While the men’s professional golf world continues to roil, the LPGA will mark it’s 75th Anniversary season with continued growth.
In 2025, the LPA will hold 35 events with total purses of at least $131 million. While the prize total is quite small compared to the men’s game, it represents an increase of 90% from 2021. Non-major purses will total more than $83 million for the 2025 season, up from $45.8 million in 2021.
In addition to the US events, the LPGA has tournaments in Thailand, Singapore, China, Mexico, France, Scotland, Korea, Malaysia and Japan on the schedule.
I am very happy to see that Michigan’s two LPGA events – the Meijer in Grand Rapids and the Dow in Midland — will return.
The seventy-five year history of the LPGA really is a remarkable story. For comparison’s sake, the WNBA is just twenty-eight years old. The Women’s Tennis Association is 51 years old.
The LPGA was founded at a time when “a woman’s place is in the home,” was a cultural mantra. Banks could refuse to let a woman open an account without a male cosigner (that changed with the equal credit opportunity act in 1974). Legal protection for educational (and athletics in education) opportunities was still more than two decades away.
The legendary thirteen founders (Alice Bauer, Patty Berg, Bettye Danoff, Helen Dettweiler, Marlene Hagge, Helen Hicks, Opal Hill, Betty Jameson, Sally Sessions, Marilynn Smith, Shirley Spork, Louise Suggs, and Babe Zaharias) blazed trails and created what today is undoubtedly the premier women’s sports league.
One of those, Shirley Spork, was a Michigan native who played at my home course — Washtenaw Golf Club — while in college at Michigan Normal (now Eastern Michigan).
The last of The Founders — Marlene Hagge — passed in 2023.
The press release from the LPGA follows:
LPGA Tour Celebrates 75th Anniversary with Another Record-Breaking Schedule in 2025
World’s longest-running women’s professional sports organization to award over $131 million in prize money across 35 events
NAPLES, Fla., Nov. 20, 2024 – As it enters its 75th anniversary season, the LPGA Tour proudly announces the 2025 schedule, celebrating its legacy as the world’s longest-running women’s professional sports organization. In this milestone year, the LPGA Tour will feature 35 events (33 official events), where the world’s top athletes will compete for a historic total prize fund of more than $131 million. This represents the largest prize fund in the Tour’s 75-year history and marks a significant increase of over $62 million in four years, up approximately 90% from 2021, underscoring the Association’s continued growth and success.
“The 2024 season was another year of historic growth for the LPGA Tour, and with this 2025 schedule we will continue to improve on that growth,” said LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “This schedule is highlighted by two exciting new events, a new multi-year title for the longest-running non-major tournament on the LPGA Tour, even higher purse sizes, increased benefits that will enhance the athlete experience, improved geographical flow and a longer off-season that will give our athletes a well-deserved rest after their tremendous work in 2024. We’re excited to see even more thrilling competition and unforgettable moments for our partners, athletes and fans worldwide as we continue to celebrate and support the remarkable journey of women’s golf in our 75th year.”
The global schedule will begin two weeks later than in 2024 and take the LPGA Tour to 14 states in the United States and 11 other countries, including two multi-event Asian swings, the first in February and March and the second in October and November that includes the return of the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in Korea. One European swing will take place in July and August. New on the calendar in 2025 is the previously announced Black Desert Championship – the only domestic event providing private charters for LPGA athletes – which will be held at Black Desert Resort’s signature course in May. Additionally, the LPGA Tour returns to Mexico for the first time since 2017 for the Riviera Maya Open in Cancun, also in May.
Non-major purses total over $83 million for the 2025 season, up from $45.8 million in 2021. The JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro returns to the calendar in 2025 after receiving the 2024 LPGA Tournament of the Year for continuing to drive purses higher across the Tour and increasing player benefits. So far, nine tournaments have announced elevated purses from 2024, with the FM Championship becoming the first non-major, non-CME Group Tour Championship purse to surpass $4 million. Additional purse increases are expected to be announced, building on the record-breaking prize fund for 2025. Sixteen events have purses of at least $3 million, including 10 non-major and non-Tour Championship events. On top of increased purse sizes, 24 events will be elevating the athlete experience through travel stipends, free accommodations and/or guaranteed minimum payouts.
The season-ending CME Group Tour Championship continues to lead the way in non-major purse size. The LPGA announced earlier today the extension through 2027 of CME Group as the title sponsor of the CME Group Tour Championship, which boasts the biggest non-major prize fund and winner’s check on Tour. The $11 million purse includes a $4 million winner’s check, the largest single prize in the history of women’s golf and among the very highest in women’s sports.
