LPGA Majors And Winners Of LPGA Majors

The Women's U.S. Open has been contested from 1946 through 2010, 65 times to date. The LPGA Championship has been contested from 1955 though 2010, 56 times. The Kraft Nabisco Championship has been contested 38 times as a major tournament from 1983 though 2011. The Women's British Open has been contested 10 times as a major championship from 2001 through 2010. The duMaurier Classic was contested as a major tournament from 1979 through 2000, 22 times and was replaced as a major tournament by the Women's British Open. The Western Open was contested from 1930 through 1967, 38 times. The Titleholders Championship was contested from 1937 through 1942 and then fron 1946 through 1966 and in 1972, a total of 28 times. A total of 248 championships with 3 more later this year. Since the LPGA was founded there have been 214 of the 248 total. After the LPGA was formed in 1950, there were only 2 majors for a period of ten years from 1968 through 1978 except for 1972. For 11 years total there were 3 major championships, 1950 through 1954, 1967, 1972 and 1979 through 1982. Counting this year that leaves 42 years when there were 4 major chamionships from 1955 through 1966 and 1983 through 2011.

Many people seem to think that the majors are the way to determine the all time greatest players. At one time there was a blog that attempted to rank the top 54 players based on their performance in the major tournaments. Betsy King won 6 majors and was not in the list. Needless to say, I was not impressed by that effort. However, as the numbers above show the LPGA has had less than 4 majors for one third of it history. In addition, in previous post I have pointed out the fact that in the early years of the LPGA there were only about 25 professional players playing a full schedule and the number has grown to around 150 players per year playing a full schedule since 1984. The lack of depth of the competition allowed the best early professionals to win a high number of major titles. On average the LPGA has played 30 tournaments per year. At 4 majors per year that is about 13.3% of the tournaments. Trying to rate the best players in a sport by ignoring about 87% of the tournaments played and the depth of the competition is totally without logic or merit. The idea that a player must win the Women's U.S. Open to be considered among the all time greatest is even more illogical and has less merit (1 tournament out of 30 - 3.33%).  The LPGA awards 2 points toward the LPGA Hall Of Fame for winning a major tournament versus 1 point for a regular tournament win. So winning a major tournament is more important than winning a regular tournament and is treated as such. My rating system awards double value for winning a major. The Women's U.S. Open has the most value in my rating system as it pays the most for winning and part of my rating is based on money won versus the average purse size per year.

There were 34 championship determined before 1950 when the LPGA was formed by the 13 Founders. Fourteen women won those 34 championships, 4 (Patty Berg, Louise Suggs, Babe Zaharias, and Betty Jameson)  were LPGA Founders and later won more championship as LPGA members. Additionally, 3 more Founders (Helen Hicks, Opal Hill and Helen Dettweiler) won before the LPGA was formed, but they never won more championships or even a regular LPGA tournament. Beatrice Barrett, Marissa McDougall, Jane Weiller, and Mrs Lee Mida all won the Western Open as amateurs. LPGA Founder Helen Dettweiler also won the Western Open as an amateur. Peggy Kirk Bell (as Peggy Kirk)  won the Titleholders Championship as an amateur and was later a part time player on the LPGA. Dorothy Kirby won the Titleholder Championship twice as an amateur. June Beebe won the Western Open twice as an amateur. Founder Opal Hill twice won the Western Open as an amateur but never won as an LPGA player. Founder Helen Hicks won the Titleholders Championship and the Western Open but also never won as an LPGA player. LPGA Founder Betty Jameson won the Western Open as an amateur and later as an LPGA player and also won the Women's U.S. Open as a professional before the LPGA was formed. Babe Zaharias Won 3 Western Opens and 1 Titleholders Championship as an amateur and the Women's U.S. Open as a professional before the LPGA was started. Zaharias then won 2 Women's U.S. Opens, 2 Titleholders Championships and 1 Western Open as an LPGA member (10 total major tournament wins). Louise Suggs won 2 Western Open and 1 Titleholders Championship as an amateur and 1 Western Open and 1 Women's U.S. Open as a professional before the start of the LPGA. Suggs then won 1 Women's U.S. Open, 1 LPGA Championship, 1 Western Open and 3 Titleholders Championships as an LPGA member (11 total major tournament wins). Patty Berg won 3 Titleholders Championships as an amateur and 1 Titleholder Championship, 3 Western Opens, and 1 Women's U.S. Open as a professional before the LPGA was formed. Perg then won 3 Titleholders Championships and 4 Western Opens as an LPGA member (15 total major tournament wins).

Since the founding of the LPGA, 2 amateurs have won major championships. In 1951 Pat O'Sullivan won the Titleholders Championship and in 1967 Catherine LaCoste won the Women's U.S. Open.

LPGA Founder Patty Berg has the most major championship at 15, but I would say that the 13 won by Mickey Wright in a time when the depth of competition was increasing is a better record, and that the 10 won by Annika Sorenstam with the most competition is just a little better. Louise Suggs won 11 and Babe Zaharias won 10, both were LPGA Founders. No other players have 10 or more wins in the majors.

