LPGA
Association of US female professional golfers
title: "LPGA" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["lpga-tour", "golf-in-the-united-states", "sports-professional-associations-based-in-the-united-states", "professional-associations-for-women", "women's-golf", "golf-governing-bodies", "sports-organizations-established-in-1950", "women's-sports-organizations-in-the-united-states", "1950-establishments-in-the-united-states"] description: "Association of US female professional golfers" topic_path: "geography/united-states" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LPGA" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Association of US female professional golfers ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox sports league"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | Ladies Professional Golf Association |
| current_season | 2026 LPGA Tour |
| logo | Ladies Professional Golf Association.svg |
| pixels | 150px |
| caption | Logo introduced in October 2007 |
| sport | Golf |
| founded | |
| inaugural | 1950 |
| country | , with events in other countries around the world |
| most_champs | USA Kathy Whitworth (88) |
| website | |
| commissioner | Craig Kessler |
| TV | NBC Sports |
| Golf Channel | |
| CBS Sports | |
| Founder | 13 original LPGA players |
| :: |
::callout[type=note] the golf association ::
| title = Ladies Professional Golf Association | current_season = 2026 LPGA Tour | last_season = | logo = Ladies Professional Golf Association.svg | pixels = 150px | caption = Logo introduced in October 2007 | Formerly = | sport = Golf | founded = | fame = | motto = | inaugural = 1950 | teams = | country = , with events in other countries around the world | venue = | champion = | most_champs = USA Kathy Whitworth (88) | qualification = | folded = | website = | singles = | commissioner = Craig Kessler | Director = | TV = NBC Sports Golf Channel CBS Sports | related_comps = | Founder = 13 original LPGA players
The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at 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 Professional Golfers' Association of America (or 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 had been 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 served as 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 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, a former marketing executive in the sporting goods industry, became the eighth commissioner of the LPGA in October 2009, succeeding the ousted Carolyn Bivens.
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 to play in Arizona's Cactus Tour in hopes of getting a spot for the LPGA Qualifying Tournament. In December 2024, the LPGA published a new policy that states in order to compete as female in their tournaments, players must either be assigned female at birth, or have transitioned to female before undergoing male puberty. The policy goes into effect in 2025.
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.
LPGA Tour tournaments
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/2009_LPGA_Championship_-Kristy_McPherson(4).jpg" caption="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.
As of 2025, six 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 Scottish Open. The other three co-sanctioned events—the Blue Bay LPGA, Buick LPGA Shanghai (China LPGA 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. In 2011, the event became the CME Group Titleholders, held in November; since 2014, it has been known as the CME Group Tour Championship, and that name is used .
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.
After 2014, the field is determined by a season-long points race, the Race to the CME Globe. Points conferred to players on tour depend on whether the tournament is major or not, and placement. From 2014 to 2018, the top 72 players in the Race to the CME Globe competed in the CME Group Tour Championship, with the top 12 players mathematically eligible to win a $1 million bonus in 2017 and 2018. Past Race to the CME Globe champions include Lydia Ko (2014, 2015), Ariya Jutanugarn (2016, 2018) and Lexi Thompson (2017).
Tournament prize money
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 $5 million in one year).
International presence
In its first four decades, the LPGA Tour was dominated by American players. Sandra Post of Canada became the first player living outside the United States to gain an LPGA tour card in 1968. The non-U.S. contingent is now very large. The last time an American player topped the money list was in 2014 (Stacy Lewis), the last time an American led the tour in tournaments won was in 2020 (Danielle Kang), and from 2000 through 2009, non-Americans won 31 of 40 major championships.
Particularly, one of the notable trends seen in the early 21st century in the LPGA is the rise and dominance of Korean golfers. Se Ri Pak's early success in the LPGA sparked the boom in Korean women golfers on the LPGA Tour. In 2009, there were 122 non-Americans from 27 countries on the tour, including 47 from South Korea, 14 from Sweden, 10 from Australia, eight from the United Kingdom (four from England, three from Scotland and one from Wales), seven from Canada, five from Taiwan, and four from Japan.
