Encylopedia Jr
The Kid's Encyclopedia: A great information resource for kids, schools, and anybody who wants to learn.
Kids: Be sure to check with your parents or teachers before using this or any web site.



Browse by Subject
Browse by Letter

This site is designed to be an encyclopedia for use by kids. Kids and children, please ask your parents or teachers prior to using this site or the internet.







LPGA

From Encyclopedia Jr, free information reference for Kids

The LPGA, in full the Ladies Professional Golf Association, is an American organization for female professional golfers. The organization, with headquarters 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 which runs from February to November each year. In 2006 prize money on the LPGA Tour will exceed US$50 million for the first time. [1]

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 golf 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.

Contents

[edit] LPGA Tour tournaments

Most of the LPGA Tour's events are held in the United States. In 2006 there are two tournaments in Mexico and one in Canada. Two events are co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour: the Women's British Open and the Evian Masters in France, held the preceding week. One late-season event is in South Korea, and is co-sanctioned with the LPGA of Korea Tour, another is in Japan and a third, which is new for 2006, is in Thailand.

The LPGA's annual major championships are:

  • Kraft Nabisco Championship
  • McDonald's U.S. LPGA Championship Presented by Coca-Cola
  • U.S. Women's Open
  • Weetabix Women's British Open (held in cooperation with Ladies European Tour)

[edit] International presence

In its early decades the LPGA Tour was dominated by American players. Vivien Saunders of the United Kingdom became the first player living outside the United States to gain an LPGA tour card in 1969. The non-U.S. contingent is now very large, and generally has the upper hand on the course. 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 2006 non-Americans won 22 out of 28 major championships. In 2006 the largest international contingents are 32 South Koreans, 14 Swedes, 11 Australians, 9 Britons (4 English, 4 Scottish, 1 Welsh), 6 Canadians and 4 Japanese. [1]

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, Swede Annika Sörenstam won three events, Australian Karrie Webb five, Mexican Lorena Ochoa six, and nine different South Koreans combined to win 11 events. The season-ending LPGA Playoffs at The ADT was won by Paraguayan Julieta Granada. The other seven finalists in that event featured only two Americans (Paula Creamer and Natalie Gulbis); the others were Ochoa, Webb, Koreans Il Mi Chung and Mi Hyun Kim, and Japanese Ai Miyazato.

[edit] Other tours organized by the LPGA

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 or the Futures Tour.

In 2001, the LPGA established the Women's Senior Golf Tour for women aged 45 and above.

[edit] LPGA Playoffs

On June 7, 2005, then-LPGA commissioner Ty Votaw, announced that the LPGA would have a playoff system beginning in 2006. The playoff system is a points system in which the top 30 points scorers and two wild cards compete for a $1 million first-place prize at the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT in Florida in November. Major winners automatically qualify, as do winners of other selected events.

[edit] 2006 LPGA Tour

  • The winner of Major Events automatically qualify for LPGA Playoffs at The ADT. ADT Playoffs Points are doubled at Major Events.
  • The top-20 finishers in Points Events earn double ADT Playoffs Points.
  • The champion of Winner Events automatically qualify for LPGA Playoffs at The ADT. Other top-20 finishers earn single ADT Playoffs Points.
  • The Global Group (pre-determined international events) events will be combined to count as one Winner Event qualifier, with the player earning the most combined points in these events earning automatic entry to LPGA Playoffs at The ADT. No additional points will be awarded.
  • Unofficial Money Events do not count toward entry into the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT.
  • The first half of the season concludes with the final full-field domestic event (Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic) prior to the Tour traveling to Europe.
  • The second half concludes with final event (The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions) prior to the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT.


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.

