Women's PGA Championship


The Women's PGA Championship is a women's professional golf tournament. First held in 1955, it is one of five majors on the LPGA Tour. It is not recognized as a major by the Ladies European Tour, which does not recognize any of the three majors played in the United States.
Formerly known as the LPGA Championship, the LPGA announced in 2014 that the PGA of America would become a partner of the event, and that it would be renamed the Women's PGA Championship beginning in 2015—becoming a sister event to the men's PGA Championship. The partnership included a new title sponsorship agreement with KPMG, an increase in purse, and a commitment by NBC to provide network television coverage of the weekend rounds.

Professional-amateur controversy

Prior to 2005, the LPGA Championship had a "professionals only" rule. This is similar to the men's PGA Championship, but contrasts with the U.S. and British Opens, which have long had both amateur and professional entrants through qualifying. Until its takeover by the PGA of America in 2015, the tournament was the LPGA's own event, and the LPGA was created specifically to provide opportunities for women in professional golf.
In 2005 this rule was revoked, effectively to allow 15-year-old amateur Michelle Wie to compete, in order to attract more media coverage and sell more tickets, though this was not publicly acknowledged by the LPGA. Some professionals objected to this move, as they felt that places given to amateurs would come at the expense of the LPGA Tour's less successful professionals, who need to play regularly to make a living. One of the leading professionals, Laura Davies, stated objections to the change were shortsighted.
At the time, Wie had made the cut in all five majors that she had played, with two top-ten finishes, and had also played twice in the Sony Open in Hawaii on the PGA Tour, but missed both cuts. Despite the controversy, she outscored all but one of the pros in the 2005 LPGA Championship and was the runner-up, three strokes behind three-time champion Annika Sörenstam.
In 2006, the LPGA Championship reverted to its "professionals only" status, with only pros in the field. Wie had turned professional the previous October, upon signing multimillion-dollar endorsement contracts with Nike, Sony, and other sponsors.

Tournament names

Tournament names through the years:
YearsTournament name
1955–1970LPGA Championship
1971–1972Eve-LPGA Championship
1973–1986LPGA Championship
1987–1993Mazda LPGA Championship
1994–2000McDonald's LPGA Championship
2001–2003McDonald's LPGA Championship presented by AIG
2004–2009McDonald's LPGA Championship presented by Coca-Cola
2010LPGA Championship presented by Wegmans
2011–2014Wegmans LPGA Championship
2015–KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Winners

Multiple champions

PlayerTotalYears
Mickey Wright ‡41958, 1960, 1961, 1963
Kathy Whitworth31967, 1971, 1975
Nancy Lopez31978, 1985, 1989
Patty Sheehan31983, 1984, 1993
Annika Sörenstam ‡32003, 2004, 2005
Se Ri Pak31998, 2002, 2006
Inbee Park32013, 2014, 2015
Betsy Rawls21959, 1969
Mary Mills21964, 1973
Sandra Haynie21965, 1974
Donna Caponi21979, 1981
Laura Davies21994, 1996
Juli Inkster ‡21999, 2000
Yani Tseng22008, 2011

The defending champion has retained the title on seven occasions, most recently in 2015:
Through 2017, three consecutive championships has been achieved only twice, by Sörenstam and Park.

Champions by nationality

Nationality Wins
41
7
4
3
2
2
2
1
1
1

Sites by state

Future sites

Since the PGA of America took control of the tournament, venues will often bid for both a men's, women's, and seniors' PGA Championship together. Aronimink Golf Club, which hosted the men's in 1962 and seniors in 2003, was awarded a joint bid for the 2020 women's and 2027 men's. Congressional Country Club was awarded the 2025 seniors and both the 2022 and 2027 women's championships. Baltusrol Golf Club, which had hosted the 2005 and 2016 men's championships, was awarded the 2023 women's and 2029 men's championships together. The tournament will also be held at the PGA of America's new home in Frisco, Texas.
YearEditionCourseLocationDatesHosted Hosted
202066thAronimink Golf ClubNewtown Square, PennsylvaniaJune 25–28Never1962, 2003, 2027
202167thAtlanta Athletic ClubJohns Creek, GeorgiaTBDNever1981, 2001, 2011
202268thCongressional Country ClubBethesda, MarylandTBDNever1976
202369thBaltusrol Golf ClubSpringfield, New JerseyTBDNever2005, 2016, 2029
202571stPGA FriscoFrisco, TexasTBDNever2023, 2027, 2029, 2034
202773rdCongressional Country ClubBethesda, MarylandTBD20221976, 2025
203177thPGA FriscoFrisco, TexasTBD20252023, 2027, 2029, 2034

M = Denotes PGA Championship
S = Denotes Senior PGA Championship