Editing LPGA (section)

==Organization and history==
Other "LPGAs" exist in other countries, each with a geographical designation in its name, but the U.S. organization is the first, largest, and most prestigious. The LPGA is also an organization for female club and teaching professionals. This is different from the [[PGA Tour]], which runs the main professional [[Professional golf tours|tours]] in the U.S. and, since 1968, has been independent of the club and teaching professionals' organization, the [[Professional Golfers' Association of America]] (or PGA of America).

The LPGA also administers an annual [[qualifying school]] similar to that conducted by the PGA Tour. Depending on a golfer's finish in the final qualifying tournament, she may receive full or partial playing privileges on the LPGA Tour. In addition to the main LPGA Tour, the LPGA also owns and operates the [[Epson Tour]], formerly the Futures Tour, the official developmental tour of the LPGA. Top finishers at the end of each season on that tour receive playing privileges on the main LPGA Tour for the following year.

The LPGA is the oldest continuing women's professional sports organization in the United States.<ref name="touroldest">{{cite news |work=The Golf Channel |title=LPGA Tour: History |year=2000 |url=http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=17104&dv=3092752&select=2069 |access-date=April 8, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927205545/http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=17104&dv=3092752&select=2069 |archive-date=September 27, 2007 }}</ref><ref name="touroldest2">{{cite web |title=About the LPGA |publisher=LPGA |url=http://www.lpga.com/corporate/ladies-golf/about-the-lpga.aspx |access-date=April 30, 2013}}</ref> It succeeded the WPGA (Women's Professional Golf Association), which was founded in 1944 but stopped its limited tour after the 1948 season and officially ceased operations in December 1949.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5d71iha1Q-YC&pg=PA330 |title=Historical Dictionary of Golf |last=Mallon |first=Bill |date=January 21, 2011 |page=330|publisher=Scarecrow Press |isbn=9780810874657 }}</ref> The WPGA had been founded by [[Ellen Griffin]], [[Betty Hicks]], and [[Hope Seignious]].<ref name="Publishing1996">{{cite magazine |first=Muffin |last=Spencer-Devlin |title=Reviews – Books: Fore play |magazine=The Advocate |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PWQEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT88 |date=November 12, 1996|page=88}}</ref><ref name="Kirsch2009">{{cite book |first=George B. |last=Kirsch |title=Golf in America |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OTg2eVFr__4C&pg=PA170 |year=2009 |publisher=University of Illinois Press |isbn=978-0-252-03292-9 |page=170}}</ref>

The LPGA was founded in 1950 at Rolling Hills Country Club in [[Wichita, Kansas]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://collegeofgolf.keiseruniversity.edu/when-was-the-lpga-founded/ |title=When was the LPGA founded? [Infographic] |date=January 4, 2017 |website=Keiser University College of Golf |access-date=August 29, 2020 |archive-date=April 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429190113/https://collegeofgolf.keiseruniversity.edu/when-was-the-lpga-founded/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Its 13 founders were: [[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 Didrikson Zaharias|Babe Zaharias]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lpga.com/careers-about/about-our-founders |title=About the LPGA - Our Founders |publisher=LPGA}}</ref><ref name="obit">{{cite news |last=Carlson |first=Michael |title=Patty Berg |work=The Guardian |date=September 12, 2006 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/2006/sep/12/guardianobituaries.gender |access-date=March 16, 2016}}</ref> [[Patty Berg]] served as its first president.<ref name="obit"/> The founders were elected to the [[World Golf Hall of Fame]] as a group in 2023 though six had already been inducted individually.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/35813789/padraig-harrington-lpga-founders-join-24-golf-hall-fame-class |title=Padraig Harrington, LPGA founders join '24 Golf Hall of Fame class |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=March 9, 2023}}</ref>

