Women's major golf championships

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Annika Sörenstam won ten women's major golf championships, the most in the third era of women's majors.
Yani Tseng won five majors in four years in the third era.
Lorena Ochoa won two women's majors.

Women's golf has a set of major championships which parallels that in men's golf, with the women's system newer and less stable than the men's. As of 2013, five tournaments are designated as majors in women's golf.

LPGA majors

Current position

The LPGA's list of majors has changed several times over the years. The two most recent changes were:

  • In 2001, 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 no longer designated as a major. The LPGA elevated the Women's British Open to major status to replace the du Maurier Classic.
  • In 2013, The Evian Championship, held in France, became the fifth LPGA major. Known before 2013 as the Evian Masters, it is one of two events recognized as majors by the LPGA's European counterpart, the Ladies European Tour (LET). The elevation of this event to LPGA major status and the name change were announced by the LPGA on July 20, 2011.[1]

As of 2015, the order in which women's majors are played:

Before The Evian Championship became the fifth LPGA major, the setup of women's majors closely paralleled that of the mainstream (i.e., under-50) men's majors. In both cases, the United States hosts three majors and the United Kingdom one. The Evian Championship, as noted above, is held in France. The U.S. and British Opens, and the PGA Championship match their male equivalents. The ANA Inspiration (previously the Kraft Nabisco Championship) is the closest equivalent of The Masters. The two tournaments 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: the presentation of the green jacket at The Masters, and the jump into the 18th-hole pond at the ANA Inspiration.

Unlike the mainstream men's equivalents, all but one of the women's majors have title sponsors. Each of the five majors falls under a different jurisdiction. The LPGA organizes the ANA Inspiration. Through 2014, it also organized the LPGA Championship, but effective in 2015 that tournament has been taken over by the PGA of America, the body that organizes the men's PGA Championship, and has been renamed the Women's PGA Championship.[2] The U.S. Women's Open, 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. The Evian Championship is operated by the LET.

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 was replaced by the CME Group Titleholders; from that point through 2013, the top three finishers at all official tour events, including the majors, who had not already qualified for the Titleholders earned entries. Starting in 2014, the LPGA adopted a points race similar in some ways to the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup. In the new system, officially called the "Race to the CME Globe", the top 72 points earners during the season, plus all tournament winners, qualify for the renamed final event, the CME Group Tour Championship, in which the top nine points earners will have at least a mathematical chance of winning the season title.

History

Eight different events are classified as having been LPGA majors at some time. The number in each season has fluctuated between two and five. 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]