The 2025 major championship season will be an exciting one, with LPGA Tour athletes competing for more than $47 million and visiting three new major-championship venues. This major purse total is the highest in the Tour’s 75-year history and an increase of more than 104% since 2021.The season kicks off in April with The Chevron Championship, taking place once again in The Woodlands, Texas at The Club at Carlton Woods. In May, the LPGA Tour will make its first trip to Erin Hills in Erin, Wisc. for the U.S. Women’s Open. Three weeks later, the Tour will visit the home of the PGA of America for the first time, playing the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas. The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club in France will kick off the summer European swing in July, and the AIG Women’s Open in Wales at Royal Porthcawl, another new venue for the Tour, will conclude it in August.
Thirty-two athletes will have a chance to represent their countries at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown in October at New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Republic of Korea. The bi-annual team match-play event features eight teams, represented by four athletes each, all competing for the coveted Crown. The Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown was last played in 2023 at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, where the Thailand Team of Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn, Patty Tavatanakit and Jeeno Thitikul was victorious over the underdog Australians. The United States Team finished third.
The LPGA Tour will announce full broadcast details for the season in 2025, with all events airing on Golf Channel and at least seven events on NBC and four events on CBS. As previously announced, the LPGA will continue its partnership with ESPN+ in 2025, with three events to be showcased on the streaming platform next season, including the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
2025 LPGA Tour Schedule
(Bold = major, italics = unofficial event)
Date Title/Location Purse Jan. 30-Feb. 2 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida $2M Feb. 6-9 Founders Cup Bradenton Country Club in Bradenton, Florida $2M Feb. 20-23 Honda LPGA Thailand Siam Country Club (Old Course) in Pattaya, Thailand $1.7M Feb. 27-Mar. 2 HSBC Women’s World Championship Sentosa Golf Club (Tanjong Course) in Singapore $2.4M March 6-9 Blue Bay LPGA Jian Lake Blue Bay in Hainan, People’s Rep. of China $2.5M March 20-23 FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship Palos Verdes Golf Club in Palos Verdes Estates, California $2M March 27-30 Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona $2.25M April 2-6 T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards Shadow Creek Golf Course in North Las Vegas, Nevada $2M April 17-20 JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro El Caballero Country Club in Los Angeles, California $3.75M April 24-27 The Chevron Championship The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas $7.9M May 1-4 Black Desert Championship Black Desert Resort in Ivins, Utah $3M May 8-11 Mizuho Americas Open Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey $3M May 22-25 Riviera Maya Open TBD in Cancun, Mexico $2.5M May 29-June 1 U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally Erin Hills in Erin, Wisconsin $12M June 6-8 ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer Seaview, A Dolce Hotel (Bay Course) in Galloway, New Jersey $1.75M June 12-15 Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give Blythefield Country Club in Belmont, Michigan $3M June 19-22 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship Fields Ranch East at PGA Frisco in Frisco, Texas $10.4M June 26-29 Dow Championship Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan $3.3M July 10-13 Amundi Evian Championship Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France $8.0M July 24-27 ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open Dundonald Links in Gailes, Ayrshire, Scotland $2M July 31-Aug. 3 AIG Women’s Open Royal Porthcawl in Porthcawl, Wales, United Kingdom $9.5M Aug. 14-17 The Standard Portland Classic TBD in Portland, Oregon $2M Aug. 21-24 CPKC Women’s Open Mississaugua Golf & Country Club in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada $2.6M Aug. 28-31 FM Championship TPC Boston in Norton, Massachusetts $4.1M Sept. 11-14 Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G TPC River’s Bend in Maineville, Ohio $2M Sept. 19-21 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas $3M Oct. 1-4 LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei Hoakalei Country Club in Ewa Beach, Oahu, Hawaii $3M Oct. 9-12 Buick LPGA Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club in Shanghai, People’s Rep. of China $2.2M Oct. 16-19 BMW Ladies Championship TBD in Republic of Korea $2.3M Oct. 23-26 Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown New Korea Country Club in Goyang, Republic of Korea $2M Oct. 30-Nov. 2 Maybank Championship Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia $3M Nov. 6-9 TOTO Japan Classic Seta Golf Course in Otsu-shi, Shiga, Japan $2.1M Nov. 13-16 The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida $3.25M Nov. 20-23 CME Group Tour Championship Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida $11M Dec. 12-14 Grant Thornton Invitational Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida $2M
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