History of LPGA in Timeline

The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization dedicated to women's professional golf. Headquartered in Daytona Beach, Florida, its primary function is operating the LPGA Tour. This tour is a series of weekly golf tournaments featuring top-tier female professional golfers from across the globe, showcasing their skills and providing a platform for competitive play.

1944: Founding of the Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA)

In 1944, Ellen Griffin, Betty Hicks, and Hope Seignious founded the Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA), the predecessor to the LPGA.

1948: WPGA Tour End

In 1948, the Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA) stopped its limited tour after the 1948 season.

December 1949: WPGA Ceases Operations

In December 1949, the Women's Professional Golf Association (WPGA) officially ceased operations.

1950: Founding of the LPGA

In 1950, the LPGA was founded at Rolling Hills Country Club in Wichita, Kansas, by 13 founders including Alice Bauer, Patty Berg, and Babe Zaharias.

1950: Inaugural LPGA Tournament

In 1950, the first LPGA tournament, the Tampa Women's Open, was held at Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club in Tampa, Florida. Amateur Polly Riley won the tournament.

1951: Establishment of the Hall of Fame of Women's Golf

In 1951, the LPGA established the Hall of Fame of Women's Golf, with Patty Berg, Betty Jameson, Louise Suggs, and Babe Zaharias as the four charter members.

1956: First LPGA Tournament Outside the United States

In 1956, the LPGA hosted its first tournament outside the United States at the Havana Open in Havana, Cuba.

1967: Hall of Fame Move and Renaming

In 1967, the Hall of Fame of Women's Golf moved to its first physical premises in Augusta, Georgia, and was renamed the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.

1968: Sandra Post gains LPGA Tour card

In 1968, Sandra Post of Canada became the first player living outside the United States to gain an LPGA tour card.

1968: PGA Tour Independent from PGA of America

In 1968, the PGA Tour became independent of the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America), which is the organization for club and teaching professionals. This is different from the LPGA, which includes both professional tours and club/teaching professionals.

1978: Nancy Lopez Wins All Three Awards

In 1978, American golfer Nancy Lopez became the only player to win all three awards in the same season and was also the Tour's top money earner that season.

1988: Five Players with Three Titles

In 1988, five players, including Juli Inkster, Rosie Jones, Betsy King, Nancy Lopez, and Ayako Okamoto, each won three titles.

1998: Merger into the World Golf Hall of Fame

In 1998, the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame merged into the World Golf Hall of Fame.

2000: Non-Americans Dominate Major Championships

From 2000 through 2009, non-Americans won 31 of 40 major championships.

2001: Establishment of the Women's Senior Golf Tour

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. It is affiliated with the LPGA.

2006: LPGA Playoffs at The ADT inaugural playoffs

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.

2006: Inaugural Season-Ending Championship Tournament

Since 2006, the LPGA has played a season-ending championship tournament, initially known as the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT.

2008: LPGA Playoffs at The ADT

2008: LPGA Tour in 2008

In 2008, the LPGA had 34 official tournaments.

October 2009: Michael Whan Becomes LPGA Commissioner

In October 2009, Michael Whan became the eighth commissioner of the LPGA, succeeding Carolyn Bivens.

2009: Non-Americans Dominate Major Championships

From 2000 through 2009, non-Americans won 31 of 40 major championships.

2009: Tour Championship Field Increase

In 2009, the LPGA 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.

2009: LPGA Tour in 2009

In 2009, the LPGA had 28 official tournaments.

2009: LPGA Tour Championship Name Change

In 2009, the LPGA season-ending championship tournament was renamed the LPGA Tour Championship.

2009: International Representation on the LPGA Tour

In 2009, there were 122 non-American players from 27 countries on the LPGA Tour, including 47 from South Korea, marking a significant rise in international representation.

2010: LPGA Rules Changed to Allow Transgender Competitors

In 2010, after a lawsuit filed by golfer Lana Lawless, the LPGA rules were changed to allow transgender competitors.