LPGA major winners

Fourth era (beginning in 2013)
Year ANA Inspiration Women's PGA Championship U.S. Women's Open Women's British Open The Evian Championship
2016 Mar 31 – Apr 3, Mission Hills Country Club Jun 9–12, Sahalee Country Club Jul 7–10, CordeValle Golf Club Jul 28–31, Woburn Golf and CC Sep 8–11, Evian Resort Golf Club
2015 United States Brittany Lincicome (2/2) South Korea Inbee Park (6/7) South Korea Chun In-gee South Korea Inbee Park (7/7) New Zealand Lydia Ko
2014 United States Lexi Thompson South Korea Inbee Park (5/7) United States Michelle Wie United States Mo Martin South Korea Kim Hyo-joo
2013[4] South Korea Inbee Park (2/7) South Korea Inbee Park (3/7) South Korea Inbee Park (4/7) United States Stacy Lewis (2/2) Norway Suzann Pettersen (2/2)
Third era (2001–2012)
Year Kraft Nabisco Championship LPGA Championship U.S. Women's Open Women's British Open
2012 South Korea Sun-Young Yoo China Shanshan Feng South Korea Na Yeon Choi South Korea Jiyai Shin (2/2)
2011 United States Stacy Lewis (1/2) Taiwan Yani Tseng (4/5) South Korea So Yeon Ryu Taiwan Yani Tseng (5/5)
2010 Taiwan Yani Tseng (2/5) United States Cristie Kerr (2/2) United States Paula Creamer Taiwan Yani Tseng (3/5)
2009 United States Brittany Lincicome (1/2) Sweden Anna Nordqvist South Korea Eun-Hee Ji Scotland Catriona Matthew
2008 Mexico Lorena Ochoa (2/2) Taiwan Yani Tseng (1/5) South Korea Inbee Park (1/7) South Korea Jiyai Shin (1/2)
2007 United States Morgan Pressel Norway Suzann Pettersen (1/2) United States Cristie Kerr (1/2) Mexico Lorena Ochoa (1/2)
2006 Australia Karrie Webb (7/7) South Korea Se Ri Pak (5/5) Sweden Annika Sörenstam (10/10) United States Sherri Steinhauer (2/2)
2005 Sweden Annika Sörenstam (8/10) Sweden Annika Sörenstam (9/10) South Korea Birdie Kim South Korea Jeong Jang
2004 South Korea Grace Park Sweden Annika Sörenstam (7/10) United States Meg Mallon (4/4) England Karen Stupples
2003 France Patricia Meunier-Lebouc Sweden Annika Sörenstam (5/10) United States Hilary Lunke Sweden Annika Sörenstam (6/10)
2002 Sweden Annika Sörenstam (4/10) South Korea Se Ri Pak (4/5) United States Juli Inkster (7/7) Australia Karrie Webb (6/7)
2001 Sweden Annika Sörenstam (3/10) Australia Karrie Webb (4/7) Australia Karrie Webb (5/7) South Korea Se Ri Pak (3/5)
Second era (1973–2000)
Year Nabisco Dinah Shore LPGA Championship U.S. Women's Open du Maurier Classic
2000 Australia Karrie Webb (2/7) United States Juli Inkster (6/7) Australia Karrie Webb (3/7) United States Meg Mallon (3/4)
1999 United States Dottie Pepper (2/2) United States Juli Inkster (4/7) United States Juli Inkster (5/7) Australia Karrie Webb (1/7)
1998 United States Pat Hurst South Korea Se Ri Pak (1/5) South Korea Se Ri Pak (2/5) United States Brandie Burton (2/2)
1997 United States Betsy King (6/6) United States Christa Johnson England Alison Nicholas United States Colleen Walker
1996 United States Patty Sheehan (6/6) England Laura Davies (3/4) Sweden Annika Sörenstam (2/10) England Laura Davies (4/4)
1995 United States Nanci Bowen United States Kelly Robbins Sweden Annika Sörenstam (1/10) Peru Jenny Lidback
1994 United States Donna Andrews England Laura Davies (2/4) United States Patty Sheehan (5/6) United States Martha Nause
1993 Sweden Helen Alfredsson United States Patty Sheehan (4/6) United States Lauri Merten United States Brandie Burton (1/2)
1992 United States Dottie Mochrie (1/2) United States Betsy King (5/6) United States Patty Sheehan (3/6) United States Sherri Steinhauer (1/2)
1991 United States Amy Alcott (5/5) United States Meg Mallon (1/4) United States Meg Mallon (2/4) United States Nancy Scranton
1990 United States Betsy King (3/6) United States Beth Daniel United States Betsy King (4/6) United States Cathy Johnston
1989 United States Juli Inkster (3/7) United States Nancy Lopez (3/3) United States Betsy King (2/6) United States Tammie Green
1988 United States Amy Alcott (4/5) United States Sherri Turner Sweden Liselotte Neumann United States Sally Little (2/2)
1987 United States Betsy King (1/6) United States Jane Geddes (2/2) England Laura Davies (1/4) United States Jody Rosenthal
1986 United States Pat Bradley (4/6) United States Pat Bradley (5/6) United States Jane Geddes (1/2) United States Pat Bradley (6/6)
1985 United States Alice Miller United States Nancy Lopez (2/3) United States Kathy Baker United States Pat Bradley (3/6)
1984 United States Juli Inkster (1/7) United States Patty Sheehan (2/6) United States Hollis Stacy (4/4) United States Juli Inkster (2/7)
1983 United States Amy Alcott (3/5) United States Patty Sheehan (1/6) Australia Jan Stephenson (3/3) United States Hollis Stacy (3/4)
1982 Not considered a major Australia Jan Stephenson (2/3) United States Janet Anderson United States Sandra Haynie (4/4)
