Women's major golf championships
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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 (54 holes), but the majors are played over four rounds (72 holes), which is the standard length of regular men's tournaments. This is the same distinction as for senior men's tournaments. The lowest score in relations to par recorded in an LPGA major championship was 19-under-par, by Dottie Pepper at the 1999 Kraft Nabisco Championship, Karen Stupples at the 2004 Women's British Open, Cristie Kerr at the 2010 LPGA Championship, and Yani Tseng at the 2011 LPGA Championship. The lowest aggregate score for 72-holes is 267, which was achieved by Betsy King at the 1992 LPGA Championship.
[edit] LPGA majors
[edit] Current position
The LPGA's list of majors has changed several times over the years, with the last change in 2001, after the du Maurier Classic, held in Canada, lost its primary sponsorship after that country passed severe restrictions on tobacco advertising. The tournament, now known as the Canadian Women's Open, is still a regular event on the LPGA tour, but with a somewhat lower profile. The LPGA replaced the du Maurier Classic on its list of majors with the Women's British Open. The LPGA currently recognizes four majors. In the order in which they are played each year these are:
As in men's golf, three of the majors are played in the United States and one is played in the United Kingdom. The U.S. and British Opens match their male equivalents, and the LPGA Championship is analogous to the PGA Championship, so by default the Kraft Nabisco Championship is the closest equivalent of The Masters. In any event, the Kraft Nabisco and Masters share several characteristics—both are the first majors of their respective seasons; both are held at the same course every year; and both have a unique tradition surrounding the winner, namely the presentation of the green jacket at The Masters, and the jump into the 18th-hole pond at the Kraft Nabisco.
Unlike the men's equivalents, with the sole exception of the U.S. Women's Open, the women's majors have title sponsors.
Also unlike the men's majors, none of which fall under the direct jurisdiction of any professional golf tour, the LPGA organizes two of its four majors, namely the Kraft Nabisco and LPGA Championship. The U.S. Women's Open, like its men's counterpart, is operated by the United States Golf Association. The Women's British Open is operated by the Ladies' Golf Union, the governing body for women's golf in the United Kingdom and Ireland.
From 2006 through 2008, the winners of the four women's majors received automatic entry to the LPGA's season championship, the LPGA Tour Championship. Beginning in 2009, the Tour Championship extended entry to all players in the top 120 on the official LPGA Money List. Starting in 2011, the Tour Championship is being replaced by the CME Group Titleholders; the top three finishers at all official tour events, including the majors, who have not already qualified for the Titleholders will earn entries. The PGA Tour's season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs are a series of four events; while major winners are technically not guaranteed entry into even the first playoff event, the FedEx Cup point allocations for major winners are sufficiently high that the winner of one major is essentially assured of making the top 125 in points and qualifying for the FedEx Cup playoffs. The Champions Tour has no season-ending championship as such; although its final event, the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, is a limited-field event analogous to the PGA Tour's Tour Championship, it does not directly determine the championship of the season or even the Charles Schwab Cup points race.
On July 14, 2011, Golfweek magazine reported that the LPGA was set to designate the Evian Masters, held in France, as the tour's fifth major effective in 2013.[1] The LPGA officially announced the elevation of the Evian Masters to major status on July 20. The event will move to September, becoming the final major of the season, and will be rechristened The Evian when it becomes an LPGA major.[2]
[edit] History
Seven different events are classified as having been LPGA majors at some time. The number in each season has fluctuated between two and four. The first tournament which is now included in the LPGA's official list of major victories is the 1930 Women's Western Open, although this is a retrospective designation as the LPGA was not founded until 1950.[3]
- Women's Western Open: 1930–1967
- Titleholders Championship: 1937–42; 1946–66; 1972
- U.S. Women's Open: 1950–date
- LPGA Championship: 1955–date
- du Maurier Classic: 1979–2000
- Kraft Nabisco Championship: 1983–date
- Women's British Open: 2001-date
[edit] LPGA major winners
The first table shows the four current majors in the order in which they are played each year. The two tables for the earlier periods do not necessarily show the tournaments in the order in which they were played.