2025 LPGA Tour
Historical tour schedules and results
::data[format=table]
| Year | Number of
official tournaments | Countries hosting
tournaments | Tournaments in
United States | Tournaments in
other countries | Total prize
money ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 33 | 11 | 22 | 11 | 131,000,000 |
| 2024 | 33 | 11 | 22 | 11 | 125,500,000Multiple sources: |
| 2023 | 32 | 11 | 21 | 11 | 102,350,000Multiple sources: |
| 2022 | 32 | 9 | 23 | 9 | 93,900,000Multiple sources: |
| 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.
::data[format=table]
| Year | Player of the Year | Vare Trophy | Rookie of the Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | THA Jeeno Thitikul | THA Jeeno Thitikul (2) | JPN Miyū Yamashita |
| 2024 | USA Nelly Korda | JPN Ayaka Furue | JPN Mao Saigo |
| 2023 | USA Lilia Vu | THA Jeeno Thitikul | KOR Ryu Hae-ran |
| 2022 | NZL Lydia Ko (2) | NZL Lydia Ko (2) | THA Jeeno Thitikul |
| 2021 | KOR Ko Jin-young (2) | NZL Lydia Ko | THA Patty Tavatanakit |
| 2020 | KOR Kim Sei-young | USA Danielle Kang | – |
| 2019 | KOR Ko Jin-young | KOR Ko Jin-young | KOR Lee Jeong-eun |
| 2018 | THA Ariya Jutanugarn (2) | THA Ariya Jutanugarn | KOR Ko Jin-young |
| 2017 | KOR Park Sung-hyun | ||
| KOR Ryu So-yeon | USA Lexi Thompson | KOR Park Sung-hyun | |
| 2016 | THA Ariya Jutanugarn | KOR Chun In-gee | KOR Chun In-gee |
| 2015 | NZL Lydia Ko | KOR Inbee Park (2) | KOR Kim Sei-young |
| 2014 | USA Stacy Lewis (2) | USA Stacy Lewis (2) | NZL Lydia Ko |
| 2013 | KOR Inbee Park | USA Stacy Lewis | THA Moriya Jutanugarn |
| 2012 | USA Stacy Lewis | KOR Inbee Park | KOR Ryu So-yeon |
| 2011 | TWN Yani Tseng (2) | TWN Yani Tseng | KOR Hee-kyung Seo |
| 2010 | TWN Yani Tseng | KOR Choi Na-yeon | ESP Azahara Muñoz |
| 2009 | MEX Lorena Ochoa (4) | MEX Lorena Ochoa (4) | KOR Jiyai Shin |
| 2008 | MEX Lorena Ochoa (3) | MEX Lorena Ochoa (3) | TWN Yani Tseng |
| 2007 | MEX Lorena Ochoa (2) | MEX Lorena Ochoa (2) | BRA Angela Park |
| 2006 | MEX Lorena Ochoa | MEX Lorena Ochoa | KOR Lee Seon-hwa |
| 2005 | SWE Annika Sörenstam (8) | SWE Annika Sörenstam (6) | USA Paula Creamer |
| 2004 | SWE Annika Sörenstam (7) | KOR Grace Park | KOR Ahn Shi-hyun |
| 2003 | SWE Annika Sörenstam (6) | KOR Pak Se-ri | MEX Lorena Ochoa |
| 2002 | SWE Annika Sörenstam (5) | SWE Annika Sörenstam (5) | USA Beth Bauer |
| 2001 | SWE Annika Sörenstam (4) | SWE Annika Sörenstam (4) | KOR Han Hee-won |
| 2000 | AUS Karrie Webb (2) | AUS Karrie Webb (3) | USA Dorothy Delasin |
| 1999 | AUS Karrie Webb | AUS Karrie Webb (2) | KOR Mi-Hyun Kim |
| 1998 | SWE Annika Sörenstam (3) | SWE Annika Sörenstam (3) | KOR Pak Se-ri |
| 1997 | SWE Annika Sörenstam (2) | AUS Karrie Webb | ENG Lisa Hackney |
| 1996 | ENG Laura Davies | SWE Annika Sörenstam (2) | AUS Karrie Webb |
| 1995 | SWE Annika Sörenstam | SWE Annika Sörenstam | USA Pat Hurst |
| 1994 | USA Beth Daniel (3) | USA Beth Daniel (3) | SWE Annika Sörenstam |
