Patty Berg – Syndication Server

All the Vare Trophy winners, from Patty Berg to Ayaka Furue, in LPGA history

Winners of the Vare Trophy also receive a coveted LPGA Hall of Fame point.

The LPGA, founded in 1950, first recognized the tour’s scoring leader in 1953. Patty Berg was the first winner, and she’d go on to win three of the first four titles. The Vare Trophy, named after the legendary Glenna Collett Vare, is considered by many players to be the true measure of a season given that every stroke counts. It’s the mark of consistent greatness.

Kathy Whitworth, the winningest player in all of golf, won the Vare Trophy a record seven times. Annika Sorenstam, who holds the record for the lowest scoring average of 68.70 in 2002, won it six times.

In 2024, Ayaka Furue becamse the first Japanese player to win the award in its now 72-year history.

To be eligible for the Vare, a player must compete in a minimum of 60 total or 60 percent of official tournament rounds with an individual score, whichever is less, during the season.

She must also compete in a minimum of 70 total or 70 percent of total official tournament rounds, whichever is less, during the season; in seasons that include the Olympic Games, rounds played also count toward this requirement.

Here’s the complete list of Vare winners:

Year	Player	Scoring average
2024	Ayaka Furue	69.988
2023	Atthaya Thitikul	69.533
2022	Lydia Ko	68.988
2021	Lydia Ko	69.329
2020	Danielle Kang	70.082
2019	Jin Young Ko	69.062
2018	Ariya Jutanugarn	69.415
2017	Lexi Thompson	69.114
2016	In Gee Chun	69.583
2015	Inbee Park	69.415
2014	Stacy Lewis	69.53
2013	Stacy Lewis	69.48
2012	Inbee Park	69.643
2011	Yani Tseng	69.66
2010	Na Yeon Choi	69.873
2009	Lorena Ochoa	70.157
2008	Lorena Ochoa	69.699
2007	Lorena Ochoa	69.685
2006	Lorena Ochoa	69.236
2005	Annika Sorenstam	69.329
2004	Grace Park	69.99
2003	Se Ri Pak	70.03
2002	Annika Sorenstam	68.697
2001	Annika Sorenstam	69.421
2000	Karrie Webb	70.049
1999	Karrie Webb	69.433
1998	Annika Sorenstam	69.987
1997	Karrie Webb	70.00
1996	Annika Sorenstam	70.47
1995	Annika Sorenstam	71.00
1994	Beth Daniel	70.904
1993	Betsy King	70.85
1992	Dottie Pepper	70.80
1991	Pat Bradley	70.66
1990	Beth Daniel	70.54
1989	Beth Daniel	70.38
1988	Colleen Walker	71.26
1987	Betsy King	71.14
1986	Pat Bradley	71.10
1985	Nancy Lopez	70.73
1984	Patty Sheehan	71.40
1983	JoAnne Carner	71.41
1982	JoAnne Carner	71.49
1981	JoAnne Carner	71.75
1980	Amy Alcott	71.51
1979	Nancy Lopez	71.20
1978	Nancy Lopez	71.76
1977	Judy Rankin	72.16
1976	Judy Rankin	72.25
1975	JoAnne Carner	72.40
1974	JoAnne Carner	72.87
1973	Judy Rankin	73.08
1972	Kathy Whitworth	72.38
1971	Kathy Whitworth	72.88
1970	Kathy Whitworth	72.26
1969	Kathy Whitworth	72.38
1968	Carol Mann	72.04
1967	Kathy Whitworth	72.74
1966	Kathy Whitworth	72.60
1965	Kathy Whitworth	72.61
1964	Mickey Wright	72.46
1963	Mickey Wright	72.81
1962	Mickey Wright	73.67
1961	Mickey Wright	73.55
1960	Mickey Wright	73.25
1959	Betsy Rawls	74.03
1958	Beverly Hanson	74.92
1957	Louise Suggs	74.64
1956	Patty Berg	74.57
1955	Patty Berg	74.47
1954	Babe Zaharias	75.48
1953	Patty Berg	75.00

All the winners of the U.S. Women’s Open, from Patty Berg (1946) to Yuka Saso (2024)

Of all the majors, it’s the oldest one that carries the most prestige.

