|
|
|
|
LPGA
|
| |
|
| |
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters are in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that runs from February to December each year. In 2009, total prize money on the LPGA Tour will be nearly $55 million, a decrease of about $5 million from 2008, and 31 total official events, down from 34 in 2008.
Other "LPGA"s exist in other countries, each with a geographical designation in its name, but the U.S.

Discussion
Ask a question about 'LPGA'
Start a new discussion about 'LPGA'
Answer questions from other users
|
Encyclopedia
The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters are in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world that runs from February to December each year. In 2009, total prize money on the LPGA Tour will be nearly $55 million, a decrease of about $5 million from 2008, and 31 total official events, down from 34 in 2008.
Other "LPGA"s exist in other countries, each with a geographical designation in its name, but the U.S. organization is the 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 was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 women, including Babe Didrikson Zaharias. It is now the oldest ongoing women's professional sports organization in the United States. Carolyn Bivens is the current LPGA Commissioner.
LPGA Tour tournaments
Most of the LPGA Tour's events are held in the United States. In 2009, two tournaments are scheduled for Mexico and one each in Singapore, Canada, France, England, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Japan. Four of the tournaments held outside North America are co-sanctioned with other professional tours. The Ladies European Tour co-sanctions the Evian Masters in France and the Women's British Open, held the following week. The other two co-sanctioned events -— the Hana Bank-KOLON Championship (LPGA of Korea Tour) and Mizuno Classic (LPGA of Japan Tour) -— are held in successive autumn weeks in Asia.
The LPGA's annual major championships are:
International presence
In its early 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 2008, non-Americans won 28 of 36 major championships. In 2009, there are 122 non-Americans from 27 countries, 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.
Of the 33 events in 2006, only seven were won by Americans, with Cristie Kerr the only American to win more than once (three times). By contrast, Mexican Lorena Ochoa won seven events, Australian Karrie Webb five, Swede Annika Sörenstam three, and nine South Koreans (Joo Mi Kim, Meena Lee, Sung Ah Yim, Mi Hyun Kim (2), Hee-Won Han(2), Seon Hwa Lee,
Se Ri Pak, Jeong Jang, and Jin Joo Hong) combined to win 11 events. (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. However, only one American, Paula Creamer, won more than one event, while Mexico's Lorena Ochoa won eight times and Norway's Suzann Pettersen five. Koreans won only four events, seven fewer than the 11 they won in 2006.
Proposed English proficiency policy
In August 2008, the LPGA Tour announced a new policy to require all players who had been on the tour for two years to show proficiency in English or face suspension. The Tour rescinded the policy two weeks later amidst increasing criticism from fans, the media, and LPGA sponsors. Commissioner Bivens will be announcing a revised policy that will not include penalties. The LPGA has not disclosed by what standards English proficiency will be judged or provided information on whether it will provide education, tutoring, or classes for players whose native language is not English.
Other tours organized by the LPGA
Besides the main LPGA Tour, the LPGA operates a second-level developmental tour, the Duramed Futures Tour. 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 also administers an annual Qualifying School similar to that conducted by the PGA Tour. Depending on a golfer's finish in the Qualifying School tournament, she may receive full or partial playing privileges on the LPGA Tour.
In 2001, the LPGA established the Women's Senior Golf Tour, now called The Legends Tour, for women professionals aged 45 and older.
LPGA Playoffs
Since 2006, all official LPGA tournaments have been part of a playoff system, leading up to the Stanford Financial Tour Championship, known through the 2008 season as the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT, held in November. The LPGA schedule is divided into two halves, with 15 players from each half qualifying for the Stanford Financial Championship based on their performance. Two wild-card selections are also included in the Playoffs. The winner of the Stanford Financial Championship, which features three days of “playoffs” plus the final championship round, earns $1 million.
2009 LPGA Tour
Tour Championship Categories:
(Playoff criteria has not yet been announced. Assumes same playoff criteria as in 2008)
- winner: Official LPGA Tour events with a purse of at least $2,000,000. Winners of these events automatically qualify for the Tour Championship.
- standard: Winners do not automatically qualify for the Tour Championship; the points system is used.
- unofficial These events are not official LPGA Tour events and participation is not part of the playoff system.
The number in parentheses after winners' names show the player's total number of official money, individual event wins on the LPGA Tour, including that event.
Tournaments in bold are majors.
* Jiyai Shin had three wins in 2008 before becoming an LPGA member. Because she was not an LPGA member, these wins did not count on the LPGA official money list.
2009 money leaders
Top ten official money leaders as of March 8, 2009.
| Rank | Change | Player | Country | Events | Prize money ($) |
|---|
| 1 | 2 | Angela Stanford | | 3 | 322,571 |
|---|
| 2 | new | Jiyai Shin | | 2 | 300,000 |
|---|
| 3 | 2 | Lorena Ochoa | | 2 | 275,430 |
|---|
| 4 | | Paula Creamer | | 3 | 223,002 |
|---|
| 5 | ? | Katherine Hull | | 2 | 191,072 |
|---|
| 6 | 2 | Angela Park | | 3 | 187,737 |
|---|
| 7 | 4 | Hee Young Park | | 3 | 158,857 |
|---|
| 8 | 1 | Yani Tseng | | 3 | 117,355 |
|---|
| 9 | 4 | Michelle Wie | | 1 | 108,332 |
|---|
| 10 | 3 | Na Yeon Choi | | 3 | 107,447 |
|---|
T=tied for position
Change=change from previous week
Source and complete list: .