2010: LPGA Tour Championship Name Maintained

In 2010, the LPGA season-ending championship tournament continued to be known as the LPGA Tour Championship.

2010: Decrease in LPGA Tour Prize Money and Tournaments

In 2010, the total official prize money on the LPGA Tour was $41.4 million, a decrease of over $6 million from 2009. There were 24 official tournaments in 2010, down from 28 in 2009 and 34 in 2008.

2011: CME Group Titleholders Event Name Change

In 2011, the LPGA season-ending championship tournament became the CME Group Titleholders.

2011: First CME Group Titleholders tournament

The CME Group Titleholders, which resurrects the name of a former LPGA major championship (the Titleholders Championship), was first played in 2011. Its field was made up of three qualifiers from each official tour event during the season.

2013: CME Group Titleholders tournament

From 2011 to 2013, the CME Group Titleholders' field was made up of three qualifiers from each official tour event during the season, specifically the top three finishers not previously qualified.

2013: Bobbi Lancaster attempts to play in Cactus Tour

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.

2014: Race to the CME Globe Points Race

After 2014, the CME Group Tour Championship field is determined by a season-long points race, the Race to the CME Globe. Points conferred to players on tour depend on whether the tournament is major or not, and placement.

2014: Stacy Lewis Topped the money list

In 2014 Stacy Lewis was the last time an American player topped the money list.

2014: CME Group Tour Championship Name Change

Since 2014, the LPGA season-ending championship tournament has been known as the CME Group Tour Championship.

2015: Lydia Ko, Race to the CME Globe Champion

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. Lydia Ko was the Race to the CME Globe champion in 2015.

2016: LPGA Tour Reaches Record-High Prize Money

By 2016, the number of tournaments on the LPGA Tour had risen to 33 with a record-high total prize money in excess of $63 million.

2016: Ariya Jutanugarn, Race to the CME Globe Champion

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. Ariya Jutanugarn was the Race to the CME Globe champion in 2016.

2017: Lexi Thompson, Race to the CME Globe Champion

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. Lexi Thompson was the Race to the CME Globe champion in 2017.

2018: Top 72 Players Compete in CME Group Tour Championship

2018: LPGA Acquires Executive Women's Golf Association

In 2018, the LPGA acquired the Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA) and expanded its focus to include amateur golfers in the U.S. and North America, rebranding it as the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.

2019: LPGA Tour Sets New Prize Money Record

In 2019, a new record was set for the LPGA Tour with total prize money amounting to $70.5 million, a rise of over $5 million in one year.

2020: Danielle Kang Led the tour in tournaments won

In 2020, Danielle Kang was the last time an American led the tour in tournaments won.

2020: LPGA Tournaments Held Outside of the United States

In 2020, fourteen LPGA tournaments are held outside of the United States: seven in Asia, four in Europe, two in Australia, and one in Canada.

2023: LPGA Founders Inducted into World Golf Hall of Fame

In 2023, the 13 founders of the LPGA were elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame as a group, although six had previously been inducted individually.

December 2024: LPGA Publishes New Policy on Transgender Athletes

In December 2024, the LPGA published a new policy stating that to compete as female in their tournaments, players must be assigned female at birth, or have transitioned to female before undergoing male puberty.

2024: CME Group Tour Championship

As of 2024, the LPGA season-ending championship tournament is still known as the CME Group Tour Championship.

2024: Top-10 Career Money Leaders

As of the 2024 season, the table shows the top-10 career money leaders on the LPGA Tour (from the start of their rookie seasons).

2025: Co-sanctioned LPGA Tournaments

As of 2025, six of the LPGA tournaments held outside North America are co-sanctioned with other professional tours, including the Ladies European Tour for events like the Women's British Open and The Evian Championship.

2025: LPGA Transgender Policy Goes Into Effect

In 2025, the LPGA's new policy regarding transgender athletes will go into effect, requiring players to either be assigned female at birth or have transitioned before male puberty to compete as female in tournaments.