| 1993 | USA Betsy King (3) | USA Betsy King (2) | ENG Suzanne Strudwick |
| 1992 | USA Dottie Mochrie | USA Dottie Mochrie | SWE Helen Alfredsson |
| 1991 | USA Pat Bradley (2) | USA Pat Bradley (2) | USA Brandie Burton |
| 1990 | USA Beth Daniel (2) | USA Beth Daniel (2) | JPN Hiromi Kobayashi |
| 1989 | USA Betsy King (2) | USA Beth Daniel | SCO Pam Wright |
| 1988 | USA Nancy Lopez (4) | USA Colleen Walker | SWE Liselotte Neumann |
| 1987 | JPN Ayako Okamoto | USA Betsy King | USA Tammie Green |
| 1986 | USA Pat Bradley | USA Pat Bradley | USA Jody Rosenthal |
| 1985 | USA Nancy Lopez (3) | USA Nancy Lopez (3) | USA Penny Hammel |
| 1984 | USA Betsy King | USA Patty Sheehan | USA Juli Inkster |
| 1983 | USA Patty Sheehan | USA JoAnne Carner (5) | USA Stephanie Farwig |
| 1982 | USA JoAnne Carner (3) | USA JoAnne Carner (4) | USA Patti Rizzo |
| 1981 | USA JoAnne Carner (2) | USA JoAnne Carner (3) | USA Patty Sheehan |
| 1980 | USA Beth Daniel | USA Amy Alcott | USA Myra Blackwelder |
| 1979 | USA Nancy Lopez (2) | USA Nancy Lopez (2) | USA Beth Daniel |
| 1978 | USA Nancy Lopez | USA Nancy Lopez | USA Nancy Lopez |
| 1977 | USA Judy Rankin (2) | USA Judy Rankin (3) | USA Debbie Massey |
| 1976 | USA Judy Rankin | USA Judy Rankin (2) | USA Bonnie Lauer |
| 1975 | USA Sandra Palmer | USA JoAnne Carner (2) | USA Amy Alcott |
| 1974 | USA JoAnne Carner | USA JoAnne Carner | AUS Jan Stephenson |
| 1973 | USA Kathy Whitworth (7) | USA Judy Rankin | USA Laura Baugh |
| 1972 | USA Kathy Whitworth (6) | USA Kathy Whitworth (7) | CAN Jocelyne Bourassa |
| 1971 | USA Kathy Whitworth (5) | USA Kathy Whitworth (6) | ZAF Sally Little |
| 1970 | USA Sandra Haynie | USA Kathy Whitworth (5) | USA JoAnne Carner |
| 1969 | USA Kathy Whitworth (4) | USA Kathy Whitworth (4) | USA Jane Blalock |
| 1968 | USA Kathy Whitworth (3) | USA Carol Mann | CAN Sandra Post |
| 1967 | USA Kathy Whitworth (2) | USA Kathy Whitworth (3) | USA Sharron Moran |
| 1966 | USA Kathy Whitworth | USA Kathy Whitworth (2) | USA Jan Ferraris |
| 1965 | – | USA Kathy Whitworth | AUS Margie Masters |
| 1964 | – | USA Mickey Wright (5) | USA Susie Maxwell |
| 1963 | – | USA Mickey Wright (4) | USA Clifford Ann Creed |
| 1962 | – | USA Mickey Wright (3) | USA Mary Mills |
| 1961 | – | USA Mickey Wright (2) | – |
| 1960 | – | USA Mickey Wright | – |
| 1959 | – | USA Betsy Rawls | – |
| 1958 | – | USA Beverly Hanson | – |
| 1957 | – | USA Louise Suggs | – |
| 1956 | – | USA Patty Berg (3) | – |
| 1955 | – | USA Patty Berg (2) | – |
| 1954 | – | USA Babe Zaharias | – |
| 1953 | – | USA Patty Berg | – |
| :: |
Leading money winners and most events won by year
::data[format=table]
| Year | Player | Country | Earnings ($) | Most wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Jeeno Thitikul | 7,578,330 | 3 – Jeeno Thitikul | |
| 2024 | Jeeno Thitikul | 6,059,309 | 7 – Nelly Korda | |
| 2023 | Lilia Vu | 3,502,303 | 4 – Céline Boutier, Lilia Vu | |
