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The Titleholders Championship was a women's golf

Golf

Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....

tournament played from in 1937 to 1966 and again in 1972. It was later designated a major championship

Women's major golf championships

Women's golf has a set of major championships which parallels that in men's golf, but the women's system is younger and has been less stable than the men's. Many professional stroke play events for women are played over three rounds , but the majors are played over four rounds , which is the...

by the LPGA Tour.

It should not be confused with two other LPGA events with similar names:

The Mercury Titleholders Championship: A regular (non-major) LPGA tournament held from 1990 to 1999.
The CME Group Titleholders
CME Group Titleholders
The CME Group Titleholders is a women's professional golf tournament, the season-ending event on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. It succeeds the LPGA Tour Championship, which was played for two seasons in 2009 and 2010...

: The season-ending tournament on the LPGA Tour starting in 2011.

History

The Titleholders Championship was founded in 1937. Like the Masters Tournament for men, which began a few years earlier, it was played in Augusta, Georgia

Augusta, Georgia

Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...

though at the Augusta Country Club, not at Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Golf Club

Augusta National Golf Club, located in Augusta, Georgia, is a famous men's golf club. Founded by Bobby Jones and Clifford Roberts and designed by Alister MacKenzie on the site of a former indigo plantation, the club opened for play in January 1933. Since 1934, it has played host to the annual...

. The winners of various amateur and professional events were invited to take part, although most of the competitors were amateurs. There were very few women professionals at the time and most earned their living as club or teaching professionals. The Titleholders itself did not offer prize money until 1948, when a prize fund of $600 was introduced, with half of the money going to the professional placing highest in the event. The tournament was discontinued after 1966, but was revived for one year in 1972, when it was played at Southern Pines, North Carolina

Southern Pines, North Carolina

Southern Pines is a town in Moore County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 10,918 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Southern Pines is located at ....

. All of these stagings are now recognized as major championships by the LPGA

LPGA

The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, whose headquarters is in Daytona Beach, Florida, is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from...

, even though the organization was not founded until 1950.

