Women's major golf championships explained

Women's golf has a set of major championships, a series of tournaments designated to be of a higher status than other tournaments. Five tournaments are currently designated as 'majors' in women's golf by the LPGA.

The LPGA's list of majors has changed in constitution since the first major was held at the Women's Western Open in 1930. There have been four different periods, 1930 to 1972, 1973 to 2000, 2001 to 2013, and the current version which began in 2014. The current version of tournaments is the Chevron Championship, The Evian Championship, U.S. Women's Open, Women's PGA Championship, The Women's Open.

LPGA majors

As of 2023, the order in which women's majors are played is:

Before The Evian Championship became the fifth LPGA major, the setup of women's majors closely paralleled that of the men's majors. In both cases, the United States hosted three majors and the United Kingdom one.

The Evian Championship is held in France. The U.S. Open, The Open Championship, and the PGA Championship match their male equivalents. The Chevron Championship is the first major of the season and through 2022 was held at a single host course (the Mission Hills Country Club), similarly to the Masters Tournament, in 2023 it was held at The Club at Carlton Woods

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 Chevron Championship. Through 2014, it also organized the LPGA Championship, but since 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 Open is operated by The R&A since a 2016 merger with the Ladies Golf Union. The Evian Championship is operated by the Ladies European Tour.

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] ·The Titleholders was played from 1937 to 1966 with a gap due to World War II. In 1967 there were three majors, then from 1968 to 1971 this decreased and went back to two majors. Then in 1979, the du Maurier Classic was first played and immediately considered a major leading to three majors again from 1979 to 1982. In 1983, when Nabisco Dinah Shore gained major championship status, there were four majors.[4]

1930–1967

1937–1942, 1946–1966, 1972

1946–present

1955–present (LPGA Championship, 1955–2014)

1979–2000 (Peter Jackson Classic, 1979–1983)

1983–present (Nabisco Dinah Shore, 1983–1999; Nabisco Championship, 2000–2001; Kraft Nabisco Championship, 2002–2014; ANA Inspiration, 2015–2021)

2001–present (Women's British Open, 2001-2019)