For most players, this is the list they want to be on the most. Of all the major championships, it’s the oldest one that carries the most prestige. The 79th U.S. Women’s Open was staged at Lancaster Country Club, a 1919 William Flynn design and eight past champions were in the field.

The winner, Yuka Saso, received the Mickey Wright medal, custody of the Harton S. Semple Trophy for one year, an exemption into the next 10 U.S. Women’s Opens as well as exemptions into the next five playings of the other four majors.

And, of course, a mighty big check. Saso received a $2.4 million first-place prize, the second-largest check in women’s golf. The 2024 CME Group Tour Championship winner will receive $4 million.

Mickey Wright and Betsy Rawls have the most U.S. Women’s Open titles with four. Four players have won the championship three times: Babe Didrikson Zaharias, Susie Maxwell Berning, Hollis Stacy and Annika Sorenstam.

Here’s the compete list of the U.S. Women’s Open champions:

Year	Winner	Location
2024	Yuka Saso	Lancaster Country Club
2023	Allisen Corpuz	Pebble Beach
2022	Minjee Lee	Pine Needles
2021	Yuka Saso	The Olympic Club (Lake Course)
2020	A Lim Kim	Champions Golf Club
2019	JeongEun Lee6	Country Club of Charleston
2018	Ariya Jutanugarn	Shoal Creek
2017	Sung Hyun Park	Trump National
2016	Brittany Lang	CordeValle
2015	In Gee Chun	Lancaster Country Club
2014	Michelle Wie	Pinehurst
2013	Inbee Park	Sebonack
2012	Na Yeon Choi	Blackwolf Run
2011	So Yeon Ryu	The Broadmoor
2010	Paula Creamer	Oakmont
2009	Eun-Hee Ji	Saucon Valley
2008	Inbee Park	Interlachen
2007	Cristie Kerr	Pine Needles
2006	Annika Sorenstam	Newport Country Club
2005	Birdie Kim	Cherry Hills
2004	Meg Mallon	Orchards
2003	Hilary Lunke	Pumpkin Ridge
2002	Juli Inkster	Prairie Dunes
2001	Karrie Webb	Pine Needles
2000	Karrie Webb	The Merit Club
1999	Juli Inkster	Old Waverly
1998	Seri Pak	Blackwolf Run
1997	Alison Nicholas	Pumpkin Ridge
1996	Annika Sorenstam	Pine Needles
1995	Annika Sorenstam	The Broadmoor
1994	Patty Sheehan	Indianwood
1993	Lauri Merten	Crooked Stick
1992	Patty Sheehan	Oakmont
1991	Meg Mallon	Colonial
1990	Betsy King	Atlanta Athletic Club
1989	Betsy King	Indianwood
1988	Liselotte Neumann	Baltimore Country Club
1987	Laura Davies	Plainfield Country Club
1986	Jane Geddes	NCR Country Club
1985	Kathy (Baker) Guadagnino	Baltusrol
1984	Hollis Stacy	Salem Country Club
1983	Jan Stephenson	Cedar Ridge
1982	Janet Alex	Del Paso
1981	Pat Bradley	LaGrange
1980	Amy Alcott	Richland
1979	Jerilyn Britz	Brooklawn
1978	Hollis Stacy	Country Club of Indianapolis
1977	Hollis Stacy	Hazeltine
1976	JoAnne Gunderson Carner	Rolling Green
1975	Sandra Palmer	Atlantic City
1974	Sandra Haynie	LaGrange
1973	Susie Maxwell Berning	Country Club of Rochester
1972	Susie Maxwell Berning	Winged Foot
1971	JoAnne Gunderson Carner	Kahkwa Club
1970	Donna Caponi	Muskogee
1969	Donna Caponi	Scenic Hills
1968	Susie Maxwell Berning	Moselem Springs
1967	Catherine Lacoste (a)	Virginia Hot Springs
1966	Sandra Spuzich	Hazeltine
1965	Carol Mann	Atlantic City Country Club
1964	Mickey Wright	San Diego Country Club
1963	Mary Mills	Kenwood Country Club
1962	Murle Lindstrom	Dunes Golf & Country Club
1961	Mickey Wright	Baltusrol
1960	Betsy Rawls	Worcester Country Club
1959	Mickey Wright	Churchill Valley
1958	Mickey Wright	Forest Lake
1957	Betsy Rawls	Winged Foot
1956	Kathy Cornelius	Northand
1955	Fay Crocker	Wichita Country Club
1954	Babe Didrikson Zaharias	Salem Country Club
1953	Betsy Rawls	Country Club of Rochester
1952	Louise Suggs	Bala
1951	Betsy Rawls	Druid Hills
1950	Babe Didrikson Zaharias	Rolling Hills
1949	Louise Suggs	Prince Georges
1948	Babe Didrikson Zaharias	Atlantic City Country Club
1947	Betty Jameson	Starmount Forest Country Club
1946	Patty Berg	Spokane Country Club

