang, Kim Sei-young
2019 Ko Jin-young  South Korea 2,773,894 4 – Ko Jin-young
2018 Ariya Jutanugarn  Thailand 2,743,949 3 – Ariya Jutanugarn, Sung Hyun Park
2017 Sung Hyun Park  South Korea 2,335,883 3 – Shanshan Feng, In-Kyung Kim
2016 Ariya Jutanugarn  Thailand 2,550,928 5 – Ariya Jutanugarn
2015 Lydia Ko  New Zealand 2,800,802 5 – Lydia Ko, Inbee Park
2014 Stacy Lewis  United States 2,539,039 3 – Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park
2013 Inbee Park  South Korea 2,456,619 6 – Inbee Park
2012 Inbee Park  South Korea 2,287,080 4 – Stacy Lewis
2011 Yani Tseng  Taiwan 2,921,713 7 – Yani Tseng
2010 Na Yeon Choi  South Korea 1,871,166 5 – Ai Miyazato
2009 Jiyai Shin  South Korea 1,807,334 3 – Jiyai Shin, Lorena Ochoa
2008 Lorena Ochoa Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 2,754,660 7 – Lorena Ochoa
2007 Lorena Ochoa Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 4,364,994 8 – Lorena Ochoa
2006 Lorena Ochoa Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 2,592,872 6 – Lorena Ochoa
2005 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 2,588,240 10 – Annika Sörenstam
2004 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 2,544,707 8 – Annika Sörenstam
2003 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 2,029,506 6 – Annika Sörenstam
2002 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 2,863,904 11 – Annika Sörenstam
2001 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 2,105,868 8 – Annika Sörenstam
2000 Karrie Webb  Australia 1,876,853 7 – Karrie Webb
1999 Karrie Webb  Australia 1,591,959 6 – Karrie Webb
1998 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 1,092,748 4 – Annika Sörenstam, Se Ri Pak
1997 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 1,236,789 6 – Annika Sörenstam
1996 Karrie Webb  Australia 1,002,000 4 – Laura Davies, Dottie Pepper, Karrie Webb
1995 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 666,533 3 – Annika Sörenstam
1994 Laura Davies  England 687,201 4 – Beth Daniel
1993 Betsy King  United States 595,992 3 – Brandie Burton
1992 Dottie Mochrie  United States 693,335 4 – Dottie Mochrie
1991 Pat Bradley  United States 763,118 4 – Pat Bradley, Meg Mallon
1990 Beth Daniel  United States 863,578 7 – Beth Daniel
1989 Betsy King  United States 654,132 6 – Betsy King
1988 Sherri Turner  United States 350,851 3 – 5 players (see 1)
1987 Ayako Okamoto  Japan 466,034 5 – Jane Geddes
1986 Pat Bradley  United States 492,021 5 – Pat Bradley
1985 Nancy Lopez  United States 416,472 5 – Nancy Lopez
1984 Betsy King  United States 266,771 4 – Patty Sheehan, Amy Alcott
1983 JoAnne Carner  United States 291,404 4 – Pat Bradley, Patty Sheehan
1982 JoAnne Carner  United States 310,400 5 – JoAnne Carner, Beth Daniel
1981 Beth Daniel  United States 206,998 5 – Donna Caponi
1980 Beth Daniel  United States 231,000 5 – Donna Caponi, JoAnne Carner
1979 Nancy Lopez  United States 197,489 8 – Nancy Lopez
1978 Nancy Lopez  United States 189,814 9 – Nancy Lopez
1977 Judy Rankin  United States 122,890 5 – Judy Rankin, Debbie Austin
1976 Judy Rankin  United States 150,734 6 – Judy Rankin
1975 Sandra Palmer  United States 76,374 4 – Carol Mann, Sandra Haynie
1974 JoAnne Carner  United States 87,094 6 – JoAnne Carner, Sandra Haynie
1973 Kathy Whitworth  United States 82,864 7 – Kathy Whitworth
1972 Kathy Whitworth  United States 65,063 5 – Kathy Whitworth, Jane Blalock
1971 Kathy Whitworth  United States 41,181 5 – Kathy Whitworth
1970 Kathy Whitworth  United States 30,235 4 – Shirley Englehorn
1969 Carol Mann  United States 49,152 8 – Carol Mann
1968 Kathy Whitworth  United States 48,379 10 – Carol Mann, Kathy Whitworth
1967 Kathy Whitworth  United States 32,937 8 – Kathy Whitworth
1966 Kathy Whitworth  United States 33,517 9 – Kathy Whitworth
1965 Kathy Whitworth  United States 28,658 8 – Kathy Whitworth
1964 Mickey Wright  United States 29,800 11 – Mickey Wright
1963 Mickey Wright  United States 31,269 13 – Mickey Wright
1962 Mickey Wright  United States 21,641 10 – Mickey Wright
1961 Mickey Wright  United States 22,236 10 – Mickey Wright
1960 Louise Suggs  United States 16,892 6 – Mickey Wright
1959 Betsy Rawls  United States 26,774 10 – Betsy Rawls
1958 Beverly Hanson  United States 12,639 5 – Mickey Wright
1957 Patty Berg  United States 16,272 5 – Betsy Rawls, Patty Berg
1956 Marlene Hagge  United States 20,235 8 – Marlene Hagge
1955 Patty Berg  United States 16,492 6 – Patty Berg
1954 Patty Berg  United States 16,011 5 – Louise Suggs, Babe Zaharias
1953 Louise Suggs  United States 19,816 8 – Louise Suggs
1952 Betsy Rawls  United States 14,505 8 – Betsy Rawls
1951 Babe Zaharias  United States 15,087 9 – Babe Zaharias
1950 Babe Zaharias  United States 14,800 8 – Babe Zaharias

1 The five players with three titles in 1988 were Juli Inkster, Rosie Jones, Betsy King, Nancy Lopez, and Ayako Okamoto.

Leading career money winners

The table below shows the top-10 career money leaders on the LPGA Tour (from the start of their rookie seasons) as of June 23, 2024.

Active players on the Tour are shown in bold.

Rank Player Country Played Earnings ($) Career
events
1 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 1994–2023 22,583,693 307
2 Karrie Webb  Australia 1996–2022 20,293,617 494
3 Cristie Kerr  United States 1997–present 20,179,848 599
4 Inbee Park  South Korea 2007–2022 18,262,344 305
5 Lydia Ko  New Zealand 2014–present 17,635,555 236
6 Amy Yang  South Korea 2008-present 15,555,362 340
7 Lorena Ochoa Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico 2003–2010 14,863,331 175
8 Suzann Pettersen  Norway 2003–2019 14,837,578 316
9 Stacy Lewis  United States 2009–present 14,538,971 352
10 Lexi Thompson  United States 2012-present 14,481,678 249

Total prize money awarded in past years

Season Total
purse ($)
2023 102,350,000
2022 93,900,000
2021 69,200,000
2020 41,300,000
(73,500,000)
2010 41,400,000
2000 38,500,000
1990 17,100,000
1980 5,150,000
1970 435,040
1960 186,700
1950 50,000

See also

  • Chronological list of LPGA major golf champions
  • Golf in the United States
  • List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins
  • List of LPGA major championship winning golfers
  • Professional Golfers' Association of America
  • Professional golf tours
  • Women's major golf championships
  • Women's World Golf Rankings
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