LPGA

This article is about the golf association. For the political party, see Libertarian Party of Georgia.
Ladies Professional Golf Association
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2016 LPGA Tour

Logo introduced in October 2007[1][2]
Sport Golf
Founded 1950
Founder 13 original LPGA players [3]
Inaugural season 1950
Commissioner Michael Whan
Country  United States, with events
in other countries in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America
Most titles United States Kathy Whitworth (88)
TV partner(s) Golf Channel
Official website LPGA.com

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization is headquartered 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 "LPGA's" 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 its 63rd season in 2012, The LPGA is the oldest continuing women's professional sports organization in the United States.[4][5] 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.[3] The LPGA 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.[6]

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.[5][7] Whan is a former marketing executive in the sporting goods industry.[8]

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 2014, the number of tournaments had risen to 33 with a record-high total prize money in excess of $56 million.[9]

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.[10] Se Ri Pak's early success in the LPGA sparked the boom in Korean women golfers on the LPGA Tour.[11] 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.[12] Of the 33 events in 2006, a total of 11 were won by Koreans and only seven were won by Americans. (See 2006 LPGA Tour for more details on the 2006 season.) In 2007, Americans saw a relative resurgence, winning 12 events. For the first time since 2000, two Americans won majors (See 2007 LPGA Tour for more details on the 2007 season.) 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, and the other two by teenage Korean players (See 2008 LPGA Tour for more details on the 2008 season.) In 2009, Americans won 5 of 28 official events, including one major, the Kraft Nabisco Championship while Koreans won 11 events (See 2009 LPGA Tour for more details on the 2009 season.)

LPGA Tour tournaments

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

Most of the LPGA Tour's events are held in the United States. In 2010, two tournaments were played in Mexico and one each in Singapore, Canada, France, England, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan. Unofficial events were also held in Brazil and Jamaica. In 2011, the unofficial Jamaica event was dropped and a tournament in Mexico was canceled months in advance over security concerns. The Women's British Open rotated from England to Scotland and all other countries retained their tournaments. In addition, events were added in China and Taiwan, while the biennial USA–Europe team competition, the Solheim Cup was played in Ireland. (The new event in China was postponed and ultimately canceled.)

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 LPGA Hana Bank Championship (LPGA of Korea Tour) and Mizuno Classic (LPGA of Japan Tour)—are held during the tour's autumn swing to Asia.

The LPGA's annual major championships are:

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.[13]

2016 LPGA Tour

See also: 2016 LPGA Tour

2016 money leaders

Through the conclusion of the Volunteers of America Texas Shootout on May 1.

Rank Change Player Country Events Prize
money ($)
1 Steady Lydia Ko  New Zealand 8 1,071,567
2 Steady Haru Nomura  Japan 10 680,484
3 Steady Ha Na Jang  South Korea 8 617,098
4 Increase1 Sei Young Kim  South Korea 10 511,841
5 Decrease1 Lexi Thompson  United States 9 503,305
6 Increase1 In Gee Chun  South Korea 6 467,226
7 Decrease1 Minjee Lee  Australia 11 452,584
8 Steady Brooke Henderson  Canada 10 441,312
9 Increase10 Jenny Shin  South Korea 10 409,211
10 Increase1 Gerina Piller  United States 9 393,063

Change = change from previous rank.
Source and complete list: LPGA official website.

Historical tour schedules and results

Year Number of
official tournaments
Countries hosting
tournaments
Tournaments in
United States
Tournaments in
other countries
Total prize
money ($)
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

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.

