LPGA

The Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour ( short LPGA Tour ) is a North American tournament series in the professional women's golf. It is used by the LPGA, just the Ladies Professional Golf Association ( based in Daytona Beach, Florida), hosted a week from February to November each year. In the 2006 season the undistributed prize money has crossed the 50 - million - dollar mark for the first time.

LPGA Tour tournaments

Most events will be held in the United States. In 2006 there were two tournaments in Mexico and one in Canada. Two events of the European sister organization, Ladies European Tour, the Women's British Open Championship and The Evian in France, also belong to the LPGA Tour. Opposite end of the season there is an event in South Korea ( also counts to the LPGA of Korea Tour ), another in Japan and a third, new, in Thailand.

The annual Major Championships of the ladies are:

• Kraft Nabisco Championship
• Wegmans LPGA Championship
• U.S. Women's Open
• Ricoh Women's British Open (in collaboration with the Ladies European Tour )
• The Evian Championship ( in cooperation with the Ladies European Tour )

Presence of international players

In its beginnings, the LPGA Tour from U.S. players dominated. The Briton Vivien Saunders in 1969 was the first living outside the United States golfer who played on the tour. Today, the non- American contingent is very large and mostly superior. The last time that a U.S. citizen could win the money list standings, came 1993. 2009 played 122 non- American women from 27 countries.

Other tournament series of the LPGA

In addition to the elite LPGA Tour, there is the second tier Futures Tour, about which one can qualify for the next season the big tour. Similar to the men also qualifying tournaments are held, the annual Qualifying School, where one can win the eligibility for the LPGA Tour, the Futures Tour or neither, depending on placement.

In 2001, the LPGA established the Women's Senior Golf Tour for women over 45 years.