Dates Tournament Location ADT Playoff
Category		 Winner
Jan 20-22 Women's World Cup of Golf South Africa unofficial Sweden (Annika Sorenstam & Liselotte Neumann)
Feb 16-18 SBS Open at Turtle Bay Hawaii points Joo Mi Kim (1)
Feb 23-25 Fields Open in Hawaii Hawaii points Meena Lee (2)
Mar 10-12 MasterCard Classic Mexico points Annika Sorenstam (67)
Mar 16-19 Safeway International Arizona points Juli Inkster (31)
Mar 30-Apr 2 Kraft Nabisco Championship California major Karrie Webb (31)
Apr 13-15 LPGA Takefuji Classic Nevada points Lorena Ochoa (4)
Apr 20-23 Florida's Natural Championship Georgia points Sung Ah Yim (1)
Apr 27-30 Ginn Clubs & Resorts Open Florida points Mi Hyun Kim (6)
May 4-7 Franklin American Mortgage Championship Tennessee points Cristie Kerr (7)
May 11-14 Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill Virginia winner Karrie Webb (32)
May 18-21 Sybase Classic * New York points Lorena Ochoa (5)
May 25-28 LPGA Corning Classic New York points Hee-Won Han (5)
Jun 2-4 ShopRite LPGA Classic New Jersey points Seon Hwa Lee (1)
Jun 8-11 McDonald's LPGA Championship Maryland major Se Ri Pak (23)
Jun 22-25 Wegmans LPGA New York points Jeong Jang (2)
Jun 29-Jul 2 U.S. Women's Open Rhode Island major Annika Sorenstam (68)
Jul 6-9 HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship New Jersey winner Brittany Lincicome (1)
Jul 13-16 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Ohio points Mi Hyun Kim (7)
Start of second half of season
Jul 26-29 Evian Masters France winner Karrie Webb (33)
Aug 3-6 Weetabix Women's British Open England major Sherri Steinhauer (7)
Aug 10-13 CN Canadian Women's Open Ontario, Canada points Cristie Kerr (8)
Aug 18-20 Safeway Classic Oregon points Pat Hurst (5)
Aug 24-27 Wendy's Championship for Children Ohio points Lorena Ochoa (6)
Aug 31-Sep 3 State Farm Classic Illinois points Annika Sorenstam (69)
Sep 8-10 John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic Oklahoma points Cristie Kerr (9)
Sep 21-24 Longs Drugs Challenge California points Karrie Webb (34)
Oct 5-8 Corona Morelia Championship Mexico points

Lorena Ochoa (7)
Oct 12-15 Samsung World Championship California winner Lorena Ochoa (8)
Oct 19-22 Honda LPGA Thailand Thailand global group Hee-Won Han (6)
Oct 27-29 KOLON-Hana Bank Championship South Korea global group Jin Joo Hong (1)
Nov 3-5 Mizuno Classic Japan global group Karrie Webb (35)
Nov 9-12 The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions Alabama winner Lorena Ochoa (9)
Nov 16-19 LPGA Playoffs at The ADT Florida n/a Julieta Granada (1)
Dec 15-17 Lexus Cup Singapore global group
Dec 23-24 Wendy's Three-Tour Challenge Nevada unofficial

* tournament shortened to 54 holes because of rain.
tournaments in bold are majors.