The first LPGA tournament was the 1950 [[Tampa Women's Open]], held at Palma Ceia Golf and Country Club in Tampa, Florida. Ironically, the winner was amateur [[Polly Riley]], who beat the stellar field of professional founders.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 23, 1950 |title=Polly Riley Victor With 295 at Tampa |newspaper=The New York Times |url=https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1950/01/23/issue.html |access-date=July 30, 2021}}</ref> In 1956, the LPGA hosted its first tournament outside the United States at the [[Havana Open]] in Havana, Cuba.{{Citation needed|date=August 2024}}

In 2001, [[Jane Blalock]]'s JBC Marketing established the Women's Senior Golf Tour, now called the [[Legends Tour]], for women professionals aged 45 and older. This is affiliated with the LPGA, but is not owned by the LPGA.

[[Michael Whan]], a former marketing executive in the sporting goods industry,<ref>{{cite news |date=October 28, 2009 |title=LPGA Tour names Whan commissioner |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/news/story?id=4601515 |access-date=April 30, 2013 |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press}}</ref> became the eighth commissioner of the LPGA in October 2009, succeeding the ousted [[Carolyn Bivens]].<ref name="touroldest2" /><ref name="whan-press">{{cite web |url=http://www.lpga.com/golf/news/2009/10/lpga-names-michael-whan-as-its-commissioner.aspx |title=LPGA Names Michael Whan as its Commissioner |publisher=LPGA |date=October 28, 2009 |access-date=April 30, 2013}}</ref>

After a lawsuit filed by golfer [[Lana Lawless]], the rules were changed in 2010 to allow [[transgender]] competitors.<ref name="auto">{{Cite magazine |url=http://golfweek.com/2010/10/13/who-former-long-drive-champ-lana-lawless/ |title=Who is former Long Drive champ Lana Lawless? |date=October 13, 2010 |magazine=Golfweek |first=James |last=Achenbach |access-date=March 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/13/sports/golf/13lawsuit.html |title=Transgender Woman Sues L.P.G.A. Over Policy |last=Thomas |first=Katie |date=October 12, 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |access-date=March 12, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/02/sports/golf/02lpga.html |title=L.P.G.A. Will Allow Transgender Players to Compete |last=Thomas |first=Katie |date=December 1, 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=March 12, 2018}}</ref> In 2013, [[trans woman]] [[Bobbi Lancaster]] faced local scorn for attempting to play in Arizona's [[Cactus Tour]] in hopes of getting a spot for the [[LPGA Qualifying Tournament]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Boivin |first=Paola |date=March 12, 2013 |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/golf/2013/03/12/lpga-transgender-bobbi-lancaster/1983171/ |title=Transgender golfer dreams of playing in LPGA |newspaper=USA Today}}</ref> In December 2024, the LPGA published a new policy that states in order to compete as female in their tournaments, players must either be [[assigned female at birth]], or have transitioned to female before undergoing [[male puberty]]. The policy goes into effect in 2025.<ref name="guard-4dec2024">{{cite news |title=LPGA says its players must be female at birth or transition before puberty |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/dec/04/lpga-says-its-players-must-be-female-at-birth-or-transition-before-puberty |access-date=4 December 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=4 December 2024}}</ref>

In 2018, the LPGA acquired an amateur golf association, the Executive Women's Golf Association (EWGA), and expanded its emphasis to include amateur golfers in the U.S. and North America. Initially called the LPGA Women Who Play,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Executive Women's Golf Association to be Rebranded as LPGA Women Who Play |url=http://www.lpga.com/news/2018/2018-ewga-to-be-rebranded-as-lpga-women-who-play |access-date=2020-10-27 |publisher=LPGA}}</ref> the amateur organization was rebranded as the LPGA Amateur Golf Association. The LPGA Amateur Golf Association has member-operated chapters throughout North America and the Caribbean.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Find a Chapter |url=https://lpgaamateurs.com/memberships/find/ |access-date=2020-10-27 |publisher=LPGA Amateur Golf Association}}</ref>