2004 LPGA Tour

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

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.

DateTournamentLocationWinnerPurse ($)Winner's
share ($)
Mar 14Welch's/Fry's ChampionshipArizona Karen Stupples (1)800,000120,000
Mar 21Safeway InternationalArizona Annika Sörenstam (49)1,200,000180,000
Mar 28Kraft Nabisco ChampionshipCalifornia Grace Park (5)1,600,000240,000
Apr 4The Office Depot ChampionshipCalifornia Annika Sörenstam (50)1,750,000262,500
Apr 17LPGA Takefuji ClassicNevada Cristie Kerr (2)1,100,000165,000
May 2Chick-fil-A Charity ChampionshipGeorgia Jennifer Rosales (1)1,600,000240,000
May 9Michelob ULTRA Open at KingsmillVirginia Se Ri Pak (22)2,200,000330,000
May 16Franklin American Mortgage ChampionshipTennessee Lorena Ochoa (1)900,000135,000
May 23Sybase ClassicNew York Sherri Steinhauer (6)1,250,000187,500
May 30LPGA Corning ClassicNew York Annika Sörenstam (51)1,000,000150,000
Jun 6Kellogg-Keebler ClassicIllinois Karrie Webb (30)1,200,000180,000
Jun 13McDonald's LPGA ChampionshipDelaware Annika Sörenstam (52)1,600,000240,000
Jun 20ShopRite LPGA ClassicNew Jersey Cristie Kerr (3)1,300,000195,000
Jun 27Wegmans LPGANew York Kim Saiki (1)1,500,000225,000
Jul 4U.S. Women's OpenMassachusetts Meg Mallon (16)3,100,000560,000
Jul 11BMO Financial Group Canadian Women's OpenOntario Meg Mallon (17)1,300,000195,000
Jul 18Giant Eagle LPGA ClassicOhio Moira Dunn (1)1,000,000150,000
Jul 24Evian MastersFrance Wendy Doolan (3)2,500,000375,000
Aug 1Weetabix Women's British OpenEngland Karen Stupples (2)1,600,000290,880
Aug 8Jamie Farr Owens Corning ClassicOhio Meg Mallon (18)1,100,000165,000
Aug 22Wendy's Championship for ChildrenOhio Catriona Matthew (2)1,100,000165,000
Aug 29Wachovia LPGA ClassicPennsylvania Lorena Ochoa (2)1,000,000150,000
Sep 5State Farm ClassicIllinois Cristie Kerr (4)1,200,000180,000
Sep 12John Q. Hammons Hotel ClassicOklahoma Annika Sörenstam (53)1,000,000150,000
Sep 19Safeway ClassicOregon Hee-Won Han (3)1,200,000180,000
Sep 26Longs Drugs ChallengeCalifornia Christina Kim (1)1,000,000150,000
Oct 10Asahi Ryokuken International ChampionshipSouth Carolina Liselotte Neumann (13)1,000,000150,000
Oct 17Samsung World ChampionshipCalifornia Annika Sörenstam (54)825,000206,250
Oct 31CJ Nine Bridges ClassicSouth Korea Grace Park (6)1,350,000202,500
Nov 7Mizuno ClassicJapan Annika Sörenstam (55)1,000,000150,000
Nov 14The Mitchell Company Tournament of ChampionsAlabama Heather Daly-Donofrio (2)800,000130,000
Nov 21ADT ChampionshipFlorida Annika Sörenstam (56)1,000,000215,000
Dec 19Wendy's 3-Tour ChallengeNevadaLPGA Tourn/a

Tournaments in bold are majors.

Leaders

Money List leaders

RankPlayerCountryEarnings ($)Events
1Annika Sörenstam  Sweden2,544,70718
2Grace Park  South Korea1,525,47125
3Lorena Ochoa  Mexico1,450,82427
4Meg Mallon  United States1,358,62321
5Cristie Kerr  United States1,189,99024
6Karen Stupples  England968,85223
7Mi Hyun Kim  South Korea931,69328
8Hee-Won Han  South Korea840,60528
9Karrie Webb  Australia748,31622
10Jennifer Rosales  Philippines693,62525

Full 2004 Official Money List

Scoring Average leaders

RankPlayerCountryAverage
1Annika Sörenstam  Sweden68.70
2Grace Park  South Korea69.99
3Lorena Ochoa  Mexico70.02
4Cristie Kerr  United States70.33
5Mi Hyun Kim  South Korea70.48

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

Award winners

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