Founders Cup Winners and History
The Founders Cup now is sponsored by Cognizant, a multi-national consulting and technology firm.
Established in 2011, the Founders Cup is designed as a tribute to the thirteen legendary founders of the LPGA: Alice Bauer, Patty Berg, Bettye Danoff, Helen Detweiler, Marlene Bauer Hagge, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson, Sally Sessions, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs and Babe Didriksen Zaharias.
Of those, as of this writing Hagge is the only founder still with us.
The tournament did not have a good start. In 2011, the players were not paid and the entire purse went to charity. Players did receive “virtual” earnings that qualified them on the LPGA’s official money list.
As you can imagine that did not go over well. The LPGA at the time was in dire straits and was short on both tournaments and opportunities for the players to earn income.
In 2012, the tournament expanded from three days to four and players were paid.
In 2013, JTBC replaced R.R. Donnelley as sponsor of the LPGA’s Founder’s Cup. From 2017 to 2019, the title sponsor was Bank of Hope.
The 2021 edition will be played at the Mountain Ridge Golf Club in West Caldwell, New Jersey.
A list of past Founders Cup winners follows:
| Year | Champion | Score | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Rose Zhang | 264 (-24) | 2 strokes |
| 2023 | Ko Jin-Young (3) | 275 (-13) | Playoff |
| 2022 | Minjee Lee | 269 (-19) | 2 strokes |
| 2021 | Ko Jin-Young (2) | 266 (-18) | 4 Strokes |
| 2020 | COVID | ||
| 2019 | Ko Jin-Young | 266 (-22) | 1 strokes |
| 2018 | Inbee Park | 269 (–19) | 5 strokes |
| 2017 | Anna Nordqvist | 263 (–25) | 2 strokes |
| 2016 | Kim Sei-young | 261 (–27) | 5 strokes |
| 2015 | Kim Hyo-Joo | 267 (–21) | 3 strokes |
| 2014 | Karrie Webb | 269 (–19) | 1 strokes |
| 2013 | Stacey Lewis | 265 (–23) | 3 strokes |
| 2012 | Yani Tseng | 270 (–18) | 1 strokes |
| 2011 | Karrie Webb | 204 (–12) | 1 strokes |
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