The 2004 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world which took place from March through December 2004. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States-based Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). This was the 55th season since the LPGA Tour officially began in 1950. The season consisted of 32 official money events. Total prize money for all tournaments was $42,875,000.

2004 LPGA Tour season
DurationMarch 11, 2004 (2004-03-11) – December 19, 2004 (2004-12-19)
Number of official events33
Most wins8 Sweden Annika Sörenstam
Money leaderSweden Annika Sörenstam
Rolex Player of the YearSweden Annika Sörenstam
Rookie of the YearSouth Korea Shi Hyun Ahn
2003
2005

Annika Sörenstam continued to dominate women's golf in 2004, winning eight tournaments and $2,544,707 in prize money. Four other players earned over $1 million. There were six first-time winners in 2004: Moira Dunn, Christina Kim, Lorena Ochoa, Jennifer Rosales, Kim Saiki, and Karen Stupples. Ochoa (Mexico) and Rosales (Philippines) were the first winners of their respective countries to win on the LPGA Tour.

For details of what happened in the main tournaments of the year see 2004 in golf.

Tournament schedule and results edit

The number in parentheses after winners' names show the player's total number of official money, individual event wins on the LPGA Tour including that event.

Date Tournament Location Winner Purse ($) Winner's
share ($)
Mar 14 Welch's/Fry's Championship Arizona   Karen Stupples (1) 800,000 120,000
Mar 21 Safeway International Arizona   Annika Sörenstam (49) 1,200,000 180,000
Mar 28 Kraft Nabisco Championship California   Grace Park (5) 1,600,000 240,000
Apr 4 The Office Depot Championship California   Annika Sörenstam (50) 1,750,000 262,500
Apr 17 LPGA Takefuji Classic Nevada   Cristie Kerr (2) 1,100,000 165,000
May 2 Chick-fil-A Charity Championship Georgia   Jennifer Rosales (1) 1,600,000 240,000
May 9 Michelob ULTRA Open at Kingsmill Virginia   Se Ri Pak (22) 2,200,000 330,000
May 16 Franklin American Mortgage Championship Tennessee   Lorena Ochoa (1) 900,000 135,000
May 23 Sybase Classic New York   Sherri Steinhauer (6) 1,250,000 187,500
May 30 LPGA Corning Classic New York   Annika Sörenstam (51) 1,000,000 150,000
Jun 6 Kellogg-Keebler Classic Illinois   Karrie Webb (30) 1,200,000 180,000
Jun 13 McDonald's LPGA Championship Delaware   Annika Sörenstam (52) 1,600,000 240,000
Jun 20 ShopRite LPGA Classic New Jersey   Cristie Kerr (3) 1,300,000 195,000
Jun 27 Wegmans LPGA New York   Kim Saiki (1) 1,500,000 225,000
Jul 4 U.S. Women's Open Massachusetts   Meg Mallon (16) 3,100,000 560,000
Jul 11 BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's Open Ontario   Meg Mallon (17) 1,300,000 195,000
Jul 18 Giant Eagle LPGA Classic Ohio   Moira Dunn (1) 1,000,000 150,000
Jul 24 Evian Masters France   Wendy Doolan (3) 2,500,000 375,000
Aug 1 Weetabix Women's British Open England   Karen Stupples (2) 1,600,000 290,880
Aug 8 Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic Ohio   Meg Mallon (18) 1,100,000 165,000
Aug 22 Wendy's Championship for Children Ohio   Catriona Matthew (2) 1,100,000 165,000
Aug 29 Wachovia LPGA Classic Pennsylvania   Lorena Ochoa (2) 1,000,000 150,000
Sep 5 State Farm Classic Illinois   Cristie Kerr (4) 1,200,000 180,000
Sep 12 John Q. Hammons Hotel Classic Oklahoma   Annika Sörenstam (53) 1,000,000 150,000
Sep 19 Safeway Classic Oregon   Hee-Won Han (3) 1,200,000 180,000
Sep 26 Longs Drugs Challenge California   Christina Kim (1) 1,000,000 150,000
Oct 10 Asahi Ryokuken International Championship South Carolina   Liselotte Neumann (13) 1,000,000 150,000
Oct 17 Samsung World Championship California   Annika Sörenstam (54) 825,000 206,250
Oct 31 CJ Nine Bridges Classic South Korea   Grace Park (6) 1,350,000 202,500
Nov 7 Mizuno Classic Japan   Annika Sörenstam (55) 1,000,000 150,000
Nov 14 The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions Alabama   Heather Daly-Donofrio (2) 800,000 130,000
Nov 21 ADT Championship Florida   Annika Sörenstam (56) 1,000,000 215,000
Dec 19 Wendy's 3-Tour Challenge Nevada LPGA Tour n/a

Tournaments in bold are majors.

Leaders edit

Money List leaders

Rank Player Country Earnings ($) Events
1 Annika Sörenstam   Sweden 2,544,707 18
2 Grace Park   South Korea 1,525,471 25
3 Lorena Ochoa   Mexico 1,450,824 27
4 Meg Mallon   United States 1,358,623 21
5 Cristie Kerr   United States 1,189,990 24
6 Karen Stupples   England 968,852 23
7 Mi Hyun Kim   South Korea 931,693 28
8 Hee-Won Han   South Korea 840,605 28
9 Karrie Webb   Australia 748,316 22
10 Jennifer Rosales   Philippines 693,625 25

Full 2004 Official Money List

Scoring Average leaders

Rank Player Country Average
1 Annika Sörenstam   Sweden 68.70
2 Grace Park   South Korea 69.99
3 Lorena Ochoa   Mexico 70.02
4 Cristie Kerr   United States 70.33
5 Mi Hyun Kim   South Korea 70.48

Full 2004 Scoring Average List - navigate to "2004", then "Scoring Average"

Award winners edit

The three competitive awards given out by the LPGA each year are:

  • The Rolex Player of the Year is awarded based on a formula in which points are awarded for top-10 finishes and are doubled at the LPGA's four major championships. The points system is: 30 points for first; 12 points for second; nine points for third; seven points for fourth; six points for fifth; five points for sixth; four points for seventh; three points for eighth; two points for ninth and one point for 10th.
  • The Vare Trophy, named for Glenna Collett-Vare, is given to the player with the lowest scoring average for the season.
  • The Louis Suggs Rolex Rooke of the Year Award is awarded to the first-year player on the LPGA Tour who scores the highest in a points competition in which points are awarded at all full-field domestic events and doubled at the LPGA's four major championships. The points system is: 150 points for first; 80 points for second; 75 points for third; 70 points for fourth; and 65 points for fifth. After fifth place, points are awarded in increments of three, beginning at sixth place with 62 points. Rookies who make the cut in an event and finish below 41st each receive five points. The award is named after Louise Suggs, one of the founders of the LPGA.

See also edit

External links edit