2013–present

LPGA major winners

Fourth era (beginning in 2013)!Year !! Chevron Championship !! U.S. Women's Open !! Women's PGA Championship !! The Evian Championship !! The Women's Open
Nelly Korda (2/2) Yuka Saso (2/2) August 22–25, St Andrews
Year The Women's Open
Lilia Vu (1/2) Lilia Vu (2/2)
Year The Women's Open
Minjee Lee (2/2) Chun In-gee (3/3) Brooke Henderson (2/2) Ashleigh Buhai
YearANA InspirationU.S. Women's OpenWomen's PGA ChampionshipThe Evian ChampionshipThe Women's Open
Yuka Saso (1/2) Nelly Korda (1/2) Minjee Lee (1/2) Anna Nordqvist (3/3)
Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic[5] Sophia Popov
YearANA InspirationU.S. Women's OpenWomen's PGA ChampionshipThe Evian ChampionshipWomen's British Open
Ko Jin-young (1/2) Ko Jin-young (2/2) Hinako Shibuno
Ariya Jutanugarn (2/2) Park Sung-hyun (2/2)
Ryu So-yeon (2/2) Park Sung-hyun (1/2) Anna Nordqvist (2/3)
Lydia Ko (2/2) Brooke Henderson (1/2) Chun In-gee (2/3) Ariya Jutanugarn (1/2)
Brittany Lincicome (2/2) Chun In-gee (1/3) Inbee Park (6/7) Lydia Ko (1/2) Inbee Park (7/7)
Year
2014[6] Inbee Park (5/7)
2013[7] Inbee Park (2/7) Inbee Park (4/7) Inbee Park (3/7) Suzann Pettersen (2/2) Stacy Lewis (2/2)
Third era (2001–2012)
Year
Jiyai Shin (2/2)
Stacy Lewis (1/2) Yani Tseng (4/5) Ryu So-yeon (1/2) Yani Tseng (5/5)
Yani Tseng (2/5) Cristie Kerr (2/2) Yani Tseng (3/5)
Brittany Lincicome (1/2) Anna Nordqvist (1/3) Catriona Matthew
Lorena Ochoa (2/2) Yani Tseng (1/5) Inbee Park (1/7) Jiyai Shin (1/2)
Suzann Pettersen (1/2) Cristie Kerr (1/2) Lorena Ochoa (1/2)
Karrie Webb (7/7) Se Ri Pak (5/5) Annika Sörenstam (10/10) Sherri Steinhauer (2/2)
Annika Sörenstam (8/10) Annika Sörenstam (9/10) Jeong Jang
Annika Sörenstam (7/10) Meg Mallon (4/4) Karen Stupples
Annika Sörenstam (5/10) Annika Sörenstam (6/10)
Annika Sörenstam (4/10) Se Ri Pak (4/5) Juli Inkster (7/7) Karrie Webb (6/7)
Year Women's British Open
Annika Sörenstam (3/10) Karrie Webb (4/7) Karrie Webb (5/7) Se Ri Pak (3/5)
Second era (1973–2000)
Year
2000 Karrie Webb (2/7) Juli Inkster (6/7) Karrie Webb (3/7) Meg Mallon (3/4)
Year
1999 Dottie Pepper (2/2) Juli Inkster (4/7) Juli Inkster (5/7) Karrie Webb (1/7)
1998 Se Ri Pak (1/5) Se Ri Pak (2/5) Brandie Burton (2/2)
1997 Betsy King (6/6) Colleen Walker
1996 Patty Sheehan (6/6) Laura Davies (3/4) Annika Sörenstam (2/10) Laura Davies (4/4)
1995 Annika Sörenstam (1/10) Jenny Lidback
1994 Laura Davies (2/4) Patty Sheehan (5/6) Martha Nause
1993 Patty Sheehan (4/6) Brandie Burton (1/2)
1992 Dottie Mochrie (1/2) Betsy King (5/6) Patty Sheehan (3/6) Sherri Steinhauer (1/2)
1991 Amy Alcott (5/5) Meg Mallon (1/4) Meg Mallon (2/4) Nancy Scranton
1990 Betsy King (3/6) Betsy King (4/6) Cathy Johnston
1989 Juli Inkster (3/7) Nancy Lopez (3/3) Betsy King (2/6) Tammie Green
1988 Amy Alcott (4/5) Sally Little (2/2)
1987 Betsy King (1/6) Jane Geddes (2/2) Laura Davies (1/4)
1986 Pat Bradley (4/6) Pat Bradley (5/6) Jane Geddes (1/2) Pat Bradley (6/6)
1985 Nancy Lopez (2/3) Pat Bradley (3/6)
1984 Juli Inkster (1/7) Patty Sheehan (2/6) Hollis Stacy (4/4) Juli Inkster (2/7)
Year Peter Jackson Classic
1983 Amy Alcott (3/5) Patty Sheehan (1/6) Jan Stephenson (3/3) Hollis Stacy (3/4)
1982 Not considered a major Jan Stephenson (2/3) Sandra Haynie (4/4)
1981 Donna Caponi (4/4) Pat Bradley (2/6) Jan Stephenson (1/3)
1980 Sally Little (1/2) Amy Alcott (2/5) Pat Bradley (1/6)
1979 Donna Caponi (3/4) Amy Alcott (1/5)
1978 Nancy Lopez (1/3) Hollis Stacy (2/4) Not considered a major
1977 Hollis Stacy (1/4)
1976 JoAnne Carner (2/2)
1975 Kathy Whitworth (6/6) Sandra Palmer (2/2)
1974 Sandra Haynie (2/4) Sandra Haynie (3/4)
1973 Mary Mills (3/3) Susie Berning (4/4)
First era (1930–72)
Year
1972 Defunct Susie Berning (3/4) Sandra Palmer (1/2)
1971 Kathy Whitworth (5/6) JoAnne Carner (1/2) Not played
1970 Donna Caponi (2/4)
1969 Betsy Rawls (8/8) Donna Caponi (1/4)
1968 Susie Berning (2/4)
1967 Kathy Whitworth (3/6) Kathy Whitworth (4/6) Catherine Lacoste
1966 Mickey Wright (13/13) Kathy Whitworth (2/6)
1965 Susie Maxwell (1/4) Sandra Haynie (1/4) Carol Mann (2/2) Kathy Whitworth (1/6)
1964 Carol Mann (1/2) Mary Mills (2/3) Mickey Wright (12/13) Marilynn Smith (2/2)
1963 Mickey Wright (10/13) Mickey Wright (11/13) Mary Mills (1/3) Marilynn Smith (1/2)
1962 Mickey Wright (8/13) Mickey Wright (9/13)
1961 Mickey Wright (5/13) Mickey Wright (6/13) Mickey Wright (7/13)
1960 Mickey Wright (4/13) Betsy Rawls (7/8) Fay Crocker (2/2)
1959 Betsy Rawls (5/8) Betsy Rawls (6/8) Mickey Wright (3/13) Louise Suggs (11/11)
1958 Patty Berg (15/15) Mickey Wright (1/13) Mickey Wright (2/13) Beverly Hanson (3/3)
1957 Patty Berg (13/15) Louise Suggs (10/11) Betsy Rawls (4/8) Patty Berg (14/15)
1956 Beverly Hanson (2/3) Louise Suggs (9/11)
1955 Patty Berg (11/15) Beverly Hanson (1/3) Fay Crocker (1/2) Patty Berg (12/15)
1954 Betty Jameson (3/3) Not yet founded Babe Zaharias (10/10) Louise Suggs (8/11)
1953 Louise Suggs (7/11) Betsy Rawls (3/8) Patty Berg (10/15)
1952 Betsy Rawls (2/8) Louise Suggs (6/11) Babe Zaharias (9/10)
1951 Patty Berg (9/15) Betsy Rawls (1/8) Pat O'Sullivan
1950 Babe Zaharias (6/10) Babe Zaharias (7/10) Babe Zaharias (8/10)
1949 Louise Suggs (4/11) Louise Suggs (5/11) Peggy Kirk
1948 Patty Berg (7/15) Babe Zaharias (5/10) Patty Berg (8/15)
1947 Louise Suggs (3/11) Betty Jameson (2/3) Babe Zaharias (4/10)
1946 Louise Suggs (1/11) Patty Berg (6/15) Louise Suggs (2/11)
1945 Babe Zaharias (3/10) Not yet founded Not played (World War II)
1944 Babe Zaharias (2/10)
1943 Patty Berg (5/15)
1942 Betty Jameson (1/3) Dorothy Kirby (2/2)
1941 Patty Berg (4/15) Dorothy Kirby (1/2)
1940 Babe Zaharias (1/10) Helen Hicks (2/2)
1939 Patty Berg (3/15)
1938 Patty Berg (2/15)
1937 Helen Hicks (1/2) Patty Berg (1/15)
1936 Opal Hill (2/2) Not yet founded
1935 Opal Hill (1/2)
1934 Marian McDougall
1933 June Beebe (2/2)
1932 Jane Weiller
1931 June Beebe (1/2)
1930 Lucia 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.

