LPGA
The Ladies Professional Golf Association is an American organization for female professional 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 female 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 best known. 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 Symetra 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.
In 1996 Muffin Spencer-Devlin became the first LPGA player to come out as gay.
In its 70th season in 2019, the LPGA is the oldest continuing women's professional sports organization in the United States. It was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 golfers: Alice Bauer, Patty Berg, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson, Sally Sessions, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs, and Babe Zaharias. The LPGA succeeded the WPGA, 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.
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.
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.
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.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 1993, the last time an American led the tour in tournaments won was in 1996, 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, seven from Canada, five from Taiwan, and four from Japan.
Of the 33 events in 2006, a total of 11 were won by Koreans and only seven were won by Americans. In 2007, Americans saw a relative resurgence, winning 12 events. For the first time since 2000, two Americans won majors In 2008, Americans grew in dominance, winning 9 of 34 events, tied with Koreans, but no majors, one of which was won by a Mexican player, one by Taiwanese player, and the other two by teenage Korean players In 2009, Americans won 5 of 28 official events, including one major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship while Koreans won 11 events
LPGA Tour tournaments
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. The other two co-sanctioned events—the BMW Ladies Championship and Toto Japan Classic —are held during the tour's autumn swing to Asia.
The LPGA's annual major championships are:
- ANA Inspiration
- U.S. Women's Open
- Women's PGA Championship
- Ricoh Women's British Open
- The Evian Championship
LPGA Playoffs
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, 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.
2020 LPGA Tour
Historical tour schedules and results
- Official tournaments are tournaments in which earnings and scores are credited to the players' official LPGA record.
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 Rolex 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 four major championships and at the season-ending Tour Championship. 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 Rolex 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.
| Year | Player of the Year | Vare Trophy | Rookie of the Year |
| 2019 |  Ko Jin-young | Ko Jin-young | Lee Jeong-eun |
| 2018 |  Ariya Jutanugarn | Ariya Jutanugarn | Ko Jin-young |
| 2017 | Sung Hyun Park So Yeon Ryu |  Lexi Thompson | Sung Hyun Park |
| 2016 | Ariya Jutanugarn | In Gee Chun | In Gee Chun |
| 2015 |  Lydia Ko | Inbee Park | Sei Young Kim |
| 2014 | Stacy Lewis | Stacy Lewis | Lydia Ko |
| 2013 | Inbee Park | Stacy Lewis | Moriya Jutanugarn |
| 2012 | Stacy Lewis | Inbee Park | So Yeon Ryu |
| 2011 |  Yani Tseng | Yani Tseng | Hee Kyung Seo |
| 2010 | Yani Tseng | Na Yeon Choi |  Azahara Muñoz |
| 2009 |  Lorena Ochoa | Lorena Ochoa | Jiyai Shin |
| 2008 | Lorena Ochoa | Lorena Ochoa | Yani Tseng |