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	Runner(s)-up	Winners' share ($)	Purse ($)
1972	Sandra Palmer Sandra Palmer Sandra Palmer is an American professional golfer.Palmer was born in Fort Worth, Texas. She attended North Texas State University where she was a cheerleader and Homecoming Queen....	283	Judy Rankin Judy Rankin Judy Torluemke Rankin is an American professional golfer and golf broadcaster. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1962 and won 26 LPGA Tour events in all. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.-Amateur career:... , Mickey Wright Mickey Wright Mary Kathryn "Mickey" Wright is an American professional golfer. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.-Early life:...	3,000	20,000
1967-71 No tournament
1966	Kathy Whitworth Kathy Whitworth Kathy Whitworth is an American professional golfer. Throughout her playing career she won 88 LPGA Tour tournaments, more than anyone else has won on either the LPGA Tour or the PGA Tour. In 1981 she became the first woman to reach career earnings of $1 million on the LPGA Tour...	291	Judy Kimball-Simon, Mary Mills	1,500	10,000
1965	Kathy Whitworth Kathy Whitworth Kathy Whitworth is an American professional golfer. Throughout her playing career she won 88 LPGA Tour tournaments, more than anyone else has won on either the LPGA Tour or the PGA Tour. In 1981 she became the first woman to reach career earnings of $1 million on the LPGA Tour...	287	Peggy Wilson Peggy Wilson (golfer) Margaret Joyce "Peggy" Wilson is an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.Wilson won once on the LPGA Tour in 1968.-LPGA Tour wins:-References:...	1,500	10,000
1964	Marilynn Smith Marilynn Smith Marilynn Smith is an American professional golfer. She was one of the thirteen founders of the LPGA.Smith was born in Topeka, Kansas. She attended the University of Kansas and joined the LPGA Tour in its inaugural 1950 season. She won 21 events on the tour between 1954 and 1972, including two...	289	Mickey Wright Mickey Wright Mary Kathryn "Mickey" Wright is an American professional golfer. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.-Early life:...	1,300	7,500
1963	Marilynn Smith Marilynn Smith Marilynn Smith is an American professional golfer. She was one of the thirteen founders of the LPGA.Smith was born in Topeka, Kansas. She attended the University of Kansas and joined the LPGA Tour in its inaugural 1950 season. She won 21 events on the tour between 1954 and 1972, including two...	292^PO	Mickey Wright Mickey Wright Mary Kathryn "Mickey" Wright is an American professional golfer. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.-Early life:...	1,235	7,500
1962	Mickey Wright Mickey Wright Mary Kathryn "Mickey" Wright is an American professional golfer. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.-Early life:...	295^PO	Ruth Jessen Ruth Jessen Mary Ruth Jessen was an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.Jessen was born in Seattle, Washington. She briefly played on the men's golf team at Seattle University....	1,330	7,500
1961	Mickey Wright Mickey Wright Mary Kathryn "Mickey" Wright is an American professional golfer. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.-Early life:...	299	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer... , Louise Suggs Louise Suggs Mae Louise Suggs is a retired professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf.-Amateur career:Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginning as a teenager...	1,200	7,000
1960	Fay Crocker Fay Crocker Fay Crocker was the first non-American golfer to win one of the LPGA major golf championships. Her first major was the 1955 U.S. Women's Open and her second was the 1960 Titleholders Championship, where she set a record for the oldest LPGA major champion of 45 years, 7 months and 1 day.Crocker was...	303	Kathy Cornelius Kathy Cornelius Kathy Cornelius is an American golfer.Cornelius was born in Boston, Massachusetts and attended Florida Southern College, where she played on the men's golf team, as the school did not have a women's team at the time. She turned pro in 1953 and married golf pro Bill Cornelius the same year...	1,140	6,000
1959	Louise Suggs Louise Suggs Mae Louise Suggs is a retired professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf.-Amateur career:Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginning as a teenager...	297	Betsy Rawls Betsy Rawls Elizabeth Earle "Betsy" Rawls is an American professional golfer.Rawls was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After attending the University of Texas, Rawls joined the LPGA Tour in its second season in 1951. She won 55 tournaments on the tour, including eight major championships...	1,000	5,000
1958	Beverly Hanson Beverly Hanson Beverly Hanson is an American professional golfer who played on the United States-based LPGA Tour.Hanson was born in Fargo, North Dakota. She studied at the University of North Dakota, Mills College in Oakland, California and the University of Wisconsin and was a bassoon player, performing with...	299	Betty Dodd Betty Dodd Elizabeth "Betty" Dodd was an American professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour.Dodd won twice on the LPGA Tour, in 1956 and 1957. She was a close friend of fellow golfer Babe Zaharias. According to Susan Cayleff's biography Babe, Dodd was quoted as to saying "I had such admiration for this...	1,000	5,275
1957	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer...	296	Anne Quast Anne Quast Anne Quast is an American golfer. She won the U.S. Women's Amateur three times and was runner-up three times . She was married several times and played as Anne Decker, Anne Welts, and Anne Sander.-Career:Quast was born in Everett, Washington... (a)	1,000	5,000
1956	Louise Suggs Louise Suggs Mae Louise Suggs is a retired professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf.-Amateur career:Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginning as a teenager...	302	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer...	1,000	5,000
1955	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer...	291	Mary Lena Faulk Mary Lena Faulk Mary Lena Faulk was an American professional golfer.Faulk was born in Chipley, Florida but at the age of 14 moved to Thomasville, Georgia where she won three consecutive Georgia Women's Amateur Matchplay Championships from 1946 to 1948.In 1953, Faulk won the U.S. Women's Amateur. In 1954 she was...	1,000	5,000
1954	Louise Suggs Louise Suggs Mae Louise Suggs is a retired professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf.-Amateur career:Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginning as a teenager...	293	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer...	1,000	3,000
1953	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer...	294	Betsy Rawls Betsy Rawls Elizabeth Earle "Betsy" Rawls is an American professional golfer.Rawls was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After attending the University of Texas, Rawls joined the LPGA Tour in its second season in 1951. She won 55 tournaments on the tour, including eight major championships...	1,000	2,200
1952	Babe Zaharias Babe Zaharias Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field...	299	Betsy Rawls Betsy Rawls Elizabeth Earle "Betsy" Rawls is an American professional golfer.Rawls was born in Spartanburg, South Carolina. After attending the University of Texas, Rawls joined the LPGA Tour in its second season in 1951. She won 55 tournaments on the tour, including eight major championships...	1,000	2,100
1951	Pat O'Sullivan Pat O'Sullivan Pat O'Sullivan Lucey is an American amateur golfer who won the 1950, 1951, and 1953 North and South Women's Amateur. As well, she won the 1951 Titleholders Championship, then one of the LPGA Tour's major championships. She was a member of Race Brook Country Club in Orange, Connecticut... (a)	301	Beverly Hanson Beverly Hanson Beverly Hanson is an American professional golfer who played on the United States-based LPGA Tour.Hanson was born in Fargo, North Dakota. She studied at the University of North Dakota, Mills College in Oakland, California and the University of Wisconsin and was a bassoon player, performing with...		1,500
1950	Babe Zaharias Babe Zaharias Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field...	298	Claire Doran (a)	700	1,500
1949	Peggy Kirk (a)	299	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer... , Dorothy Kirby Dorothy Kirby Mary Dorothy Kirby was an American golf champion and sportscaster.Born in West Point, Georgia, her family moved to Atlanta when she was ten. At the age of thirteen Dorothy Kirby's victory at the 1933 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship made her the youngest female golfer to ever win a state... (a)
1948	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer...	308	Peggy Kirk (a), Babe Zaharias Babe Zaharias Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field...
1947	Babe Zaharias Babe Zaharias Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field... (a)	304	Dorothy Kirby Dorothy Kirby Mary Dorothy Kirby was an American golf champion and sportscaster.Born in West Point, Georgia, her family moved to Atlanta when she was ten. At the age of thirteen Dorothy Kirby's victory at the 1933 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship made her the youngest female golfer to ever win a state... (a)	300
1946	Louise Suggs Louise Suggs Mae Louise Suggs is a retired professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf.-Amateur career:Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginning as a teenager... (a)	314	Eileen Stulb Eileen Stulb Eileen Heffernan Stulb was an American amateur golfer.-Personal:Stulb was born in Augusta, Georgia to Marion C. Stulb and Eileen Anna Heffernan Stulb. She died in Augusta, Georgia.-Golfing career:... (a)
1943-45 No tournament
1942	Dorothy Kirby Dorothy Kirby Mary Dorothy Kirby was an American golf champion and sportscaster.Born in West Point, Georgia, her family moved to Atlanta when she was ten. At the age of thirteen Dorothy Kirby's victory at the 1933 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship made her the youngest female golfer to ever win a state... (a)	239^	Eileen Stulb Eileen Stulb Eileen Heffernan Stulb was an American amateur golfer.-Personal:Stulb was born in Augusta, Georgia to Marion C. Stulb and Eileen Anna Heffernan Stulb. She died in Augusta, Georgia.-Golfing career:... (a)
1941	Dorothy Kirby Dorothy Kirby Mary Dorothy Kirby was an American golf champion and sportscaster.Born in West Point, Georgia, her family moved to Atlanta when she was ten. At the age of thirteen Dorothy Kirby's victory at the 1933 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship made her the youngest female golfer to ever win a state... (a)	224^	Helen Sigel
1940	Helen Hicks Helen Hicks Helen L. Hicks was an American professional golfer and one of 13 founders of the LPGA in 1950.Hicks was born in Cedarhurst, New York. She had a successful amateur career, reaching the finals of the U.S. Women's Amateur twice. She beat Glenna Collett Vare in 1931 and lost to Virginia Van Wie in 1933... (a)	336	Helen Dettweiler Helen Dettweiler Helen Dettweiler was an American professional golfer. She won the Women's Western Open in 1939.She was one of the 13 founders of the Ladies Professional Golf Association in 1950.-Wins :-References:...
1939	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer... (a)	319	Dorothy Kirby Dorothy Kirby Mary Dorothy Kirby was an American golf champion and sportscaster.Born in West Point, Georgia, her family moved to Atlanta when she was ten. At the age of thirteen Dorothy Kirby's victory at the 1933 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship made her the youngest female golfer to ever win a state... (a)
1938	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer... (a)	311	Jane Cothran (a)
1937	Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer... (a)	240^	Dorothy Kirby Dorothy Kirby Mary Dorothy Kirby was an American golf champion and sportscaster.Born in West Point, Georgia, her family moved to Atlanta when she was ten. At the age of thirteen Dorothy Kirby's victory at the 1933 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship made her the youngest female golfer to ever win a state... (a)