During the four-major era, 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. During the five-major era, Inbee Park became the first woman to complete the "Career Grand Slam." Even though there has been some debate surrounding whether Park has actually accomplished this feat, as she won The Evian Championship in 2012 before it officially became a major in 2013, LPGA acknowledged Park to have successfully achieved a "Career Grand Slam."[8] [9] 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:

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

Major champions by nationality

The table below shows the number of major championships won by golfers from various countries/regions.

Country 1930s 40s 50s 60s 70s 80s 90s 2000s 10s 20s Total
13 21 34 32 21 31 29 9 11 6 207
2 9 20 5 36
1 3 9 2 1 16
3 1 6 1 2 13
1 4 1 1 7
1 4 5
1 1 2 4
1 1 1 3
1 1 1 3
2 1 3
2 2
2 2
1 1 2
1 1 2
1 1 2
1 1 2
1 1
1 1
1 1
1 1
Total 13 21 35 35 22 37 40 40 47 21 311

Consecutive victories at a major championship

NationalityPlayerMajorYears
3 1937, 1938, 1939
3 2003, 2004, 2005
Women's PGA Championship 3 2013, 2014, 2015
2 1935, 1936
Titleholders Championship 2 1941, 1942
Women's Western Open2 1944, 1945
Women's Western Open2 1946, 1947
Women's Western Open 2 1957, 1958
2 1958, 1959
LPGA Championship 2 1960, 1961
Titleholders Championship 2 1961, 1962
Women's Western Open 2 1962, 1963
Titleholders Championship 2 1963, 1964
Titleholders Championship 2 1965, 1966
U.S. Women's Open 2 1969, 1970
U.S. Women's Open 2 1972, 1973
U.S. Women's Open2 1977, 1978
LPGA Championship 2 1983, 1984
du Maurier Classic2 1985, 1986
U.S. Women's Open2 1989, 1990
U.S. Women's Open2 1995, 1996
LPGA Championship2 1999, 2000
U.S. Women's Open2 2000, 2001
2 2001, 2002
2 2010, 2011

Multiple major victories in a calendar year

Three victories

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

Two victories

ANA Inspiration and LPGA Championship

ANA Inspiration and The Evian 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

ANA Inspiration and du Maurier Classic

LPGA Championship and du Maurier Classic

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

Women's Western Open and LPGA Championship

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

Women's Western Open and Titleholders Championship

LPGA Championship and Titleholders Championship

U.S. Women's Open and Titleholders Championship

Record scores

The lowest score in relation to par recorded in a women's major championship was 21-under-par, by Chun In-gee at the 2016 Evian Championship.[10] Chun also holds the record for lowest aggregate score for 72-holes, at 263, for her performance at that tournament. The single round scoring record is 61 held by three golfers, Kim Hyo-joo at the 2014 Evian Championship, Lee Jeong-eun and Leona Maguire, both at 2021 Evian Championship. A score of 62 has been shot by Minea Blomqvist at the 2004 Women's British Open (third round), Lorena Ochoa at the 2006 Kraft Nabisco Championship (first round), and Mirim Lee at the 2016 Women's British Open (first round).

