Who Has The Most Career Earnings On The LPGA Tour?

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published 12 December 2023

Prize purses on the LPGA Tour are on the rise, and while the average tour player may still find it challenging to break even on a weekly basis, and there’s still work to be done for further parity in the game, the big events now offer substantial opportunities for serious earnings.

At the 2023 US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, players competed for a remarkable prize purse of $11 million, doubling in two years. Allisen Corpuz secured the record-breaking $2 million winner’s payout, and Amy Yang took home the same amount after winning the season-ending CME-sponsored Tour Championship.

Back in 2006, when Annika Sorenstam won her third US Women’s Open title, her winner’s share from a $3.1 million prize purse was $560,000, and with that win Sorenstam went over $20 million in career earnings. Despite retiring in 2008, she is still the highest earner on the LPGA Tour, having amassed $22,583,693 in prize money from 307 events during her illustrious career.

Out of the top 5 highest female earners to date, 26-year-old Lydia Ko is also the youngest in 5th spot with $16,942,692, and she has played fewer events than those above her on the table. In 2014, Ko became the youngest millionaire ever on the LPGA in her first full season as a pro.

Since turning professional in 2010 and 240 events later, Lexi Thompson’s earnings have escalated to $13,927,016, while Amy Yang’s $2 million from this year's CME Tour Championship contributed nicely to her $13,882,919 total.

The player that really stands out is Lorena Ochoa, who ranks one below Ko with $14,863,331 from just 175 events, which reflects her domination of the women’s game between 2007 and 2010.

Juli Inkster’s professional career spans 29 years to date and includes 31 wins on the LPGA Tour. While her career earnings of $14,018,391 is a significant amount, she has played in 714 events, which is far more than any other player topping the ranking list.

Highest Career Earnings On The LPGA Tour

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Rank	Player	Career Earnings	Career Events Played
1	Annika Sorenstam	$22,583,693	307
2	Karrie Web	$20,293,617	494
3	Cristie Kerr	$20,179,848	597
4	Inbee Park	$18,262,344	305
5	Lydia Ko	$16,942,692	225
6	Lorena Ochoa	$14,863,331	175
7	Suzann Pettersen	$14,837,578	316
8	Stacy Lewis	$14,493,255	341
9	Juli Inkster	$14,018,391	714
10	Lexi Thompson	$13,927,016	240
11	Amy Yang	$13,882,919	328
12	Minjee Lee	$13,864,143	207
13	Anna Nordqvist	$12,823,565	330
14	Sei Young Kim	$12,736,813	200
15	Se Ri Pak	$12,583,712	365
Row 16 - Cell 0	Row 16 - Cell 1	Row 16 - Cell 2	Row 16 - Cell 3

LPGA statistics includes verified data from 1980 to present

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Alison Root has over 25 years experience working in media and events, predominantly dedicated to golf, in particular the women’s game. Until 2020, for over a decade Alison edited Women & Golf magazine and website, and is now the full-time Women's Editor for Golf Monthly. Alison is a respected and leading voice in the women's game, overseeing content that communicates to active golfers from grassroots through to the professional scene, and developing collaborative relationships to widen Golf Monthly's female audience across all platforms to elevate women's golf to a new level. She is a 16-handicap golfer (should be better) and despite having had the fantastic opportunity to play some of the best golf courses around the world, Kingsbarns in Scotland is her favourite.

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Highest Career Earnings On The LPGA Tour