[edit] Third era (2001–2012)
| Year | Kraft Nabisco Championship | LPGA Championship | U.S. Women's Open | Women's British Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 |  Stacy Lewis |
 Yani Tseng (4/5) |
 So Yeon Ryu |
Yani Tseng (5/5) |
| 2010 | Yani Tseng (2/5) |
Cristie Kerr (2/2) |
Paula Creamer |
Yani Tseng (3/5) |
| 2009 | Brittany Lincicome |
 Anna Nordqvist |
Eun-Hee Ji |
 Catriona Matthew |
| 2008 |  Lorena Ochoa (2/2) |
Yani Tseng (1/5) |
Inbee Park |
Ji-Yai Shin |
| 2007 | Morgan Pressel |
 Suzann Pettersen |
Cristie Kerr (1/2) |
Lorena Ochoa (1/2) |
| 2006 |  Karrie Webb (7/7) |
Se Ri Pak (5/5) |
Annika Sörenstam (10/10) |
Sherri Steinhauer (2/2) |
| 2005 | Annika Sörenstam (8/10) |
Annika Sörenstam (9/10) |
Birdie Kim |
Jeong Jang |
| 2004 | Grace Park |
Annika Sörenstam (7/10) |
Meg Mallon (4/4) |
 Karen Stupples |
| 2003 |  Patricia Meunier-Lebouc |
Annika Sörenstam (5/10) |
Hilary Lunke |
Annika Sörenstam (6/10) |
| 2002 | Annika Sörenstam (4/10) |
Se Ri Pak (4/5) |
Juli Inkster (7/7) |
Karrie Webb (6/7) |
| 2001 | Annika Sörenstam (3/10) |
Karrie Webb (4/7) |
Karrie Webb (5/7) |
Se Ri Pak (3/5) |
[edit] Second era (1973–2000)
[edit] First era (1930–72)
[edit] The "Grand Slam"
No woman has completed a four-major Grand Slam, but Babe Zaharias won all three majors contested in 1950 and Sandra Haynie won both majors in 1974.
Six women have completed a "Career Grand Slam" by winning four different majors. There are variations in the set of four tournaments involved as the players played in different eras. The six are: Pat Bradley; Juli Inkster; Annika Sörenstam; Louise Suggs; Karrie Webb; and Mickey Wright.
The LPGA recognizes Webb as its only "Super Career Grand Slam" winner, since she is the only golfer to have won five events recognized by the LPGA as majors. To win the Super Career Grand Slam, a golfer must have won:
- The du Maurier Classic between 1979 and 2000, when it was recognized by the LPGA as a major;
- the Women's British Open in 2001 or later; and
- the other three currently existing majors.
Webb won the du Maurier Classic in 1999 and the Women's British Open in 2002.
[edit] Consecutive victories at a major championship
| Nationality | Player | Major | # | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States |
Patty Berg | Titleholders Championship | 3 | 1937, 1938, 1939 |
| Sweden |
Annika Sörenstam | LPGA Championship | 3 | 2003, 2004, 2005 |
| United States |
Opal Hill | Women's Western Open | 2 | 1935, 1936 |
| United States |
Dorothy Kirby | Titleholders Championship | 2 | 1941, 1942 |
| United States |
Babe Zaharias | Women's Western Open | 2 | 1944, 1945 |
| United States |
Louise Suggs | Women's Western Open | 2 | 1946, 1947 |
| United States |
Patty Berg | Women's Western Open | 2 | 1957, 1958 |
| United States |
Mickey Wright | U.S. Women's Open | 2 | 1958, 1959 |
| United States |
Mickey Wright | LPGA Championship | 2 | 1960, 1961 |
| United States |
Mickey Wright | Titleholders Championship | 2 | 1961, 1962 |
| United States |
Mickey Wright | Women's Western Open | 2 | 1962, 1963 |
| United States |
Marilynn Smith | Titleholders Championship | 2 | 1963, 1964 |
| United States |
Kathy Whitworth | Titleholders Championship | 2 | 1965, 1966 |
| United States |
Donna Caponi | U.S. Women's Open | 2 | 1969, 1970 |
| United States |
Susie Berning | U.S. Women's Open | 2 | 1972, 1973 |
| United States |
Hollis Stacy | U.S. Women's Open | 2 | 1977, 1978 |
| United States |
Patty Sheehan | LPGA Championship | 2 | 1983, 1984 |
| United States |
Pat Bradley | du Maurier Classic | 2 | 1985, 1986 |
| United States |
Betsy King | U.S. Women's Open | 2 | 1989, 1990 |
| Sweden |
Annika Sörenstam | U.S. Women's Open | 2 | 1995, 1996 |
| United States |
Juli Inkster | LPGA Championship | 2 | 1999, 2000 |
| Australia |
Karrie Webb | U.S. Women's Open | 2 | 2000, 2001 |
| Sweden |
Annika Sörenstam | Kraft Nabisco Championship | 2 | 2001, 2002 |
| Taiwan |
Yani Tseng | Women's British Open | 2 | 2010, 2011 |
[edit] Multiple majors in a calendar year
[edit] Three
- 1950:
Babe Zaharias; Women's Western Open, U.S. Women's Open, and Titleholders Championship - 1961: Mickey Wright; LPGA Championship, U.S. Women's Open, and Titleholders Championship
- 1986: Pat Bradley; Kraft Nabisco Championship, LPGA Championship, du Maurier Classic
Note: These golfers are mentioned below under in the two wins section because it can be counted twice to give these two golfers credit in those categories as well.
