Women's major golf championships
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. The elevation of this event to LPGA major status and the name change were announced by the LPGA on July 20, 2011.
- Chevron Championship
- Women's PGA Championship
- U.S. Women's Open
- The Evian Championship
- The Women's Open
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, 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
- du Maurier Classic: 1979–2000
- Chevron Championship: 1983–present
- The Women's Open: 2001–present
- The Evian Championship: 2013–present
LPGA major winners
Major championships by golfer
| Rank | Player | Country | Winning span | Total | Chevron C'ship | PGA C'ship | U.S. Open | British Open | du Maurier | Title- holders | Western Open | Evian C'ship |
| 1 | Patty Berg | 1937–1958 | 15 | – | – | 1 | – | – | 7 | 7 | – | |
| 2 | Mickey Wright | 1958–1966 | 13 | – | 4 | 4 | – | – | 2 | 3 | – | |
| 3 | Louise Suggs | 1946–1959 | 11 | – | 1 | 2 | – | – | 4 | 4 | – | |
| 4 | Annika Sörenstam | 1995–2006 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | – | – | – | |
| 4 | Babe Zaharias | 1940–1954 | 10 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 3 | 4 | – | |
| 6 | Betsy Rawls | 1951–1969 | 8 | – | 2 | 4 | – | – | – | 2 | – | |
| 7 | Juli Inkster | 1984–2002 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | – | |
| 7 | Karrie Webb | 1999–2006 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | |
| 7 | Inbee Park | 2008–2015 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | – | – | – | – | |
| 10 | Pat Bradley | 1980–1986 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | 3 | – | – | – | |
| 10 | Betsy King | 1987–1997 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 10 | Patty Sheehan | 1983–1996 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 10 | Kathy Whitworth | 1965–1975 | 6 | – | 3 | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | – |
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."
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.
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 | 2 | 17 | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 3 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 15 | |
| – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 1 | 1 | – | 7 | |
| – | – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | 6 | |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 4 | – | 5 | |
| – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
| – | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 3 | |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 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 | 29 | 319 |