Haley Moore is one of 40 first-time competitors at Olympic for U.S. Women’s Open

SAN FRANCISCO – Only five players have won the U.S. Women’s Open in their first attempt. Patty Berg (1946) was the first to do it and 2021 champion A Lim Kim was the last. In between, there was Kathy Cornelius (1956), Birdie Kim (2005) and In Gee …

SAN FRANCISCO — Only five players have won the U.S. Women’s Open in their first attempt. Patty Berg (1946) was the first to do it and 2021 champion A Lim Kim was the last. In between, there was Kathy Cornelius (1956), Birdie Kim (2005) and In Gee Chun (2015).

When A Lim Kim won last December in frigid Houston, she wore a mask inside the ropes. On Monday in sunny San Francisco, it was lovely to see her smile as she talked about last year’s break-through victory.

“Frankly, let me be honest with you,” Kim said through an interpreter, “I think I was lucky.”

There are 40 players in this week’s field who are playing in their first U.S. Women’s Open. Inbee Park, a two-time USWO winner, made her debut as an amateur in 2004 and missed the cut. The LPGA Hall of Famer was reminded of that first time this week when she played a practice round at The Olympic Club with a young Japanese player.

U.S. WOMEN’S OPEN: Tee times | TV, streaming information

“She just looked nothing to be scared of on this golf course and just bombing the balls,” said Park. “I kind of envy that, and I don’t think I’ll be able to ever do that again.”

Back then, Park continued, she’d go into shock after a bogey. The world came to an end after a double. Needless to say, much has changed.

LPGA rookie Haley Moore is among the dozens of first-timers this week. Moore first tried to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open in 2014 and basically every year since.

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This year Moore advanced through a 36-hole qualifier at Brentwood Country Club, birdieing three of her last five holes to finish at even-par 144.

“Toughest part is I think,” said Moore, “is going to be your patience and your mental game. … It’s not always perfect out here.”

First-time U.S. Women’s Open competitors

Amari Avery, Addie Baggarly, Jensen Castle, Matilda Castren, Claire Choi, Abbey Daniel, Leigha Devine, Nicole Garcia, Ingrid Gutierrez, Haylee Hartford, Jo Hua Hung, Tsubasa Kajitani, Gurleen Kaur, Hikari Kawamitsu, Chihiro Kogure, Chloe Kovelesky, Aline Krauter, Jaclyn LaHa, Alyssa Lamoureux, Karolin Lampert, Da Yeon Lee, Amanda Linnér, Emily Mahar, Isabella McCauley, Kim Metraux, Momoka Miyake, Haley Moore, Minori Nagano, Natsumi Nakanishi, Noemie Pare, Bohyun Park, Maria Parra, Ana Pelaez Trivino, Aneka Seumanutafa, Alexandra Swayne, Elizabeth Szokol, Tsai-Ching Tseng, Karoline Tuttle, Monica Vaughn, Ruoning Yin.

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