| 2022 | Lydia Ko | 4,364,403 | 3 – Lydia Ko, Jennifer Kupcho | |
| 2021 | Ko Jin-young | 3,502,161 | 5 – Ko Jin-young | |
| 2020 | Ko Jin-young | 1,667,925 | 2 – Danielle Kang, Kim Sei-young | |
| 2019 | Ko Jin-young | 2,773,894 | 4 – Ko Jin-young | |
| 2018 | Ariya Jutanugarn | 2,743,949 | 3 – Ariya Jutanugarn, Park Sung-hyun | |
| 2017 | Park Sung-hyun | 2,335,883 | 3 – Shanshan Feng, Kim In-Kyung | |
| 2016 | Ariya Jutanugarn | 2,550,928 | 5 – Ariya Jutanugarn | |
| 2015 | Lydia Ko | 2,800,802 | 5 – Lydia Ko, Inbee Park | |
| 2014 | Stacy Lewis | 2,539,039 | 3 – Lydia Ko, Stacy Lewis, Inbee Park | |
| 2013 | Inbee Park | 2,456,619 | 6 – Inbee Park | |
| 2012 | Inbee Park | 2,287,080 | 4 – Stacy Lewis | |
| 2011 | Yani Tseng | 2,921,713 | 7 – Yani Tseng | |
| 2010 | Choi Na-yeon | 1,871,166 | 5 – Ai Miyazato | |
| 2009 | Jiyai Shin | 1,807,334 | 3 – Jiyai Shin, Lorena Ochoa | |
| 2008 | Lorena Ochoa | 2,754,660 | 7 – Lorena Ochoa | |
| 2007 | Lorena Ochoa | 4,364,994 | 8 – Lorena Ochoa | |
| 2006 | Lorena Ochoa | 2,592,872 | 6 – Lorena Ochoa | |
| 2005 | Annika Sörenstam | 2,588,240 | 10 – Annika Sörenstam | |
| 2004 | Annika Sörenstam | 2,544,707 | 8 – Annika Sörenstam | |
| 2003 | Annika Sörenstam | 2,029,506 | 6 – Annika Sörenstam | |
| 2002 | Annika Sörenstam | 2,863,904 | 11 – Annika Sörenstam | |
| 2001 | Annika Sörenstam | 2,105,868 | 8 – Annika Sörenstam | |
| 2000 | Karrie Webb | 1,876,853 | 7 – Karrie Webb | |
| 1999 | Karrie Webb | 1,591,959 | 6 – Karrie Webb | |
| 1998 | Annika Sörenstam | 1,092,748 | 4 – Annika Sörenstam, Pak Se-ri | |
| 1997 | Annika Sörenstam | 1,236,789 | 6 – Annika Sörenstam | |
| 1996 | Karrie Webb | 1,002,000 | 4 – Laura Davies, Dottie Pepper, Karrie Webb | |
| 1995 | Annika Sörenstam | 666,533 | 3 – Annika Sörenstam | |
| 1994 | Laura Davies | 687,201 | 4 – Beth Daniel | |
| 1993 | Betsy King | 595,992 | 3 – Brandie Burton | |
| 1992 | Dottie Mochrie | 693,335 | 4 – Dottie Mochrie | |
| 1991 | Pat Bradley | 763,118 | 4 – Pat Bradley, Meg Mallon | |
| 1990 | Beth Daniel | 863,578 | 7 – Beth Daniel | |
| 1989 | Betsy King | 654,132 | 6 – Betsy King | |
| 1988 | Sherri Turner | 350,851 | 3 – 5 players (see 1) | |
| 1987 | Ayako Okamoto | 466,034 | 5 – Jane Geddes | |
| 1986 | Pat Bradley | 492,021 | 5 – Pat Bradley | |
| 1985 | Nancy Lopez | 416,472 | 5 – Nancy Lopez | |
| 1984 | Betsy King | 266,771 | 4 – Patty Sheehan, Amy Alcott | |
| 1983 | JoAnne Carner | 291,404 | 4 – Pat Bradley, Patty Sheehan | |
| 1982 | JoAnne Carner | 310,400 | 5 – JoAnne Carner, Beth Daniel | |
| 1981 | Beth Daniel | 206,998 | 5 – Donna Caponi | |
| 1980 | Beth Daniel | 231,000 | 5 – Donna Caponi, JoAnne Carner | |
| 1979 | Nancy Lopez | 197,489 | 8 – Nancy Lopez | |
| 1978 | Nancy Lopez | 189,814 | 9 – Nancy Lopez | |
| 1977 | Judy Rankin | 122,890 | 5 – Judy Rankin, Debbie Austin | |
| 1976 | Judy Rankin | 150,734 | 6 – Judy Rankin | |
| 1975 | Sandra Palmer | 76,374 | 4 – Carol Mann, Sandra Haynie | |
