The LPGA is the Ladies Professional Golf Association. It was founded in 1950 with only 13 women. It is now the oldest ongoing women's professional sports organization in the United States. It is the leading women's golf tour in the world and features the leading international women golfers.
The annual Major tournaments are:
Besides the main LPGA tour, the LPGA operates a second-level developmental tour, the 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 playing privileges on the LPGA Tour, the Futures Tour, or neither tour.
In 2001 the LPGA established the Women's Senior Golf Tour for women aged 45 and above.
On June 7, 2005, LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw, who is leaving his post at the end of the season, announced that the LPGA will have a playoff system beginning in 2006. The playoff system will be a points system in which the top 30 points scorers and two wild cards will compete for a $1 million first-place prize at the ADT Championship in November in Florida. Major winners will automatically qualify, as well as winners of other selected events. Votaw has said there are still details to work out, but that two cuts will be sued in the tournament. [1] (http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sports/2002320957_golf08.html?syndication=rss)
Leading money winners
| Year | Player | Country | Earnings ($) | Most wins
|
|---|
| 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
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| 1992 | Dottie Mochrie | United States | 693,335 | 4 - Dottie Mochrie
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| 1991 | Pat Bradley | United States | 763,118 | 4 - Pat Bradley, Meg Mallon
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| 1990 | Beth Daniel | United States | 863,578 | 7 - Beth Daniel
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| 1989 | Betsy King | United States | 654,132 | 6 - Betsy King
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| 1988 | Sherri Turner | United States | 350,851 | 3 - 5 players (see 1)
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| 1987 | Ayako Okamoto | Japan | 466,034 | 5 - Jane Geddes
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| 1986 | Pat Bradley | United States | 492,021 | 5 - Pat Bradley
|
| 1985 | Nancy Lopez | United States | 416,472 | 5 - Nancy Lopez
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| 1984 | Betsy King | United States | 266,771 | 4 - Patty Sheehan, Amy Alcott
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| 1983 | JoAnne Carner | United States | 291,404 | 4 - Pat Bradley, Patty Sheehan
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| 1982 | JoAnne Carner | United States | 310,400 | 5 - JoAnne Carner, Beth Daniel, |
| 1981 | Beth Daniel | United States | 206,998 | 5 - Donna Caponi
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| 1980 | Beth Daniel | United States | 231,000 | 5 - Donna Caponi, JoAnne Carner
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| 1979 | Nancy Lopez | United States | 197,489 | 8 - Nancy Lopez
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| 1978 | Nancy Lopez | United States | 189,814 | 9 - Nancy Lopez
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| 1977 | Judy Rankin | United States | 122,890 | 5 - Judy Rankin, Debbie Austin
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| 1976 | Judy Rankin | United States | 150,734 | 6 - Judy Rankin
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| 1975 | Sandra Palmer | United States | 76,374 | 4 - Carol Mann, Sandra Haynie
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| 1974 | JoAnne Carner | United States | 87,094 | 6 - JoAnne Carner, Sandra Haynie
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| 1973 | Kathy Whitworth | United States | 82,864 | 7 - Kathy Whitworth
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| 1972 | Kathy Whitworth | United States | 65,063 | 5 - Kathy Whitworth, Jane Blalock
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| 1971 | Kathy Whitworth | United States | 41,181 | 5 - Kathy Whitworth
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| 1970 | Kathy Whitworth | United States | 30,235 | 4 - Shirley Englehorn
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| 1969 | Carol Mann | United States | 49,152 | 8 - Carol Mann
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| 1968 | Kathy Whitworth | United States | 48,379 | 10 - Carol Mann, Kathy Whitworth
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| 1967 | Kathy Whitworth | United States | 32,937 | 8 - Kathy Whitworth
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| 1966 | Kathy Whitworth | United States | 33,517 | 9 - Kathy Whitworth
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| 1965 | Kathy Whitworth | United States | 28,658 | 8 - Kathy Whitworth
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| 1964 | Mickey Wright | United States | 29,800 | 11 - Mickey Wright
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| 1963 | Mickey Wright | United States | 31,269 | 13 - Mickey Wright
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| 1962 | Mickey Wright | United States | 21,641 | 10 - Mickey Wright
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| 1961 | Mickey Wright | United States | 22,236 | 10 - Mickey Wright
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| 1960 | Louise Suggs | United States | 16,892 | 6 - Mickey Wright
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| 1959 | Betsy Rawls | United States | 26,774 | 10 - Betsy Rawls
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| 1958 | Beverly Hanson | United States | 12,639 | 5 - Mickey Wright
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| 1957 | Patty Berg | United States | 16,272 | 5 - Betsy Rawls, Patty Berg
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| 1956 | Marlene Hagge | United States | 20,235 | 8 - Marlene Hagge
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| 1955 | Patty Berg | United States | 16,492 | 6 - Patty Berg
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| 1954 | Patty Berg | United States | 16,011 | 5 - Louise Suggs, Babe Zaharias
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| 1953 | Louise Suggs | United States | 19,816 | 8 - Louise Suggs
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| 1952 | Betsy Rawls | United States | 14,505 | 6 - Betsy Rawls, Louise Suggs
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| 1951 | Babe Zaharias | United States | 15,087 | 7 - Babe Zaharias
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| 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.
Total prize money
- 2004 $42,875,000
- 2000 $38,500,000
- 1990 $17,100,000
- 1980 $5,150,000
- 1970 $435,040
- 1960 $186,700
- 1950 $50,000
There is a complete list here (http://www.lpga.com/content/05CareerWins.pdf)
See also
External link
no:Ladies Professional Golf Association
