2006 in Golf - Women's Professional Golf

Women's Professional Golf

LPGA majors

• 30 March - 2 April: Kraft Nabisco Championship: Australia's Karrie Webb defeated 18, 36 and 54 hole leader Lorena Ochoa in a playoff to claim her seventh major championship. Ochoa shot a 62 in the first round, setting a tournament record and equalling the record low score in an LPGA major.
• 8–11 June: LPGA Championship - Se Ri Pak defeated Karrie Webb in a playoff to claim her third LPGA Championship and fifth major title. Nicole Castrale shot a 64 in the first round to set a tournament record.
• 29 June - 2 July: U.S. Women's Open - The tournament was played at Newport Country Club. The prize fund was US$3.1 million, a record for a women's golf tournament, with $560,000 going to the winner. The first day's play was cancelled due to fog and 36 holes were played on the Sunday. Annika Sörenstam and Pat Hurst tied on level par after 72 holes. Sörenstam won an eighteen hole Monday playoff to claim her tenth major championship and third U.S. Open.
• 3–6 August: Weetabix Women's British Open - The tournament was played at Royal Lytham & St. Annes for the third time in its history. American Sherri Steinhauer took the lead after a third round 66 and held the lead in the final round for a three-stroke win over runners-up Cristie Kerr and Sophie Gustafson. It was Steinhauer's third British Open win, but her first since the tournament became a major in 2001.

Ladies European Tour major (in addition to the Women's British Open)

• 26–29 July: Evian Masters - Karrie Webb continued her return to form by winning the second richest event in women's golf.

For a complete list of Ladies European Tour results see 2006 Ladies European Tour.

Additional LPGA Tour events

• 6–9 July: HSBC Women's World Match Play Championship - 20-year-old American Brittany Lincicome beat veteran Juli Inkster 3 & 2 to claim her first LPGA Tour title.
• 16–19 November: LPGA Playoffs at The ADT - Julieta Granada from Paraguay claimed her first tour victory and the first US$1 million prize in women's golf.

For a complete list of LPGA Tour results see 2006 LPGA Tour.

Money list winners

• LPGA Tour - 25 year old Lorena Ochoa became the first Mexican to top the money list with earnings of $2,592,872. Current money list
• Ladies European Tour - Laura Davies of England topped the money list of the seventh time in her career with earnings of €471,727.42. Final money list.

Team events

• 20–22 January: Women's World Cup of Golf - Sweden's Annika Sörenstam and Liselotte Neumann claimed the trophy in its second year.
• 15–17 December: 2006 Lexus Cup - Asia captained by South Korea's Grace Park defeated the International team captained by Sweden's Annika Sörenstam 12.5 to 11.5.

Other happenings

• 21 February: the first official Women's World Golf Rankings were published. Annika Sörenstam was ranked number 1.
• 4–7 May: Michelle Wie made the cut at the SK Telecom Open on the Asian Tour. This was the highest ranking men's tour on which a woman has made a cut since Babe Zaharias did so on the PGA Tour in 1945.
• 15–18 June: The first ever Futures Tour major event was played, the Michelob ULTRA Duramed FUTURES Players Championship. Canadian Salimah Mussani won with a 16-under par 272.
• 14 September: Annika Sörenstam became the first woman to pass $20 million in LPGA Tour career earnings.
• 12 November: With her victory at The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions, Lorena Ochoa claimed the LPGA Rolex Player of the Year award.