The LPGA Tour has become increasingly competitive and popular over the decades and numerous excellent players have teed it up. While the names of Lexi Thompson and Nelly Korda top current Americans and the influx of Southeast Asian players dominating the current game, there are many outstanding players that paved the way. Here’s a look at the top ten LPGA Tour players of all-time.
10: Pat Bradley
Bradley won 31 times on the LPGA Tour with six major titles (1980, 1985 and 1986 du Maurier Classic, 1981 US Women’s Open, 1986 ANA Championship and 1986 Women’s PGA Championship). Her finest season was likely in 1986 when she claimed three of the four major titles at that time. At the time that she completed the career grand slam, only Mickey Wright and Louise Suggs had also accomplished that feat.
9: Betsy King
A 34-time winner on the LPGA Tour, King had a streak of 11 consecutive seasons starting in 184 with at least one victory. A six-time major champion (ANA Inspiration in 1987, 1990, 1997, US Women’s Open in 1989 and 1990 and Women’s PGA Championship in 1992), King dominated in the latter part of the 1980’s. Her best season was in 1989 when she won six times and her last victory on tour was in 2001.
8: Patty Berg
Berg was one of the founding members of the LPGA and one of the tour’s best, winning a total of 60 times. She racked up 15 major titles (Western Open in 1941, 1943, 1948, 1951, 1955, 1957, US Women’s Open in 1946 and Titleholders Championship from 1937-1939, 1948, 1953, 1955, and 1957). Her major total is the most of all-time. Berg was also a dominant amateur player, winning nearly 30 times and three of her major titles were won as amateur status. Not only was Berg a great golfer, but she served in the US Marines from 1942 through 1945.
7: JoAnne Carner
Carner won 43 times on the LPGA Tour, including two major titles (1971 and 1976 US Women’s Open). She holds the distinction of being the only player to have won the US Girls’ Junior, US Women’s Amateur, and US Women’s Open titles. Her first major title was an impressive seven-shot win over Kathy Whitworth. Carner also has the record for oldest player on the LPGA Tour to ever make a cut, at the age of 65 in 2004.
6: Karrie Webb
Of active players on tour, Webb has the distinction of most victories with 41. Of those, seven are major titles (1999 du Maurier Classic, 2000 and 2001 US Women’s Open, 2000 and 2006 ANA Inspiration, 2001 Women’s PGA Championship, 2002 Women’s British Open). She started her LPGA career with a bang, winning in her second start and topping $1 million in earnings, claiming Rookie of the Year honors.
5: Nancy Lopez
To say Lopez jumped on the scene is an understatement. As a rookie in 1978, she won the Women’s PGA Championship and nine times overall. She was not only name LPGA Rookie of the Year, but also Player of the Year. She holds the honor of being the only woman to claim Rookie of the Year, Player of the Year and Vare Trophy in a single season. She won 48 times in her illustrious career and three majors, all at the PGA Championship (1978, 1985, 1989).
4: Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Prior to her LPGA career, Zaharias won a two-time gold medalist at the 1932 Olympics in track and field. As a golfer, she won 41 times, including 10 major titles (1940, 1944, 1945, 1950 Western Open, 1948, 1950, 1954 US Women’s Open, 1947, 1950, 1952 Titleholders Championship). An another amazing feat was her first ten victories came in a span of just a little over a year, which stands as the fastest to ten of all time. Her best season came in 1950 when she won all three majors at the time, becoming the first woman to do so.
3 :Kathy Whitworth
Whitworth holds the record for most LPGA Tour victories in a career with 88. She also won six majors (1965 and 1966 Titleholders Championship, 1967 Western Open, 1967, 1971 and 1975 Women’s PGA Championship). Her victory total is six more than Tiger Woods and Sam Snead, who hold the PGA Tour record of 82 victories. She was the first player on tour to reach the $1 million plateau in career earnings and holds the distinction of being the captain of the US team at the first Solheim Cup played in 1990.
2: Mickey Wright
Wright won 82 times on the LPGA Tour, second most in history, as is her 13 major titles. She won the Western Open three times (1960, 1961, 1963), the Titleholders in 1962, the Women’s PGA Championship four times (1958, 1960, 1961, 1963) and the US Women’s Open four times (1958, 1959, 1961, 1964). What’s more amazing is that all of her majors came within an eight-year span between 1958 and 1966.
1: Annika Sorenstam
Sorenstam is the only LPGA player to ever shoot a round of 59 in competition. She won 10 majors (1995, 1996, 2006 US Women’s Open, 2001, 2002, 2005 ANA Inspiration, 2003, 2004, 2005 Women’s PGA and 2003 Women’s British Open). Sorenstam is also third in all time wins with 73. She dominated in 2001, winning eight times and an amazing 11 times in 2003. Also that season, she was in the field in a PGA Tour event at the Colonial Tournament. Although missing the cut, she was the first female so play in a PGA Tour even since 1945. Sorenstam’s accolades also include six Vare Trophies and Player of the Year award eight times, also a record.