1981 United States Donna Caponi (4/4) United States Pat Bradley (2/6) Australia Jan Stephenson (1/3)
1980 South Africa Sally Little (1/2) United States Amy Alcott (2/5) United States Pat Bradley (1/6)
1979 United States Donna Caponi (3/4) United States Jerilyn Britz United States Amy Alcott (1/5)
1978 United States Nancy Lopez (1/3) United States Hollis Stacy (2/4) Not considered a major
1977 Japan Chako Higuchi United States Hollis Stacy (1/4)
1976 United States Betty Burfeindt United States JoAnne Carner (2/2)
1975 United States Kathy Whitworth (6/6) United States Sandra Palmer (2/2)
1974 United States Sandra Haynie (2/4) United States Sandra Haynie (3/4)
1973 United States Mary Mills (3/3) United States Susie Berning (4/4)
First era (1930–72)
Year Women's Western Open LPGA Championship U.S. Women's Open Titleholders Championship
1972 Defunct United States Kathy Ahern United States Susie Berning (3/4) United States Sandra Palmer (1/2)
1971 United States Kathy Whitworth (5/6) United States JoAnne Carner (1/2) Not played
1970 United States Shirley Englehorn United States Donna Caponi (2/4)
1969 United States Betsy Rawls (8/8) United States Donna Caponi (1/4)
1968 Canada Sandra Post United States Susie Berning (2/4)
1967 United States Kathy Whitworth (3/6) United States Kathy Whitworth (4/6) France Catherine Lacoste
1966 United States Mickey Wright (13/13) United States Gloria Ehret United States Sandra Spuzich United States Kathy Whitworth (2/6)
1965 United States Susie Maxwell (1/4) United States Sandra Haynie (1/4) United States Carol Mann (2/2) United States Kathy Whitworth (1/6)
1964 United States Carol Mann (1/2) United States Mary Mills (2/3) United States Mickey Wright (12/13) United States Marilynn Smith (2/2)
1963 United States Mickey Wright (10/13) United States Mickey Wright (11/13) United States Mary Mills (1/3) United States Marilynn Smith (1/2)
1962 United States Mickey Wright (8/13) United States Judy Kimball United States Murle Lindstrom United States Mickey Wright (9/13)
1961 United States Mary Lena Faulk United States Mickey Wright (5/13) United States Mickey Wright (6/13) United States Mickey Wright (7/13)
1960 United States Joyce Ziske United States Mickey Wright (4/13) United States Betsy Rawls (7/8) Uruguay Fay Crocker (2/2)
1959 United States Betsy Rawls (5/8) United States Betsy Rawls (6/8) United States Mickey Wright (3/13) United States Louise Suggs (11/11)
1958 United States Patty Berg (15/15) United States Mickey Wright (1/13) United States Mickey Wright (2/13) United States Beverly Hanson (3/3)
1957 United States Patty Berg (13/15) United States Louise Suggs (10/11) United States Betsy Rawls (4/8) United States Patty Berg (14/15)
1956 United States Beverly Hanson (2/3) United States Marlene Hagge United States Kathy Cornelius United States Louise Suggs (9/11)
1955 United States Patty Berg (11/15) United States Beverly Hanson (1/3) Uruguay Fay Crocker (1/2) United States Patty Berg (12/15)
1954 United States Betty Jameson (3/3) Not yet founded United States Babe Zaharias (10/10) United States Louise Suggs (8/11)
1953 United States Louise Suggs (7/11) United States Betsy Rawls (3/8) United States Patty Berg (10/15)
1952 United States Betsy Rawls (2/8) United States Louise Suggs (6/11) United States Babe Zaharias (9/10)
1951 United States Patty Berg (9/15) United States Betsy Rawls (1/8) United States Pat O'Sullivan
1950 United States Babe Zaharias (6/10) United States Babe Zaharias (7/10) United States Babe Zaharias (8/10)
1949 United States Louise Suggs (4/11) United States Louise Suggs (5/11) United States Peggy Kirk
1948 United States Patty Berg (7/15) United States Babe Zaharias (5/10) United States Patty Berg (8/15)
1947 United States Louise Suggs (3/11) United States Betty Jameson (2/3) United States Babe Zaharias (4/10)
1946 United States Louise Suggs (1/11) United States Patty Berg (6/15) United States Louise Suggs (2/11)
1945 United States Babe Zaharias (3/10) Not yet founded Not played (World War II)
1944 United States Babe Zaharias (2/10)
1943 United States Patty Berg (5/15)
1942 United States Betty Jameson (1/3) United States Dorothy Kirby (2/2)
1941 United States Patty Berg (4/15) United States Dorothy Kirby (1/2)
1940 United States Babe Zaharias (1/10) United States Helen Hicks (2/2)
1939 United States Helen Dettweiler United States Patty Berg (3/15)
1938 United States Bea Barrett United States Patty Berg (2/15)
1937 United States Helen Hicks (1/2) United States Patty Berg (1/15)
1936 United States Opal Hill (2/2) Not yet founded
1935 United States Opal Hill (1/2)
1934 United States Marian McDougall
1933 United States June Beebe (2/2)
1932 United States Jane Weiller
1931 United States June Beebe (1/2)
1930 United States Lee Mida