[edit] Two
[edit] Kraft Nabisco Championship and LPGA Championship
- 1986: Pat Bradley
- 2005:
Annika Sörenstam
[edit] Kraft Nabisco Championship and U.S. Women's Open
- 1990: Betsy King
- 2000:
Karrie Webb
[edit] Kraft Nabisco Championship and Women's British Open
- 2010:
Yani Tseng
[edit] LPGA Championship and U.S. Women's Open
- 1958: Mickey Wright
- 1961: Mickey Wright (2)
- 1974: Sandra Haynie
- 1991: Meg Mallon
- 1998:
Se Ri Pak - 1999: Juli Inkster
- 2001: Karrie Webb
[edit] LPGA Championship and Women's British Open
- 2003: Annika Sörenstam
- 2011: Yani Tseng
[edit] U.S. Women's Open and Women's British Open
- Never has occurred
[edit] Kraft Nabisco Championship and du Maurier Classic
- 1984: Juli Inkster
- 1986: Pat Bradley
[edit] LPGA Championship and du Maurier Classic
- 1986: Pat Bradley
- 1996:
Laura Davies
[edit] U.S. Women's Open and du Maurier Classic
- Never will occur
[edit] Women's Western Open and LPGA Championship
- 1959: Betsy Rawls
- 1963: Mickey Wright
- 1967: Kathy Whitworth
[edit] Women's Western Open and U.S. Women's Open
- 1949: Louise Suggs
- 1950: Babe Zaharias
[edit] Women's Western Open and Titleholders Championship
- 1946: Louise Suggs
- 1948: Patty Berg
- 1950: Babe Zaharias
- 1955: Patty Berg
- 1957: Patty Berg
- 1962: Mickey Wright
[edit] LPGA Championship and Titleholders Championship
- 1961: Mickey Wright
[edit] U.S. Women's Open and Titleholders Championship
- 1950: Babe Zaharias
- 1961: Mickey Wright
[edit] Other regular tours
In men's (non-senior) golf, the four majors are agreed globally. All the principal tours acknowledge the status of the majors via their sponsorship of the Official World Golf Rankings, and the prize money is official on the three richest regular tours (the PGA, European, and Japanese tours). This is not the case in women's golf, but the significance of this is limited, as the LPGA Tour is much more dominant in women's golf than the PGA Tour is in men's golf. For example, the BBC has been known to use the LPGA definition of women's majors without qualifying it. Also, the Ladies' Golf Union, the governing body for women's golf in the UK and Republic of Ireland and the organiser of the Women's British Open, states on its official site that the Women's British Open is "the only Women's Major to be played outside the U.S."[4]
The Ladies European Tour does not sanction any of the LPGA majors which are played in the United States, and only has two events which it designates as majors on its schedule, namely the Women's British Open and the Evian Masters, which is played in France. The Ladies European Tour had long tacitly acknowledged the dominance of the LPGA Tour by not scheduling any of its events to conflict with any of the LPGA majors played in the U.S., but that changed slightly in 2008 when the LET scheduled a tournament opposite the LPGA Championship. Also, while the LPGA Tour will not recognize the Evian Masters as a major until 2013, it co-sanctions the tournament as a regular tour event. Since it is played the week before the Women's British Open, and the purse is one of the largest on the LPGA Tour, virtually all top LPGA players play the Evian Masters. (During the 2006–08 period, its winner also received an automatic berth in the LPGA Tour Championship.)
The LPGA of Japan Tour, which is the second richest women's golf tour, has its own set of four majors: the World Ladies, the Japan Open, the JLPGA Championship and the JLPGA Tour Championship. However, these events attract little notice outside Japan, and to a lesser degree South Korea (since a number of Korean players now play on the Japan tour).
[edit] Futures Tour
Since 2006, the Futures Tour, the LPGA's developmental tour, has designated the Tate & Lyle Players Championship, an event which has been held since 1985, as a major championship. It was the Tour's first $100,000 purse.
[edit] Women's senior golf
Professional women's senior golf is in its infancy, and does not yet have a roster of majors. The Legends Tour, originally the Women's Senior Golf Tour, played its first season in 2001.
[edit] See also
- Golfers with most LPGA major championship wins
- Chronological list of LPGA major golf champions
- Men's major golf championships
- Senior major golf championships
[edit] References
- ^ "Exclusive: Evian will be LPGA's 5th major in '13". Golfweek. July 14, 2011. http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/jul/11/evian-become-lpgas-fifth-major-2013/?PRO-LPGA. Retrieved July 14, 2011.
- ^ "LPGA Adds The Evian as a Major Championship in 2013" (Press release). LPGA. July 20, 2011. http://www.lpga.com/content_1.aspx?pid=29220&mid=1. Retrieved July 29, 2011.
- ^ LPGA Major Championship Winners
- ^ "Women's British Open breaks new ground at St Andrews". Ladies' Golf Union. http://www.lgu.org/championships/weetabix_womensopen_2007/. Retrieved April 1, 2007.
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