(a) - denotes amateur

^PO - won in playoff

^ - 54 holes

Multiple winners

This table lists the golfers who have won more than one Titleholders Championship.

Deceased golfer †
Grand Slam Grand Slam (golf) The Grand Slam in golf is winning all the golf's major championships in the same calendar year.-The Men's Grand Slam:The Grand Slam in men's golf is an unofficial concept, having changed over time. In the modern era, The Grand Slam is generally considered to be winning all four of golf's major... winners ‡
Deceased Grand Slam winners ∞

Golfer	Total	Years
Patty Berg Patty Berg Patricia Jane Berg was an American professional golfer and a founding member and then leading player on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Her 15 major title wins remains the all-time record for most major wins by a female golfer... †	7	1937, 1938, 1939, 1948, 1953, 1955, 1957
Louise Suggs Louise Suggs Mae Louise Suggs is a retired professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf.-Amateur career:Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginning as a teenager... ‡	4	1946, 1954, 1956, 1959
Babe Zaharias Babe Zaharias Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who achieved outstanding success in golf, basketball, and track and field... †	3	1947, 1950, 1952
Dorothy Kirby Dorothy Kirby Mary Dorothy Kirby was an American golf champion and sportscaster.Born in West Point, Georgia, her family moved to Atlanta when she was ten. At the age of thirteen Dorothy Kirby's victory at the 1933 Georgia Women's Amateur Championship made her the youngest female golfer to ever win a state... †	2	1941, 1942
Mickey Wright Mickey Wright Mary Kathryn "Mickey" Wright is an American professional golfer. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.-Early life:... ‡	2	1961, 1962
Marilynn Smith Marilynn Smith Marilynn Smith is an American professional golfer. She was one of the thirteen founders of the LPGA.Smith was born in Topeka, Kansas. She attended the University of Kansas and joined the LPGA Tour in its inaugural 1950 season. She won 21 events on the tour between 1954 and 1972, including two...	2	1963, 1964
Kathy Whitworth Kathy Whitworth Kathy Whitworth is an American professional golfer. Throughout her playing career she won 88 LPGA Tour tournaments, more than anyone else has won on either the LPGA Tour or the PGA Tour. In 1981 she became the first woman to reach career earnings of $1 million on the LPGA Tour...	2	1965, 1966

Winners by nationality

This table lists the total number of titles won by golfers of each nationality as a major.

Nationality	Number of wins
	27
	1