[edit] 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 ADT 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 Louis Suggs Rolex Rooke 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 at all full-field domestic events and doubled at the LPGA's four major championships. 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 increments of three, beginning at sixth place with 62 points. 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
2006 Lorena Ochoa Lorena Ochoa Seon Hwa Lee
2005 Annika Sorenstam Annika Sorenstam Paula Creamer
2004 Annika Sorenstam Grace Park Shi Hyun Ahn
2003 Annika Sorenstam Se Ri Pak Lorena Ochoa
2002 Annika Sorenstam Annika Sorenstam Beth Bauer
2001 Annika Sorenstam Annika Sorenstam Hee-Won Han
2000 Karrie Webb Karrie Webb Dorothy Delasin
1999 Karrie Webb Karrie Webb Mi Hyun Kim
1998 Annika Sorenstam Annika Sorenstam Se Ri Pak
1997 Annika Sorenstam Karrie Webb Lisa Hackney
1996 Laura Davies Annika Sorenstam Karrie Webb
1995 Annika Sorenstam Annika Sorenstam Pat Hurst
1994 Beth Daniel Beth Daniel Annika Sorenstam
1993 Betsy King Betsy King Suzanne Strudwick
1992 Dottie Mochrie Dottie Mochrie Helen Alfredsson
1991 Pat Bradley Pat Bradley Brandie Burton
1990 Beth Daniel Beth Daniel Hiromi Kobayashi
1989 Betsy King Beth Daniel Pamela Wright
1988 Nancy Lopez Colleen Walker Liselotte Neumann
1987 Ayako Okamoto Betsy King Tammie Green
1986 Pat Bradley Pat Bradley Jody Rosenthal
1985 Nancy Lopez Nancy Lopez Penny Hammel
1984 Betsy King Patty Sheehan Juli Inkster
1983 Patty Sheehan JoAnne Carner Stephanie Farwig
1982 JoAnne Carner JoAnne Carner Patti Rizzo
1981 JoAnne Carner JoAnne Carner Patty Sheehan
1980 Beth Daniel Amy Alcott Myra Blackwelder
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 Amy Alcott 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 Sharron Moran
1966 Kathy Whitworth Kathy Whitworth Jan Ferraris
1965 – Kathy Whitworth Margie Masters
1964 – Mickey Wright Susie Berning
1963 – Mickey Wright Clifford Ann Creed
1962 – Mickey Wright Mary Mills
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 –

[edit] Leading money winners by year

Year Player Country Earnings ($) Most wins
2006 Lorena Ochoa Mexico 2,592,872 6 - Lorena Ochoa
2005 Annika Sörenstam Sweden 2,588,240 10 - Annika Sörenstam
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
1992 Dottie Mochrie United States 693,335 4 - Dottie Mochrie
1991 Pat Bradley United States 763,118 4 - Pat Bradley, Meg Mallon
1990 Beth Daniel United States 863,578 7 - Beth Daniel
1989 Betsy King United States 654,132 6 - Betsy King
1988 Sherri Turner United States 350,851 3 - 5 players (see 1)
1987 Ayako Okamoto Japan 466,034 5 - Jane Geddes
1986 Pat Bradley United States 492,021 5 - Pat Bradley
1985 Nancy Lopez United States 416,472 5 - Nancy Lopez
1984 Betsy King United States 266,771 4 - Patty Sheehan, Amy Alcott
1983 JoAnne Carner United States 291,404 4 - Pat Bradley, Patty Sheehan
1982 JoAnne Carner United States 310,400 5 - JoAnne Carner, Beth Daniel,
1981 Beth Daniel United States 206,998 5 - Donna Caponi
1980 Beth Daniel United States 231,000 5 - Donna Caponi, JoAnne Carner
1979 Nancy Lopez United States 197,489 8 - Nancy Lopez
1978 Nancy Lopez United States 189,814 9 - Nancy Lopez
1977 Judy Rankin United States 122,890 5 - Judy Rankin, Debbie Austin
1976 Judy Rankin United States 150,734 6 - Judy Rankin
1975 Sandra Palmer United States 76,374 4 - Carol Mann, Sandra Haynie
1974 JoAnne Carner United States 87,094 6 - JoAnne Carner, Sandra Haynie
1973 Kathy Whitworth United States 82,864 7 - Kathy Whitworth
1972 Kathy Whitworth United States 65,063 5 - Kathy Whitworth, Jane Blalock
1971 Kathy Whitworth United States 41,181 5 - Kathy Whitworth
1970 Kathy Whitworth United States 30,235 4 - Shirley Englehorn
1969 Carol Mann United States 49,152 8 - Carol Mann
1968 Kathy Whitworth United States 48,379 10 - Carol Mann, Kathy Whitworth
1967 Kathy Whitworth United States 32,937 8 - Kathy Whitworth
1966 Kathy Whitworth United States 33,517 9 - Kathy Whitworth
1965 Kathy Whitworth United States 28,658 8 - Kathy Whitworth
1964 Mickey Wright United States 29,800 11 - Mickey Wright
1963 Mickey Wright United States 31,269 13 - Mickey Wright
1962 Mickey Wright United States 21,641 10 - Mickey Wright
1961 Mickey Wright United States 22,236 10 - Mickey Wright
1960 Louise Suggs United States 16,892 6 - Mickey Wright
1959 Betsy Rawls United States 26,774 10 - Betsy Rawls
1958 Beverly Hanson United States 12,639 5 - Mickey Wright
1957 Patty Berg United States 16,272 5 - Betsy Rawls, Patty Berg
1956 Marlene Hagge United States 20,235 8 - Marlene Hagge
1955 Patty Berg United States 16,492 6 - Patty Berg
1954 Patty Berg United States 16,011 5 - Louise Suggs, Babe Zaharias
1953 Louise Suggs United States 19,816 8 - Louise Suggs
1952 Betsy Rawls United States 14,505 6 - Betsy Rawls, Louise Suggs
1951 Babe Zaharias United States 15,087 7 - Babe Zaharias
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.