Rolex Annika Major Award

In 2014, the LPGA established the yearly Rolex Annika Major Award to recognize the overall best performance in the LPGA majors. Points are awarded for top-10 finishes in each major: 60 points for first place, 24 for second, down to 2 points for tenth place. The major winner with the most points at the end of the season wins the award. It is named after Annika Sörenstam.[11]

Year Winner Country Points Ref
2014 84 [12]
2015 144 [13]
2016 102 [14]
2017 78 [15]
2018 88 [16]
2019 138 [17]
2021 80 [18]
2022 98 [19]
2023 120 [20]

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."[21]

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, 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

See main article: Senior women's major golf championships. The Legends of the LPGA Tour, originally the Women's Senior Golf Tour, played its first season in 2001. The U.S. Senior Women's Open and the Senior LPGA Championship are considered to constitute the senior women's major golf championships.

The U.S. Senior Women's Open was established in 2018 and is open to women whose 50th birthday falls on or before the first day of competition. The eligibility for the Senior LPGA Championship, established in 2017, and the Legends of the LPGA Tour are for female golfers age 45 and older.[22] [23]

See also

Notes and References

  1. LPGA Adds The Evian as a Major Championship in 2013 . LPGA . July 20, 2011 . July 29, 2011.
  2. Web site: PGA of America, LPGA, KPMG join forces for KPMG Women's PGA Championship . PGA of America . May 29, 2014.
  3. http://www.lpga.com/content/Majors.pdf LPGA Major Championship Winners
  4. Web site: The Long, Strange Trip of Major Championships in Women's Golf . October 2, 2016.
  5. News: Evian Championship canceled in France due to uncertainty of borders reopening . ESPN . Associated Press . June 9, 2019.
  6. Order in 2014: Kraft Nabisco, U.S. Open, British Open, LPGA Championship, Evian
  7. Order in 2013: Kraft Nabisco, LPGA Championship, U.S. Open, British Open, Evian
  8. News: Countdown to the Hall - Inbee Park Achieves Career Grand Slam at RICOH Women's British Open. LPGA.
  9. News: Inbee Park's Women's British Open win sparks 'career grand slam' debate. SB Nation.
  10. News: In Gee Chun finishes at 21 under for lowest 72-hole score in a major . ESPN . Associated Press . 19 September 2016.
  11. Web site: Rolex Annika Major Award – Structure 2014 . LPGA . April 4, 2014.
  12. News: Wie wins inaugural Annika Major Award . Golf Channel . Randall . Mell . September 14, 2014.
  13. Web site: Inbee Park Presented with the 2015 Rolex Annika Major Award . LPGA . September 12, 2015.
  14. Web site: Lydia Ko Wins 2016 Rolex Annika Major Award . LPGA . September 18, 2016.
  15. News: ANA winner Ryu takes Annika Major Award . Golf Channel . Randall . Mell . September 17, 2017.
  16. Web site: Ariya Jutanugarn Wins 2018 Rolex Annika Major Award . LPGA . September 17, 2018.
  17. Web site: Jin Young Ko Wins 2019 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award . LPGA . August 4, 2019.
  18. Web site: Patty Tavatanakit Wins the 2021 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award. August 23, 2021. LPGA.
  19. Web site: Minjee Lee Wins The 2022 Rolex Annika Major Award . LPGA . August 8, 2022 . August 8, 2022.
  20. Web site: Lilia Vu Wins Rolex Annika Major Award . LPGA . August 13, 2023 . August 13, 2023.
  21. Web site: Women's British Open breaks new ground at St Andrews . Ladies' Golf Union . April 1, 2007.
  22. Web site: Wow: Chicago Golf Club To Host First U.S. Senior Women's . 6 February 2016 . 12 December 2022 . geoffshackelford.com.
  23. Web site: Ron . Driscoll . Davies Dominates in 10-Stroke Inaugural Victory . USGA . 15 July 2018 . 18 January 2022.