The 2006 LPGA Tour was a series of weekly golf tournaments for elite female golfers from around the world, which took place from February through December 2006. The tournaments were sanctioned by the United States–based Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA). In 2006, prize money on the LPGA Tour exceeded US$50 million for the first time in the history of the LPGA Tour.

Lorena Ochoa Lorena Ochoa Reyes (; born 15 November 1981) is a Mexican former professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 LPGA Tour, 2003 to 2010 LPGA Tour, 2010. She was the Women's World Golf Rankings#World number ones, top-ranked ...

became the first Mexican to top the money list on the LPGA Tour, or any major international golf tour, while

Annika Sörenstam Annika Charlotta Sörenstam (; born 9 October 1970) is a Swedish professional golfer regarded as one of the best female golfers in history. Before stepping away from competitive golf at the end of the 2008 season, she had won 96 international p ...

held her position as the top ranked player through the whole season. Multi-time major champions

Karrie Webb Karrie Anne Webb (born 21 December 1974) is an Australian professional golfer. She plays mainly on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour, and also turns out once or twice a year on the ALPG Tour in her home country. She is a member of the World Golf Hall ...

and

Se Ri Pak Pak Se-ri or Se-ri Pak (, ; born 28 September 1977) is a South Korean former professional golfer who played on the LPGA Tour from 1998 to 2016. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. Career Born in Taejon, she attended i ...

had comeback seasons after fallow periods, each claiming a major championship. 2006 saw a growth in the international presence on the Tour. Of the 33 events, only seven were won by Americans, with

Cristie Kerr Cristie Kerr (born October 12, 1977) is an American professional golfer who plays on the LPGA Tour. She has 20 wins on the LPGA Tour, including two major championships, and over $19 million in career earnings. Kerr was the number one-ranked go ...

the only American to win more than once (three times). By contrast, Mexican

won six events, Australian

five, Swede

three, and nine different South Koreans combined to win 11 events. The season-ending LPGA Playoffs at The ADT was won by Paraguayan

Julieta Granada Julieta Granada (born 17 November 1986) is a Paraguayan professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour. Amateur career Born in Asunción, Paraguay, Granada moved to the United States with her mother at the age of 1 ...

. The other seven finalists in that event featured only two Americans (

Paula Creamer Paula Creamer (born August 5, 1986)''Current Biography Yearbook 2011''p. 128 is an American professional golfer on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. As a professional, she has won 12 tournaments, including 10 LPGA Tour events. Creamer has been as high ...

and

Natalie Gulbis Natalie Anne Gulbis (born January 7, 1983) is an American professional golfer who played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour. Golf career Gulbis was born and raised in the Sacramento, California, area. She has Latvian ancestry. Gulbis became intereste ...

); the others were Ochoa, Webb, Koreans

Il Mi Chung Chung Il-mi, or Il-Mi Chung (; born 15 January 1972) is a South Korean professional golfer. She was born in Busan and attended Ewha Womans University. She turned professional in 1995 and joined the LPGA of Korea Tour where she has eight wins. S ...

and

Mi Hyun Kim Mi-Hyun Kim (, born 13 January 1977) is a professional golfer from South Korea. She turned professional in 1996 and won 11 events on the LPGA of Korea Tour (KLPGA) between 1996 and 2000. In 1999, she joined the LPGA Tour and was named was Rooki ...

, and Japanese

Ai Miyazato is a former Japanese professional golfer who competed on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the LPGA of Japan Tour (JLPGA). She was the top-ranked golfer in the Women's World Golf Rankings on three occasions in 2010. Early life, family and amateur ...

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

2006 in golf This article summarizes the highlights of professional and amateur golf in the year 2006. Men's professional golf Major championships * 6–9 April: The Masters - Winner: Phil Mickelson The Augusta National course was lengthened to 7,445 yards ...

.''

Tournament schedule and results

* The winner of Major events automatically qualified for the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT. ADT Playoffs points were doubled at Major events. * The top-20 finishers in Points events earned double ADT Playoffs points. * The champion of Winner events automatically qualified for LPGA Playoffs at The ADT. Other top-20 finishers earned single ADT Playoffs points. * The Global Group (pre-determined international events) events were combined to count as one Winner event qualifier, with the player earning the most combined points in these events earning automatic entry to LPGA Playoffs at The ADT. No additional points were awarded. * Unofficial money Events did not count toward entry into the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT. * The first half of the season concluded with the final full-field domestic event (

Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic The Greater Toledo Classic is a women's professional golf tournament on the Legends of the LPGA and Epson Tours. It was founded in 1984 and has been played yearly, except in 1986 and 2011, in Sylvania, Ohio, a suburb northwest of Toledo. Hist ...

) prior to the Tour traveling to Europe. * The second half concluded with final event (

The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions was a golf tournament for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour. It was played annually from 1994 to 2007 at various sites in the Southeastern United States. It was last played at the Robert Tren ...

) prior to the LPGA Playoffs at The ADT. 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. Tournaments in bold are majors.
* tournament shortened to 54 holes because of rain.

Leaders

Money List leaders Source: Scoring Average leaders Source:

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 and at the season-ending ADT Championship. 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. **2006 Winner:

. Runner-up:

*The Vare Trophy, named for

Glenna Collett-Vare Glenna Collett Vare (June 20, 1903 – February 3, 1989) was an American amateur golfer. She earned induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame calls her the greatest female golfer of her day. Collett-Vare dominated American wome ...

, is given to the player with the lowest scoring average for the season. **2006 Winner:

. Runner-up:

*The Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie 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 Mae Louise Suggs (September 7, 1923 – August 7, 2015) was an American professional golfer, one of the founders of the LPGA Tour and thus modern ladies' golf. Amateur career Born in Atlanta, Suggs had a very successful amateur career, beginnin ...

, one of the founders of the LPGA. **2006 Winner:

Seon Hwa Lee Lee Seon-hwa (; born 10 February 1986) is a South Korean professional golfer now playing on the United States LPGA Tour. Born in Cheonan, South Korea, Lee began playing golf at age 4 and turned professional at age 14, the youngest female to ev ...

. Runner-up:

References

{{LPGA Tour seasons LPGA Tour seasons

LPGA Tour The Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) is an American organization for female golfers. The organization is headquartered at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is best known for running the LPGA Tour, a series of weekly ...

Tournament schedule and results

Leaders

Award winners

See also

References