| 2007 | Lorena Ochoa | Lorena Ochoa |  Angela Park |
| 2006 | Lorena Ochoa | Lorena Ochoa | Seon Hwa Lee |
| 2005 |  Annika Sörenstam | Annika Sörenstam | Paula Creamer |
| 2004 | Annika Sörenstam | Grace Park | Shi Hyun Ahn |
| 2003 | Annika Sörenstam | Se Ri Pak | Lorena Ochoa |
| 2002 | Annika Sörenstam | Annika Sörenstam | Beth Bauer |
| 2001 | Annika Sörenstam | Annika Sörenstam | Hee-Won Han |
| 2000 |  Karrie Webb | Karrie Webb | Dorothy Delasin |
| 1999 | Karrie Webb | Karrie Webb | Mi Hyun Kim |
| 1998 | Annika Sörenstam | Annika Sörenstam | Se Ri Pak |
| 1997 | Annika Sörenstam | Karrie Webb |  Lisa Hackney |
| 1996 | Laura Davies | Annika Sörenstam | Karrie Webb |
| 1995 | Annika Sörenstam | Annika Sörenstam | Pat Hurst |
| 1994 | Beth Daniel | Beth Daniel | Annika Sörenstam |
| 1993 | Betsy King | Betsy King | Suzanne Strudwick |
| 1992 | Dottie Mochrie | Dottie Mochrie | Helen Alfredsson |
| 1991 | Pat Bradley | Pat Bradley | Brandie Burton |
| 1990 | Beth Daniel | Beth Daniel |  Hiromi Kobayashi |
| 1989 | Betsy King | Beth Daniel |  Pamela Wright |
| 1988 | Nancy Lopez | Colleen Walker | Liselotte Neumann |
| 1987 | Ayako Okamoto | Betsy King | Tammie Green |
| 1986 | Pat Bradley | Pat Bradley | Jody Rosenthal |
| 1985 | Nancy Lopez | Nancy Lopez | Penny Hammel |
| 1984 | Betsy King | Patty Sheehan | Juli Inkster |
| 1983 | Patty Sheehan | JoAnne Carner | Stephanie Farwig |
| 1982 | JoAnne Carner | JoAnne Carner | Patti Rizzo |
| 1981 | JoAnne Carner | JoAnne Carner | Patty Sheehan |
| 1980 | Beth Daniel | Amy Alcott | Myra Blackwelder |
| 1979 | Nancy Lopez | Nancy Lopez | Beth Daniel |
| 1978 | Nancy Lopez | Nancy Lopez | Nancy Lopez |
| 1977 | Judy Rankin | Judy Rankin | Debbie Massey |
| 1976 | Judy Rankin | Judy Rankin | Bonnie Lauer |
| 1975 | Sandra Palmer | JoAnne Carner | Amy Alcott |
| 1974 | JoAnne Carner | JoAnne Carner | Jan Stephenson |
| 1973 | Kathy Whitworth | Judy Rankin | Laura Baugh |
| 1972 | Kathy Whitworth | Kathy Whitworth |  Jocelyne Bourassa |
| 1971 | Kathy Whitworth | Kathy Whitworth |  Sally Little |
| 1970 | Sandra Haynie | Kathy Whitworth | JoAnne Carner |
| 1969 | Kathy Whitworth | Kathy Whitworth | Jane Blalock |
| 1968 | Kathy Whitworth | Carol Mann | Sandra Post |
| 1967 | Kathy Whitworth | Kathy Whitworth | Sharron Moran |
| 1966 | Kathy Whitworth | Kathy Whitworth | Jan Ferraris |
| 1965 | – | Kathy Whitworth | Margie Masters |
| 1964 | – | Mickey Wright | Susie Maxwell |
| 1963 | – | Mickey Wright | Clifford Ann Creed |
| 1962 | – | Mickey Wright | Mary Mills |
| 1961 | – | Mickey Wright | – |
| 1960 | – | Mickey Wright | – |
| 1959 | – |  Betsy Rawls | – |
| 1958 | – |  Beverly Hanson | – |
| 1957 | – | Louise Suggs | – |
| 1956 | – | Patty Berg | – |
| 1955 | – | Patty Berg | – |
| 1954 | – | Babe Zaharias | – |
| 1953 | – | Patty Berg | – |
Leading money winners by year
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 as of the 2019 season.| Rank | Player | Country | Played | Earnings | Career events |
| 1 | Annika Sörenstam | 1994–2008 | 22,573,192 | 303 | |
| 2 | Karrie Webb | 1996–2019 | 20,270,249 | 488 | |
| 3 | Cristie Kerr | 1997–2019 | 19,764,991 | 545 | |
| 4 | Inbee Park | 2007–2019 | 15,356,126 | 261 | |
| 5 | Lorena Ochoa | 2003–2010 | 14,863,331 | 175 | |
| 6 | Suzann Pettersen | 2003–2019 | 14,837,579 | 316 | |
| 7 | Juli Inkster | 1983–2019 | 14,029,723 | 709 | |
| 8 | Stacy Lewis | 2009–2019 | 12,910,753 | 267 | |
| 9 | Se Ri Pak | 1998–2016 | 12,583,713 | 365 | |
| 10 | Paula Creamer | 2005–2019 | 12,131,822 | 333 |