1893
The first Women’s Amateur
Lady Margaret Scott won the inaugural Women’s Amateur Championship, then retained the title in 1894 and 1895. Her early dominance gave the new competition a star and a lasting benchmark.
Read the full story →THE WOMEN WHO SHAPED GOLFChampions, pioneers
Champions, pioneers
and turning points.
From the first championships to today’s stars, these are some of the people and moments that changed what was possible in women’s golf.
1900
Margaret Abbott
Abbott won the women’s golf competition at the Paris Olympics. For decades she did not know that her victory made her the first American woman to win an Olympic event.
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1920s
Joyce Wethered
Wethered’s precision made her a four-time winner of the British Ladies Amateur. Bobby Jones famously praised her swing, but her own record needs no borrowed spotlight.
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1922–35
Glenna Collett Vare
Six U.S. Women’s Amateur titles made Collett Vare the defining American amateur of her era. The LPGA later named its low-scoring Vare Trophy in her honor.
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1954
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
After surgery for colon cancer, Zaharias returned to win the U.S. Women’s Open by 12 strokes. The triumph added an extraordinary comeback to an already unmatched multisport career.
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1950
The LPGA’s Original 13
Thirteen players founded the LPGA and created a durable professional tour. Their organizing work opened a path for generations of women to make a living in golf.
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1958–66
Mickey Wright
Wright won 13 majors with a swing Ben Hogan admired. Her eight titles in 1963 alone show how thoroughly she could dominate a season.
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1962–85
Kathy Whitworth
Whitworth won 88 LPGA Tour events, more than any player on a major professional tour. Her first win took years of persistence; the next 87 secured a record that still stands.
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1978
Nancy Lopez
Nine wins in her rookie season, including five straight, made Lopez a phenomenon. Her warmth with fans helped bring women’s professional golf to a wider audience.
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1990
The first Solheim Cup
Europe and the United States met in a new team competition for women professionals. The Solheim Cup grew into one of golf’s fiercest and most beloved rivalries.
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1998
Se Ri Pak
Pak captured two majors as an LPGA rookie. Her dramatic U.S. Women’s Open victory inspired a wave of young South Korean golfers who would transform the tour.
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2003
Annika Sörenstam
Sörenstam entered the PGA Tour’s Colonial, becoming the first woman in decades to play a men’s tour event. Her 72 LPGA victories and 10 majors already made her one of golf’s great champions.
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2007–10
Lorena Ochoa
Ochoa reached world No. 1 and held the position until her retirement. The Mexican star paired remarkable consistency with a global influence beyond the LPGA.
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2015
Inbee Park
Park won the Women’s British Open to complete the career Grand Slam under the LPGA’s four-major definition. Her calm putting stroke carried her through championship after championship.
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2024
Nelly Korda
Korda won five consecutive LPGA starts in the spring, a run that included the Chevron Championship. She became the newest face of women’s golf’s elite era.
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2023
Rose Zhang
Zhang won in her first LPGA Tour start as a professional, a rare debut that followed a record-setting amateur career. Her arrival signaled another generation ready for the biggest stage.
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