| 1974 | JoAnne Carner | 87,094 | 6 – JoAnne Carner, Sandra Haynie | |
| 1973 | Kathy Whitworth | 82,864 | 7 – Kathy Whitworth | |
| 1972 | Kathy Whitworth | 65,063 | 5 – Kathy Whitworth, Jane Blalock | |
| 1971 | Kathy Whitworth | 41,181 | 5 – Kathy Whitworth | |
| 1970 | Kathy Whitworth | 30,235 | 4 – Shirley Englehorn | |
| 1969 | Carol Mann | 49,152 | 8 – Carol Mann | |
| 1968 | Kathy Whitworth | 48,379 | 10 – Carol Mann, Kathy Whitworth | |
| 1967 | Kathy Whitworth | 32,937 | 8 – Kathy Whitworth | |
| 1966 | Kathy Whitworth | 33,517 | 9 – Kathy Whitworth | |
| 1965 | Kathy Whitworth | 28,658 | 8 – Kathy Whitworth | |
| 1964 | Mickey Wright | 29,800 | 11 – Mickey Wright | |
| 1963 | Mickey Wright | 31,269 | 13 – Mickey Wright | |
| 1962 | Mickey Wright | 21,641 | 10 – Mickey Wright | |
| 1961 | Mickey Wright | 22,236 | 10 – Mickey Wright | |
| 1960 | Louise Suggs | 16,892 | 6 – Mickey Wright | |
| 1959 | Betsy Rawls | 26,774 | 10 – Betsy Rawls | |
| 1958 | Beverly Hanson | 12,639 | 5 – Mickey Wright | |
| 1957 | Patty Berg | 16,272 | 5 – Betsy Rawls, Patty Berg | |
| 1956 | Marlene Hagge | 20,235 | 8 – Marlene Hagge | |
| 1955 | Patty Berg | 16,492 | 6 – Patty Berg | |
| 1954 | Patty Berg | 16,011 | 5 – Louise Suggs, Babe Zaharias | |
| 1953 | Louise Suggs | 19,816 | 8 – Louise Suggs | |
| 1952 | Betsy Rawls | 14,505 | 8 – Betsy Rawls | |
| 1951 | Babe Zaharias | 15,087 | 9 – Babe Zaharias | |
| 1950 | Babe Zaharias | 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 the 2024 season.
Active players on the Tour are shown in bold.
::data[format=table] | Rank | Player | Country | Played | Earnings ($) || Career events | |---|---|---|---|---| | 1 | Annika Sörenstam | | 1994–2023 | 22,583,693 | | 2 | Karrie Webb | | 1996–2024 | 20,293,617 | | 3 | Cristie Kerr | | 1997–2024 | 20,179,848 | | 4 | Lydia Ko | | 2014–2024 | 20,143,981 | | 5 | Inbee Park | | 2007–2022 | 18,262,344 | | 6 | Amy Yang | | 2008–2024 | 15,848,328 | | 7 | Lorena Ochoa | | 2003–2010 | 14,863,331 | | 8 | Suzann Pettersen | | 2003–2019 | 14,837,578 | | 9 | Minjee Lee | | 2015–2024 | 14,746,089 | | 10 | Lexi Thompson | | 2012–2024 | 14,588,207 | ::
Historical total prize money awarded
::data[format=table] | Season | Total purse ($) | |---|---| | 2025 | 133,200,000 | | 2024 | 123,950,000 | | 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 | ::
References
References
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- Spencer-Devlin, Muffin. (November 12, 1996). "Reviews – Books: Fore play".
- Kirsch, George B.. (2009). "Golf in America". University of Illinois Press.
- (January 4, 2017). "When was the LPGA founded? [Infographic]".
- "About the LPGA - Our Founders". LPGA.
- Carlson, Michael. (September 12, 2006). "Patty Berg". The Guardian.
- (March 9, 2023). "Padraig Harrington, LPGA founders join '24 Golf Hall of Fame class". ESPN.
- (January 23, 1950). "Polly Riley Victor With 295 at Tampa". The New York Times.
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