[edit] Leading career money winners

The table below shows the top 20 career money leaders on the LPGA Tour at the end of the 2005 season. There is a fuller and more up to date list on the LPGA's official site here. As of November 13, 2006, Park and Hetherington have dropped from the all-time top 20, while Lorena Ochoa and Pat Hurst have entered the top 20. Also, Inkster has become the third golfer to win $10 million on the LPGA Tour, and for the first time, $5 million in career prize money is not enough to enter the top 20 (Sherri Steinhauer, Park, and Hetherington have more than $5 million and are out of the current top 20).

Position Player Country Prize money ($)
1. Annika Sörenstam Sweden 18,332,764
2. Karrie Webb Australia 10,736,871
3. Juli Inkster United States 9,929,227
4. Meg Mallon United States 8,767,439
5. Beth Daniel United States 8,503,533
6. Rosie Jones United States 8,306,013
7. Se Ri Pak South Korea 8,081,987
8. Betsy King United States 7,637,621
9. Laura Davies England 7,352,195
10. Dottie Pepper United States 6,827,284
11. Lorie Kane Canada 6,194,433
12. Pat Bradley United States 5,755,951
13. Kelly Robbins United States 5,716,765
14. Patty Sheehan United States 5,513,409
15. Liselotte Neumann Sweden 5,494,733
16. Nancy Lopez United States 5,320,877
17. Mi Hyun Kim South Korea 5,249,469
18. Cristie Kerr United States 5,152,768
19. Grace Park South Korea 5,047,411
20. Rachel Hetherington Australia 4,693,936

[edit] Total prize money awarded

  • 2006 $50,275,000
  • 2005 …
  • 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

[edit] See also

  • Golfers with most LPGA Tour wins
  • Golfers with most LPGA major championship wins
  • Women's World Golf Rankings
  • Professional golf tours

[edit] References and notes

  1. ^ LPGA adds Honda LPGA Thailand 2006 to schedule, lpga.com, May 2006.

[edit] External links


Citation Help

APA Style: Reference List

Encyclopedia Jr (2007). Lpga. Retrieved February 4, 2012, from http://www.encyclopediajr.com/wikiarticle/l/p/g/lpga.

MLA Style: Works Cited Page

"Lpga." Encyclopedia Jr. 2007. 4 Feb 2012 <http://www.encyclopediajr.com/wikiarticle/l/p/g/lpga>.


This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article lpga.


Encyclopedia Jr Home Page  Parents and Teachers  About Encyclopedia Junior 


This site is a product of TSI, Copyright 2012, All Rights Reserved. By using this site you agree to the Terms of Use.