The "Grand Slam"

No woman has completed a four-major Grand Slam, much less one with five majors. 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 during the four-major era. 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. Before the elevation of The Evian Championship to major status, the following was required for a golfer to win the Super Career Grand Slam:

  • 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 then-existing majors.

Webb won the du Maurier Classic in 1999 and the Women's British Open in 2002.

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
 South Korea Inbee Park LPGA Championship 3 2013, 2014, 2015
 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

Multiple major victories in a calendar year

Three victories

  • 1950: United States Babe Zaharias; Women's Western Open, U.S. Women's Open, and Titleholders Championship
  • 1961: United States Mickey Wright; LPGA Championship, U.S. Women's Open, and Titleholders Championship
  • 1986: United States Pat Bradley; Kraft Nabisco Championship, LPGA Championship, du Maurier Classic
  • 2013: South Korea Inbee Park; Kraft Nabisco Championship, LPGA Championship, U.S. Women's Open

Note: These golfers are also included below in the Two victories section.

Two victories

ANA Inspiration and LPGA Championship

ANA Inspiration and U.S. Women's Open

ANA Inspiration and Women's British Open

LPGA Championship and U.S. Women's Open

LPGA Championship and Women's British Open

U.S. Women's Open and Women's British Open

  • Never has occurred

ANA Inspiration and du Maurier Classic

  • 1984: United States Juli Inkster
  • 1986: United States Pat Bradley

LPGA Championship and du Maurier Classic

U.S. Women's Open and du Maurier Classic

  • Never occurred

Women's Western Open and LPGA Championship

Women's Western Open and U.S. Women's Open

Women's Western Open and Titleholders Championship

  • 1946: United States Louise Suggs
  • 1948: United States Patty Berg
  • 1950: United States Babe Zaharias
  • 1955: United States Patty Berg
  • 1957: United States Patty Berg
  • 1962: United States Mickey Wright

LPGA Championship and Titleholders Championship

  • 1961: United States Mickey Wright

U.S. Women's Open and Titleholders Championship

  • 1950: United States Babe Zaharias
  • 1961: United States Mickey Wright

Record scores

The lowest score in relation to par recorded in a women's 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, Yani Tseng at the 2011 LPGA Championship, and Inbee Park at the 2015 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. The lowest aggregate score for 72-holes is 267, which was achieved by Betsy King at the 1992 LPGA Championship. The single round scoring record is 62, by Minea Blomqvist at the 2004 Women's British Open, and Lorena Ochoa at the 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship.

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 Ranking, 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, before the Evian Masters was elevated to major status, 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, stated on its official site that the Women's British Open is "the only Women's Major to be played outside the U.S."[5]

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 Championship (historically 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 did not recognize the then-Evian Masters as a major until 2013, it began co-sanctioning the tournament as a regular tour event in 2000. Because it was played the week before the Women's British Open (except in 2012, when the latter event was moved to September to avoid conflict with the London Olympics), and the purse was (and remains) one of the largest on the LPGA Tour, virtually all top LPGA players played the Evian Masters before its elevation to major status. The Evian Championship has now moved to September. (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[citation needed], 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 Koreans now play on the Japan tour).

Symetra Tour

Since 2006, the Symetra Tour, the LPGA's developmental tour known through 2011 as the Futures 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.

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.

See also

Notes and references

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  3. LPGA Major Championship Winners
  4. Order in 2013: Kraft Nabisco, LPGA Championship, U.S. Open, British Open, Evian
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