Also see: Women's World Golf Rankings
Note: Jiyai Shin's earnings in the Honda LPGA Thailand are not included in accordance with LPGA rules and her total event count also reflects this ruling.
Historical tour schedules and results
| Year | Number of tournaments | Countries hosting tournaments | Total prize money |
|---|
| 2008 Tour | 34 | 9 | $60,000,000 | | 2007 Tour | 35 | 11 | $54,285,000 | | 2006 Tour | 36 | 10 | $50,275,000 | | 2005 Tour | 35 | 9 | $45,100,000 | | 2004 Tour | 33 | 6 | $42,875,000 | |
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 a 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 LPGA 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 |
|---|
| 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 | | | 1996 | Laura Davies | Annika Sörenstam | Karrie Webb | | 1995 | Annika Sörenstam | Annika Sörenstam | Pat Hurst | | 1994 | | Beth Daniel | Annika Sörenstam | | 1993 | Betsy King | Betsy King | Suzanne Strudwick | | 1992 | Dottie Mochrie | Dottie Mochrie | Helen Alfredsson | | 1991 | | | Brandie Burton | | 1990 | Beth Daniel | Beth Daniel | | | 1989 | Betsy King | Beth Daniel | Pamela Wright | | 1988 | Nancy Lopez | Colleen Walker | Liselotte Neumann | | 1987 | Ayako Okamoto | Betsy King | Tammie Green | | 1986 | | | | | 1985 | Nancy Lopez | Nancy Lopez | Penny Hammel | | 1984 | Betsy King | Patty Sheehan | Juli Inkster | | 1983 | Patty Sheehan | JoAnne Carner | | | 1982 | JoAnne Carner | JoAnne Carner | Patti Rizzo | | 1981 | JoAnne Carner | JoAnne Carner | Patty Sheehan | | 1980 | Beth Daniel | Amy Alcott | | | 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 | Amy Alcott | JoAnne Carner | | 1969 | Kathy Whitworth | Kathy Whitworth | Jane Blalock | | 1968 | Kathy Whitworth | Carol Mann | Sandra Post | | 1967 | Kathy Whitworth | Kathy Whitworth | | | 1966 | Kathy Whitworth | Kathy Whitworth | | | 1965 | – | Kathy Whitworth | | | 1964 | – | Mickey Wright | Susie Berning | | 1963 | – | Mickey Wright | | | 1962 | – | Mickey Wright | | | 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
| Year | Player | Country | Earnings ($) | Most wins |
|---|
| 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, Se Ri Pak | | 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 | 6 - Betsy Rawls, Louise Suggs | | 1951 | Babe Zaharias | | 15,087 | 7 - Babe Zaharias | | 1950 | Babe Zaharias | | 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 20 career money leaders on the LPGA Tour at the end of the 2008 season. All of the players who earned money in 2008 remain active in 2009, with the exception of all-time money leader Annika Sörenstam. There is a more complete list, updated weekly during the Tour season, on .
| Position | Player | Country | Earned | Prize money ($) |
|---|
| 1 | Annika Sörenstam | | 1993-2008 | 22,573,192 |
|---|
| 2 | Karrie Webb | | 1995-2008 | 14,311,587 |
|---|
| 3 | Lorena Ochoa | | 2003-2008 | 13,197,409 |
|---|
| 4 | Juli Inkster | | 1983-2008 | 12,447,217 |
|---|
| 5 | Se Ri Pak | | 1997-2008 | 10,153,220 |
|---|
| 6 | Meg Mallon | | 1987-2008 | 9,019,694 |
|---|
| 7 | Cristie Kerr | | 1997-2008 | 8,938,890 |
|---|
| 8 | Beth Daniel | | 1979-2007 | 8,755,733 |
|---|
| 9 | Laura Davies | | 1986-2008 | 8,532,295 |
|---|
| 10 | Rosie Jones | | 1982-2006 | 8,355,068 |
|---|
| 11 | Mi Hyun Kim | | 1999-2008 | 8,294,443 |
|---|
| 12 | Betsy King | | 1977-2005 | 7,637,621.50 |
|---|
| 13 | Dottie Pepper | | 1988-2004 | 6,827,284 |
|---|
| 14 | Lorie Kane | | 1996-2008 | 6,697,214 |
|---|
| 15 | Pat Hurst | | 1991-2008 | 6,163,586 |
|---|
| 16 | Jeong Jang | | 2000-2008 | 6,109,187 |
|---|
| 17 | Sherri Steinhauer | | 1986-2008 | 5,929,838 |
|---|
| 18 | Liselotte Neumann | | 1988-2008 | 5,833,099 |
|---|
| 19 | Paula Creamer | | 2005-2008 | 5,816,733 |
|---|
| 20 | Pat Bradley | | 1974-2004 | 5,755,951 |
|---|
Total prize money awarded in past decades
- 2000 $38,500,000
- 1990 $17,100,000
- 1980 $5,150,000
- 1970 $435,040
- 1960 $186,700
- 1950 $50,000
See also
External links
- - fansite about the many South Koreans on the LPGA Tour
- Fan discussion forum and photo gallery
|
| |
|
|