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LPGA Major Championships


LPGA Major Championships

Over the years, since the tour's founding, the number of and identity of the LPGA's majors has changed several times. In most years there have been four majors, but in some there were only three and in a few just two.

A couple of tournaments once considered majors are no longer played, while a couple other tournaments previously not considered majors have been elevated to major championship status.

Did you follow all that?
     The History of LPGA Majors

    The LPGA was established in 1950, and the LPGA Tour began play that year. There were three women's tournaments already in existence at that time which hold major championship status: The U.S. Women's Open, the Western Open, and the Titleholders.

    In the case of each of these three events, the LPGA considers their winners even prior to the founding of the LPGA in 1950 to be major champions.

    The LPGA Championship became the fourth major in 1955.

    The LPGA Championship and U.S. Women's Open are, of course, still played today and make up half of the current LPGA majors.

    The Titleholders was played from 1937 to 1966 (with a gap for World War II) and once more in 1972, then discontinued. The Western Open was played from 1930 to 1967. So from the LPGA Tour's founding in 1950 through 1954, there were three majors: U.S. Women's Open, Western Open and Titleholders. The LPGA Championship made it four from 1955 through 1966.

    So here's where we stand so far:
    • 1950-54: 3 majors, U.S. Women's Open, Western Open, Titleholders

    • 1955-66: 4 majors, the above three plus the LPGA Championhip

     3 to 2 and back to 3

    There were three LPGA majors in 1967, just two from 1968 to 1971, then three again (when the Titleholders had its last gasp) in 1972. From 1973 to 1978, there once again were just two LPGA majors (LPGA Championship and U.S. Women's Open).

    The du Maurier Classic (originally called the Peter Jackson Classic) was first played in 1979 and was immediately considered a major. So from 1979 to 1982, there were three LPGA majors.

    • 1967: 3 majors, U.S. Women's Open, Western Open, LPGA Championship

    • 1968-71: 2 majors, U.S. Women's Open, LPGA Championship

    • 1972: 3 majors, U.S. Women's Open, LPGA Championship, Titleholders

    • 1973-78: 2 majors, U.S. Women's Open, LPGA Champonship

    • 1972-1982: 3 majors, U.S. Women's Open, LPGA Championship, du Maurier Classic

     And Finally Back to 4

    The tour got back to four majors in 1983, when the Nabisco Dinah Shore (originally played in 1972 as the Colgate Dinah Shore) was accorded major championship status. This tournament is still one of the LPGA's majors, but is now called the Kraft Nabisco Championship.
There was one more change in store for LPGA majors, however: The du Maurier Classic was discontinued following the 2000 tournament. However, another event was elevated to major championship status beginning in 2001, taking the place of the du Maurier: the Women's British Open. The Women's British Open was first considered an LPGA event in 1979, but was not considered a major until that 2001 tournament.

Winners of the Kraft Nabisco Championship and Women's British Open prior to those tournaments being elevated to majors are not credited with major championship victories.
  • 1983-2000: 4 majors, Dinah Shore (Kraft Nabisco), LPGA Championship, U.S. Women's Open, du Maurier Classic
  • 2001-current: 4 majors, Women's British Open replaces du Maurier Classic
So there you have it, the current four LPGA majors: Kraft Nabisco Championship, McDonald's LPGA Championship, U.S. Women's Open and British Women's Open.


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