LPGA#LPGA Tour awards

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.{{cite news |work=The Golf Channel |title=LPGA Tour: History |year=2000 |url=http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=17104&dv=3092752&select=2069 |access-date=April 8, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927205545/http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=17104&dv=3092752&select=2069 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}{{cite web |title=About the LPGA |publisher=LPGA |url=http://www.lpga.com/corporate/ladies-golf/about-the-lpga.aspx |access-date=April 30, 2013}} 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.{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5d71iha1Q-YC&pg=PA330 |title=Historical Dictionary of Golf |last=Mallon |first=Bill |date=January 21, 2011 |page=330|publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810874657 }} The WPGA had been founded by Ellen Griffin, Betty Hicks, and Hope Seignious.{{cite magazine |first=Muffin |last=Spencer-Devlin |title=Reviews – Books: Fore play |magazine=The Advocate |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PWQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT88 |date=November 12, 1996|page=88}}{{cite book |first=George B. |last=Kirsch |title=Golf in America |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OTg2eVFr__4C&pg=PA170 |year=2009 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-03292-9 |page=170}}

The LPGA was founded in 1950 at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wichita, Kansas.{{Cite web |url=https://collegeofgolf.keiseruniversity.edu/when-was-the-lpga-founded/ |title=When was the LPGA founded? [Infographic] |date=January 4, 2017 |website=Keiser University College of Golf |access-date=August 29, 2020 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429190113/https://collegeofgolf.keiseruniversity.edu/when-was-the-lpga-founded/ |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.lpga.com/careers-about/about-our-founders |title=About the LPGA - Our Founders |publisher=LPGA}}{{cite news |last=Carlson |first=Michael |title=Patty Berg |work=The Guardian |date=September 12, 2006 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/sep/12/guardianobituaries.gender |access-date=March 16, 2016}} 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.{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/35813789/padraig-harrington-lpga-founders-join-24-golf-hall-fame-class |title=Padraig Harrington, LPGA founders join '24 Golf Hall of Fame class |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=March 9, 2023}}

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.{{Cite news |date=January 23, 1950 |title=Polly Riley Victor With 295 at Tampa |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/01/23/issue.html |access-date=July 30, 2021}} In 1956, the LPGA hosted its first tournament outside the United States at the Havana Open in Havana, Cuba.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

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,{{cite news |date=October 28, 2009 |title=LPGA Tour names Whan commissioner |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/news/story?id=4601515 |access-date=April 30, 2013 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press}} became the eighth commissioner of the LPGA in October 2009, succeeding the ousted Carolyn Bivens.{{cite web |url=http://www.lpga.com/golf/news/2009/10/lpga-names-michael-whan-as-its-commissioner.aspx |title=LPGA Names Michael Whan as its Commissioner |publisher=LPGA |date=October 28, 2009 |access-date=April 30, 2013}}

After a lawsuit filed by golfer Lana Lawless, the rules were changed in 2010 to allow transgender competitors.{{Cite magazine |url=http://golfweek.com/2010/10/13/who-former-long-drive-champ-lana-lawless/ |title=Who is former Long Drive champ Lana Lawless? |date=October 13, 2010 |magazine=Golfweek |first=James |last=Achenbach |access-date=March 12, 2018}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/sports/golf/13lawsuit.html |title=Transgender Woman Sues L.P.G.A. Over Policy |last=Thomas |first=Katie |date=October 12, 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=March 12, 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/sports/golf/02lpga.html |title=L.P.G.A. Will Allow Transgender Players to Compete |last=Thomas |first=Katie |date=December 1, 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=March 12, 2018}} 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.{{cite news |last=Boivin |first=Paola |date=March 12, 2013 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2013/03/12/lpga-transgender-bobbi-lancaster/1983171/ |title=Transgender golfer dreams of playing in LPGA |newspaper=USA Today}} 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.{{cite news |title=LPGA says its players must be female at birth or transition before puberty |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/dec/04/lpga-says-its-players-must-be-female-at-birth-or-transition-before-puberty |access-date=4 December 2024 |work=The Guardian |agency=Associated Press |date=4 December 2024}}

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,{{Cite web |title=Executive Women's Golf Association to be Rebranded as LPGA Women Who Play |url=http://www.lpga.com/news/2018/2018-ewga-to-be-rebranded-as-lpga-women-who-play |access-date=2020-10-27 |publisher=LPGA}} 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.{{Cite web |title=Find a Chapter |url=https://lpgaamateurs.com/memberships/find/ |access-date=2020-10-27 |publisher=LPGA Amateur Golf Association}}

File:2009 LPGA Championship - Kristy McPherson (4).jpg 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.

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:{{Cite web |title=Major Championship Records |url=https://www.lpga.com/tournaments/major-championship-records |access-date=2024-02-07 |publisher=LPGA}}

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 {{As of|2024|lc=y}}.

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.{{cite news |date=January 8, 2014 |title=LPGA Tour goes to points race |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/10261775/lpga-tour-goes-points-race-big-payoff |access-date=January 10, 2014 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press}} 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).

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).{{cite web |url=https://www.cbc.ca/sports/golf/lpga-exposure-pay-gap-1.5249606 |title=LPGA commissioner: 'If I had 150 Brooke Hendersons, I could own the sporting world' |first=Adam |last=Stanley |website=CBC Sports |date=2019-08-16 |access-date=2019-09-24}}

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.[https://archive.today/20130209144751/http://www.worldgolf.com/blogs/karen.palacios.jansen/2008/02/29/lpga_south_korean_women_dominate_women_s_2008 LPGA – South Korean women dominate women's golf in 2008] Se Ri Pak's early success in the LPGA sparked the boom in Korean women golfers on the LPGA Tour.{{cite web |url=http://www.worldgolf.com/column/why-korean-golfers-are-dominating-lpga-tour-5643.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130209172154/http://www.worldgolf.com/column/why-korean-golfers-are-dominating-lpga-tour-5643.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 9, 2013 |title=Why Korean golfers are dominating LPGA Tour |first=Jennifer |last=Mario |access-date=April 30, 2013 }} 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.{{cite press release|url=http://www.lpga.com/content/2009InternationalPlayers.pdf |title=LPGA Information: 2009 International Players |publisher=LPGA |access-date=January 24, 2009}}{{dead link|date=April 2013}}

{{see also|2025 LPGA Tour}}

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.

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.

{{notelist}}

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

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.{{cite web |url=https://www.lpga.com/stats-and-rankings/money-and-finishes#tab-list |title=Career Money |publisher=LPGA |access-date=November 25, 2024}}

Active players on the Tour are shown in bold.

• 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
• LPGA International

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