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 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 Évian-les-Bains, 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.
As of 2023, the order in which women's majors are played is:
Chevron Championship Women's PGA Championship U.S. Women's Open The Evian Championship The Women's Open
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. 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.·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.
Women's Western Open: 1930–1967 Titleholders Championship: 1937–1942, 1946–1966, 1972 U.S. Women's Open: 1946–present Women's PGA Championship: 1955–present (LPGA Championship, 1955–2014) du Maurier Classic: 1979–2000 (Peter Jackson Classic, 1979–1983) Chevron Championship: 1983–present (Nabisco Dinah Shore, 1983–1999; Nabisco Championship, 2000–2001; Kraft Nabisco Championship, 2002–2014; ANA Inspiration, 2015–2021) The Women's Open: 2001–present (Women's British Open, 2001-2019) The Evian Championship: 2013–present
LPGA major winners First eraYear Women's Western Open LPGA Championship U.S. Women's Open Titleholders Championship 1930 Lucia Mida (1/1) tournament started in 1955 tournament started in 1946tournament started in 19371931 June Beebe (1/2)1932 Jane Weiller (1/1)1933 June Beebe (2/2)1934 Marian McDougall (1/1)1935 Opal Hill (1/2)1936 Opal Hill (2/2)1937 Helen Hicks (1/2) Patty Berg (1/15)1938 Bea Barrett (1/1) Patty Berg (2/15)1939 Helen Dettweiler (1/1) Patty Berg (3/15)1940 Babe Zaharias (1/10) Helen Hicks (2/2)1941 Patty Berg (4/15) Dorothy Kirby (1/2)1942 Betty Jameson (1/3) Dorothy Kirby (2/2)1943 Patty Berg (5/15)Not played (World War II)1944 Babe Zaharias (2/10)1945 Babe Zaharias (3/10)1946 Louise Suggs (1/11) Patty Berg (6/15) Louise Suggs (2/11)1947 Louise Suggs (3/11) Betty Jameson (2/3) Babe Zaharias (4/10)1948 Patty Berg (7/15) Babe Zaharias (5/10) Patty Berg (8/15)1949 Louise Suggs (4/11) Louise Suggs (5/11) Peggy Kirk (1/1)1950 Babe Zaharias (6/10) Babe Zaharias (7/10) Babe Zaharias (8/10)1951 Patty Berg (9/15) Betsy Rawls (1/8) Pat O'Sullivan (1/1)1952 Betsy Rawls (2/8) Louise Suggs (5/11) Babe Zaharias (9/10)1953 Louise Suggs (7/11) Betsy Rawls (3/8) Patty Berg (10/15)1954 Betty Jameson (3/3) Babe Zaharias (10/10) Louise Suggs (8/11)1955 Patty Berg (11/15) Beverly Hanson (1/3) Fay Crocker (1/2) Patty Berg (12/15)1956 Beverly Hanson (2/3) Marlene Hagge (1/1) Kathy Cornelius (1/1) Louise Suggs (9/11)1957 Patty Berg (13/15) Louise Suggs (10/11) Betsy Rawls (4/8) Patty Berg (14/15)1958 Patty Berg (15/15) Mickey Wright (1/13) Mickey Wright (2/13) Beverly Hanson (3/3)1959 Betsy Rawls (5/8) Betsy Rawls (6/8) Mickey Wright (3/13) Louise Suggs (11/11)1960 Joyce Ziske (1/1) Mickey Wright (4/13) Betsy Rawls (7/8) Fay Crocker (2/2)1961 Mary Lena Faulk (1/1) Mickey Wright (5/13) Mickey Wright (6/13) Mickey Wright (7/13)1962 Mickey Wright (8/13) Judy Kimball (1/1) Murle Lindstrom (1/1) Mickey Wright (9/13)1963 Mickey Wright (10/13) Mickey Wright (11/13) Mary Mills (1/3) Marilynn Smith (2/2)1964 Carol Mann (1/2) Mary Mills (2/3) Mickey Wright (12/13) Marilynn Smith (2/2)1965 Susie Maxwell (1/4) Sandra Haynie (1/4) Carol Mann (2/2) Kathy Whitworth (1/6)1966 Mickey Wright (13/13) Gloria Ehret (1/1) Sandra Spuzich (1/1) Kathy Whitworth (2/6)1967 Kathy Whitworth (3/6) Kathy Whitworth (4/6) Catherine Lacoste (1/1) Not played1968 Defunct Sandra Post (1/1) Susie Berning (2/4)1969 Betsy Rawls (8/8) Donna Caponi (1/4)1970 Shirley Englehorn (1/1) Donna Caponi (2/4)1971 Kathy Whitworth (5/6) JoAnne Carner (1/2)1972 Kathy Ahern (1/1) Susie Berning (3/4) Sandra Palmer (1/2) Second eraYear Nabisco Championship LPGA Championship U.S. Women's Open du Maurier Classic 1973 Not considered a major until 1983 Mary Mills (3/3) Susie Berning (4/4) Not considered a major until 19791974 Sandra Haynie (2/4) Sandra Haynie (3/4)1975 Kathy Whitworth (6/6) Sandra Palmer (2/2)1976 Betty Burfeindt (1/1) JoAnne Carner (2/2)1977 Chako Higuchi (1/1) Hollis Stacy (1/4)1978 Nancy Lopez (1/3) Hollis Stacy (2/4)1979 Donna Caponi (3/4) Jerilyn Britz (1/1) Amy Alcott (1/5)1980 Sally Little (1/2) Amy Alcott (2/5) Pat Bradley (1/6)1981 Donna Caponi (4/4) Pat Bradley (2/6) Jan Stephenson (1/3)1982 Jan Stephenson (2/3) Janet Anderson (1/1) Sandra Haynie (4/4)1983 Amy Alcott (3/5) Patty Sheehan (1/6) Jan Stephenson (3/3) Hollis Stacy (3/4)1984 Juli Inkster (1/7) Patty Sheehan (2/6) Hollis Stacy (4/4) Juli Inkster (2/7)1985 Alice Miller (1/1) Nancy Lopez (2/3) Kathy Baker (1/1) Pat Bradley (3/6)1986 Pat Bradley (4/6) Pat Bradley (5/6) Jane Geddes (1/2) Pat Bradley (6/6)1987 Betsy King (1/6) Jane Geddes (2/2) Laura Davies (1/4) Jody Rosenthal (1/1)1988 Amy Alcott (4/5) Sherri Turner (1/1) Liselotte Neumann (1/1) Sally Little (2/2)1989 Juli Inkster (3/7) Nancy Lopez (3/3) Betsy King (2/6) Tammie Green (1/1)1990 Betsy King (3/6) Beth Daniel (1/1) Betsy King (4/6) Cathy Johnston (1/1)1991 Amy Alcott (5/5) Meg Mallon (1/4) Meg Mallon (2/4) Nancy Scranton (1/1)1992 Dottie Mochrie (1/2) Betsy King (5/6) Patty Sheehan (3/6) Sherri Steinhauer (1/2)1993 Helen Alfredsson (1/1) Patty Sheehan (4/6) Lauri Merten (1/1) Brandie Burton (1/2)1994 Donna Andrews (1/1) Laura Davies (2/4) Patty Sheehan (5/6) Martha Nause (1/1)1995 Nanci Bowen (1/1) Kelly Robbins (1/1) Annika Sörenstam (1/10) Jenny Lidback (1/1)1996 Patty Sheehan (6/6) Laura Davies (3/4) Annika Sörenstam (2/10) Laura Davies (4/4)1997 Betsy King (6/6) Christa Johnson (1/1) Alison Nicholas (1/1) Colleen Walker (1/1)1998 Pat Hurst (1/1) Se Ri Pak (1/5) Se Ri Pak (2/5) Brandie Burton (2/2)1999 Dottie Pepper (2/2) Juli Inkster (4/7) Juli Inkster (5/7) Karrie Webb (1/7)2000 Karrie Webb (2/7) Juli Inkster (6/7) Karrie Webb (3/7) Meg Mallon (3/4) Third eraYear Kraft Nabisco Championship LPGA Championship U.S. Women's Open Women's British Open 2001 Annika Sörenstam (3/10) Karrie Webb (4/7) Karrie Webb (5/7) Se Ri Pak (3/5)2002 Annika Sörenstam (4/10) Se Ri Pak (4/5) Juli Inkster (7/7) Karrie Webb (6/7)2003 Patricia Meunier-Lebouc (1/1) Annika Sörenstam (5/10) Hilary Lunke (1/1) Annika Sörenstam (6/10)2004 Grace Park (1/1) Annika Sörenstam (7/10) Meg Mallon (4/4) Karen Stupples (1/1)2005 Annika Sörenstam (8/10) Annika Sörenstam (9/10) Birdie Kim (1/1) Jeong Jang (1/1)2006 Karrie Webb (7/7) Se Ri Pak (5/5) Annika Sörenstam (10/10) Sherri Steinhauer (2/2)2007 Morgan Pressel (1/1) Suzann Pettersen (1/2) Cristie Kerr (1/2) Lorena Ochoa (1/2)2008 Lorena Ochoa (2/2) Yani Tseng (1/5) Inbee Park (1/7) Jiyai Shin (1/2)2009 Brittany Lincicome (1/2) Anna Nordqvist (1/3) Ji Eun-hee (1/1) Catriona Matthew (1/1)2010 Yani Tseng (2/5) Cristie Kerr (2/2) Paula Creamer (1/1) Yani Tseng (3/5)2011 Stacy Lewis (1/2) Yani Tseng (4/5) Ryu So-yeon (1/2) Yani Tseng (5/5)2012 Sun-Young Yoo (1/1) Shanshan Feng (1/1) Na Yeon Choi (1/1) Jiyai Shin (2/2) Fourth eraYear Chevron Championship U.S. Women's Open Women's PGA Championship The Evian Championship The Women's Open2013Order in 2013: Kraft Nabisco, LPGA Championship, U.S. Open, British Open, Evian Inbee Park (2/7) Inbee Park (4/7) Inbee Park (3/7) Suzann Pettersen (2/2) Stacy Lewis (2/2)2014Order in 2014: Kraft Nabisco, U.S. Open, British Open, LPGA Championship, Evian