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, it is primarily known for organizing and operating the LPGA Tour. This tour features weekly golf tournaments showcasing elite female professional golfers from various countries around the world, making the LPGA a central force in women's professional golf.

1944: Founding of the WPGA

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

1948: WPGA Tour Halts

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

December 1949: WPGA Ceases Operations

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

1950: LPGA Founded

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, with Patty Berg serving as its first president.

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, and was won by amateur Polly Riley.

1951: LPGA Establishes Hall of Fame

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

1956: First LPGA Tournament Outside the U.S.

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

1967: LPGA Tour Hall of Fame Relocation

In 1967, the Hall of Fame moved to Augusta, Georgia, and was renamed the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame.

1968: First Non-U.S. Player with 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 Independence

In 1968, the PGA Tour became independent of the Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America), separating the main professional tours from the club and teaching professionals' organization.

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; she was also the Tour's top money earner that season.

1988: Five Players with Three Titles

In 1988, Juli Inkster, Rosie Jones, Betsy King, Nancy Lopez, and Ayako Okamoto each had three titles.

1998: LPGA Hall of Fame Merges

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 on the LPGA Tour.

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, which is affiliated with the LPGA.

2006: LPGA Playoffs Structure

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.

2006: LPGA Season-Ending Championship Begins

In 2006, the LPGA began playing a season-ending championship tournament, initially known as the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT.

2008: LPGA Playoffs Structure

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.

2008: Number of LPGA Tournaments in 2008

In 2008, there were 34 official LPGA 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 on the LPGA Tour.

2009: LPGA Tour Championship Name

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

2009: Increased Field for Tour Championship

In 2009, the Tour Championship field was increased to 120 players, with entry open to all Tour members in the top 120 on the money list.

2009: Diversity on the LPGA Tour

In 2009, there were 122 non-Americans from 27 countries on the LPGA tour, including 47 from South Korea, 14 from Sweden, and representation from other countries like Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, Taiwan, and Japan.

2009: Number of LPGA Tournaments in 2009

In 2009, there were 28 official LPGA tournaments.

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

In 2010, the LPGA season-ending championship tournament was known as the LPGA Tour Championship.

2010: Decrease in LPGA Tour Prize Money

In 2010, the total official prize money on the LPGA Tour was $41.4 million, a decrease of over $6 million from 2009, and there were 24 official tournaments.

2011: CME Group Titleholders Event

In 2011, the LPGA season-ending championship event became the CME Group Titleholders, held in November.

2011: Inaugural CME Group Titleholders

The CME Group Titleholders, which resurrects the name of a former LPGA major championship (the Titleholders Championship), was first played in 2011.

2013: CME Group Titleholders Qualifying

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's Attempt to Play in Cactus Tour

In 2013, trans woman Bobbi Lancaster faced local scorn for attempting to play in Arizona's Cactus Tour, hoping to get a spot for the LPGA Qualifying Tournament.

2014: Race to the CME Globe Introduced

After 2014, the field for the CME Group Tour Championship is determined by a season-long points race, the Race to the CME Globe.

2014: Last American Player to Top the Money List

In 2014, Stacy Lewis was the last American player to top the LPGA money list.

2014: CME Group Tour Championship Name

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

2015: Lydia Ko Wins Race to the CME Globe

In 2015, Lydia Ko was one of the champions of the Race to the CME Globe.

2016: Record-High Prize Money on LPGA Tour

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

2016: Ariya Jutanugarn Wins Race to the CME Globe

In 2016, Ariya Jutanugarn was one of the champions of the Race to the CME Globe.

2017: Bonus Eligibility for Top Players in Race to the CME Globe

From 2014 to 2018, the top 12 players in the Race to the CME Globe were mathematically eligible to win a $1 million bonus, as was the case in 2017.

2018: Top 72 Players in Race to the CME Globe

From 2014 to 2018, the top 72 players in the Race to the CME Globe competed in the CME Group Tour Championship.

2018: LPGA Acquires EWGA and Expands Amateur Emphasis

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 the amateur organization as the LPGA Amateur Golf Association.

2019: New Record for Total Prize Money

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

2020: Last American to Lead in Tournaments Won

In 2020, Danielle Kang was the last American to lead the LPGA tour in tournaments won.

2020: LPGA Tournaments Outside the United States

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

2023: LPGA Founders Inducted into Hall of Fame

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

December 2024: LPGA Publishes New Transgender Policy

In December 2024, the LPGA published a new policy stating that to compete as female in their tournaments, players must either be assigned female at birth or have transitioned to female before undergoing male puberty. The policy goes into effect in 2025.

2024: CME Group Tour Championship Name

As of 2024, the LPGA season-ending championship tournament is 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: LPGA's New Transgender Policy Goes into Effect

In 2025, the LPGA's new policy regarding transgender players, which requires players to either be assigned female at birth or have transitioned before male puberty, goes into effect.