After the LPGA was founded, to date there have been 214 tournaments won by 91 players, 2.35 wins per winning player. Of the players who have won a major, they have an average of 6.46 wins per major win. Currently there have been 10 players (11% of major winners) whose only win was a major. Hilary Lunke is rated at 353 of 449 players rated by my system. The lowest rating by a winner of a major tournament. Of the money Lunke has won, over 63% was won by winning the 2003 Women's U.S.Open. Birde Kim is the second lowest rated major winner at 334 of 449, and won about 47% of her total money by winning the 2005 Women's U.S.Open. Just as not winning a particular major tournament does not disqualify a player from being among the greatest of all time, winning a major including the most important major does not make the winner a good professional player.

When a major tournament comes around, the question asked is always "Who is currently the best player to never win a major?" This is my answer to who is the best player of all time never to win a major. Judy Rankin is the best all time to never win a major. Judy Rankin won the LPGA Player Of The Year twice and the Vare Trophy for low stroke average for the year three times and won 26 tournaments. The second best would be Jane Blalock who never won any of the LPGA awards but won 27 tournaments. The following list gives the players who never won a major in my Top 50 All Time Best LPGA Players and their position in the Top 50 and the number of tournaments they won.

Judy Rankin #19 - 26 tournaments

Jane Blalock #21 - 27 tournaments

Ayako Okamoto #26 - 17 tournaments

Rosie Jones #31 - 13 tournaments

Mi Hyun Kim #39 - 8 tournaments

Clifford Ann Creed #42 - 11 tournaments

Hee-Won Han #45 - 6 tournaments

Jo Ann Prentice #47 - 6 tournaments

Hee-Won Han unless she starts to wins again and Jo Ann Prentice will be out of the Top 50 in a few years as the best young players move up the list as they play more years.

Next data set shows those in my Top 50 who have the worst ratio of total wins to major wins. All these players have at most 4 major wins and a ratio equal to or above 10:1.

Beth Daniel #13 33 wins 1 major               33:1

Marlene Hagge #30 26 wins 1 major         26:1

JoAnne Carner #8 43 wins 2 majors          21.5:1

Carol Mann #16 38 wins 2 majors              19:1

Nancy Lopez #4 48 wins 3 majors              16:1

Kathy Whitworth #3 88 wins 6 majors        14.67:1

Lorena Ochoa #10 27 wins 2 majors         13.5:1

Liselotte Neumann #43 13 wins 1 major   13:1

Shirley Englehorn #34 11 wins 1 major       11:1

Sandra Haynie #7 42 wins 4 majors            10.5:1

Marilynn Smith #27 21 wins 2 majors           10.5:1

The next data set shows those in my Top 50 who have the best ratio of total wins to major wins. All of these players have at least 4 wins and a ratio of 5:1 or better.

Julie Inkster #15 31 wins 7 majors               4.43:1

Meg Mallon #22  18 wins 4 majors                4.5:1

Hollis Stacy #36  18 wins 4 majors                4.5:1

Se Ri Pak #23  25 wins and 5 majors           5:1

Laura Davies #29 20 wins 4 majors              5:1

If I considered the wins before the LPGA was founded, Patty Berg would have a ratio of 4:1 (60 wins 15 major) and Babe Zaharias would have a ratio of 4.1:1 (41 wins 10 majors). However my ratings are based only on LPGA tournaments. Susie Maxwell Berning #58 (outside my Top 50) has a ratio of 2.75:1 with 11 wins and 4 majors. Annika Sorenstam my #1 rated player has a ration of 7.2:1 with 72 wins and 10 majors. Mickey Wright my #2 rated player has a ration of 6.31:1 with 82 wins and 13 majors.

There are 3 times that a player has won 3 major tournaments in the same year. In 1950 Babe Zaharias won all 3 majors. In 1961 Mickey Wright won 3 of 4 majors. In 1986 Pat Bradley won 3 of 4 majors.

A players has won 2 majors in a year 17 times - Annika Sorenstam (2) - Karrie Webb (2) - Julie Inkster (2) - Mickey Wright (2) - Yani Tseng - Se Ri Pak - Laura Davies - Meg Mallon - Betsy King - Sandra Haynie - Kathy Whitworth - Betsy Rawls - Patty Berg     In 1974 when Sandra Haynie won there were only two and she won both.

Pre-1950 Louise Suggs (2) - Patty Berg also won two majors in a year.

Annika Sorenstam won the LPGA Championship 3 years in a row from 2003 to 2005.

Pre-1950 Patty Berg won the Titleholders Championship 3 year in a row from 1937 to 1939.

Mickey Wright won the Women's U.S. Open, LPGA Championship, Titleholders Championship, and the Western Open each 2 years in a row.

A player has won a major championship in back to back years 17 times - Mickey Wright (4) - Annika Sorenstam (2) - Karrie Webb - Betsy King - Hollis Stacy - Susie Maxwell Berning - Donna Caponi - Julie Inkster - Patty Sheehan - Pat Bradley - Kathy Whitworth - Marilynn Smith - Patty Berg

Pre-1950 Dorothy Kirby - Louise Suggs - Babe Zaharias - Opal Hill  won a major in back to back years.

There have been six players win the Grand Slam of Women's Golf (winning all four majors) - Mickey Wright (2) - Karrie webb - Annika Sorenstam - Julie Inkster - Pat Bradley - Louise Suggs. Mickey Wright is the only one to win all four twice. Karrie Webb is the only one to win five different major tournaments, which is an interesting fact but meaningless in the scheme of things. The Women's British Open replaced the duMaurier Classic so it is like winning the same tournament twice.