YearPlayer of the YearVare TrophyRookie of the Year
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[14]
2013South Korea Inbee Park United States Stacy Lewis Thailand Moriya Jutanugarn
2012United States Stacy Lewis South Korea Inbee Park South Korea So Yeon Ryu
2011Taiwan Yani Tseng Taiwan Yani Tseng South Korea Hee Kyung Seo
2010Taiwan Yani Tseng South Korea Na Yeon Choi Spain Azahara Muñoz
2009 Mexico Lorena Ochoa Mexico Lorena Ochoa South Korea Jiyai Shin
2008Mexico Lorena Ochoa Mexico Lorena Ochoa Taiwan Yani Tseng
2007Mexico Lorena Ochoa Mexico Lorena Ochoa Brazil Angela Park
2006Mexico Lorena Ochoa Mexico Lorena Ochoa South Korea Seon Hwa Lee
2005Sweden Annika SörenstamSweden Annika SörenstamUnited States Paula Creamer
2004Sweden Annika SörenstamSouth Korea Grace ParkSouth Korea Shi Hyun Ahn
2003Sweden Annika SörenstamSouth Korea Se Ri PakMexico Lorena Ochoa
2002Sweden Annika SörenstamSweden Annika SörenstamUnited States Beth Bauer
2001Sweden Annika SörenstamSweden Annika SörenstamSouth Korea Hee-Won Han
2000Australia Karrie WebbAustralia Karrie WebbUnited States Dorothy Delasin
1999Australia Karrie WebbAustralia Karrie WebbSouth Korea Mi Hyun Kim
1998Sweden Annika SörenstamSweden Annika SörenstamSouth Korea Se Ri Pak
1997Sweden Annika SörenstamAustralia Karrie WebbEngland Lisa Hackney
1996England Laura DaviesSweden Annika SörenstamAustralia Karrie Webb
1995Sweden Annika SörenstamSweden Annika SörenstamUnited States Pat Hurst
1994United States Beth DanielUnited States Beth DanielSweden Annika Sörenstam
1993United States Betsy KingUnited States Betsy KingEngland Suzanne Strudwick
1992United States Dottie MochrieUnited States Dottie MochrieSweden Helen Alfredsson
1991United States Pat BradleyUnited States Pat BradleyUnited States Brandie Burton
1990United States Beth DanielUnited States Beth DanielJapan Hiromi Kobayashi
1989United States Betsy KingUnited States Beth DanielScotland Pamela Wright
1988United States Nancy LopezUnited States Colleen WalkerSweden Liselotte Neumann
1987Japan Ayako OkamotoUnited States Betsy KingUnited States Tammie Green
1986United States Pat BradleyUnited States Pat BradleyUnited States Jody Rosenthal
1985United States Nancy LopezUnited States Nancy LopezUnited States Penny Hammel
1984United States Betsy KingUnited States Patty SheehanUnited States Juli Inkster
1983United States Patty SheehanUnited States JoAnne CarnerUnited States Stephanie Farwig
1982United States JoAnne CarnerUnited States JoAnne CarnerUnited States Patti Rizzo
1981United States JoAnne CarnerUnited States JoAnne CarnerUnited States Patty Sheehan
1980United States Beth DanielUnited States Amy AlcottUnited States Myra Blackwelder
1979United States Nancy LopezUnited States Nancy LopezUnited States Beth Daniel
1978United States Nancy LopezUnited States Nancy LopezUnited States Nancy Lopez
1977United States Judy RankinUnited States Judy RankinUnited States Debbie Massey
1976United States Judy RankinUnited States Judy RankinUnited States Bonnie Lauer
1975United States Sandra PalmerUnited States JoAnne CarnerUnited States Amy Alcott
1974United States JoAnne CarnerUnited States JoAnne CarnerAustralia Jan Stephenson
1973United States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Judy RankinUnited States Laura Baugh
1972United States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Kathy WhitworthCanada Jocelyne Bourassa
1971United States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Kathy WhitworthSouth Africa Sally Little
1970United States Sandra HaynieUnited States Kathy WhitworthUnited States JoAnne Carner
1969United States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Jane Blalock
1968United States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Carol MannCanada Sandra Post
1967United States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Sharron Moran
1966United States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Kathy WhitworthUnited States Jan Ferraris
1965United States Kathy WhitworthAustralia Margie Masters
1964United States Mickey WrightUnited States Susie Maxwell
1963United States Mickey WrightUnited States Clifford Ann Creed
1962United States Mickey WrightUnited States Mary Mills
1961United States Mickey Wright
1960United States Mickey Wright
1959United States Betsy Rawls
1958United States Beverly Hanson
1957United States Louise Suggs
1956United States Patty Berg
1955United States Patty Berg
1954United States Babe Zaharias
1953United States Patty Berg

Leading money winners by year

Year Player Country Earnings ($) Most wins
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  Mexico 2,754,660 7 – Lorena Ochoa
2007 Lorena Ochoa  Mexico 4,364,994 8 – Lorena Ochoa
2006 Lorena Ochoa  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 7 – Babe Zaharias
1950 Babe Zaharias  United States 14,800 6 – Babe Zaharias

1 The five players with who won 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 the 2015 season.[15]

Rank Player Country Earned Earnings ($)
1 Annika Sörenstam  Sweden 1994–2008 22,573,192
2 Karrie Webb  Australia 1996–2015 19,632,135
3 Cristie Kerr  United States 1997–2015 17,285,587
4 Lorena Ochoa  Mexico 2003–2010 14,863,331
5 Juli Inkster  United States 1983–2015 13,852,568
6 Suzann Pettersen  Norway 2003–2015 13,578,977
7 Inbee Park  South Korea 2007–2015 12,580,995
8 Se Ri Pak  South Korea 1998–2015 12,563,660
9 Paula Creamer  United States 2005–2015 11,492,473
10 Stacy Lewis  United States 2009–2015 10,464,773

Total prize money awarded in past years

Season Total
purse ($)
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

References

  1. "New logo - press release". LPGA. October 3, 2007. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  2. "LPGA logo". famouslogos.us. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  3. 1 2 "Learn more about the 13 LPGA founders". LPGA. 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  4. "LPGA Tour: History". The Golf Channel. 2000. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved April 8, 2007.
  5. 1 2 "About the LPGA". LPGA. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  6. Mallon, Bill. Historical Dictionary of Golf. p. 330.
  7. "LPGA Names Michael Whan as its Commissioner". LPGA. October 28, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  8. "LPGA Tour names Whan commissioner". ESPN. Associated Press. October 28, 2009. Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  9. LPGA.com, LPGA Announces 2014 Schedule. November 22, 2013.
  10. LPGA – South Korean women dominate women's golf in 2008
  11. Mario, Jennifer. "Why Korean golfers are dominating LPGA Tour". Retrieved April 30, 2013.
  12. "LPGA Information: 2009 International Players" (PDF) (Press release). LPGA. Retrieved January 24, 2009.
  13. "LPGA Tour goes to points race". ESPN. Associated Press. January 8, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  14. "Lydia Ko is LPGA's top rookie". ESPN. Associated Press. November 12, 2014.
  15. "Career Money". LPGA.

External links

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