I have been asked many times how the LPGA constructs their field lists for tournaments. The Priority List is used to fill the required amount of spots for any given tournament. Without getting into the categories, which is potentially confusing, here is a brief explanation.
Most full field events have a field of 144 players. Usually, 140 of the players come from the Priority List ranking. Two players are Monday qualifiers, and 2 more are sponsor exemptions.
So to keep it simple, if your Priority Rating is #150, you have to hope that 10 players decide not to play, or you are probably not making it into that week’s LPGA Tournament field.
1. Top-80: Members in the top 80 (and ties) on the previous season-ending Points List.
Priority is based on the order of the list. Ties will be broken by the Members’ positions on the previous season-ending Money List.
- Lilia Vu
- Celine Boutier
- Ruoning Yin
- Hyo Joo Kim
- Minjee Lee
- Jin Young Ko
- Atthaya Thitikul
- Xiyu Lin
- Allisen Corpuz
- Ayaka Furue
- Charley Hull
- Nasa Hataoka
- Hae Ran Ryu
- Nelly Korda
- Brooke M. Henderson
- Angel Yin
- Yuka Saso
- Amy Yang
- Leona Maguire
- Megan Khang
- Alison Lee
- Georgia Hall
- Ashleigh Buhai
- Linn Grant
- Cheyenne Knight
- Rose Zhang
- Ariya Jutanugarn
- Carlota Ciganda
- Hannah Green
- Maja Stark
- 3Grace Kim
- Ally Ewing
- Austin Ernst *
- A Lim Kim
- Jessica Korda **
- Jenny Shin
- Lizette Salas *
- Jennifer Kupcho
- Hye-Jin Choi
- Esther Henseleit
- Jodi Ewart Shadoff
- Yu Liu
- Pajaree Anannarukarn
- Aditi Ashok
- Gaby Lopez
- Alexa Pano
- Linnea Strom
- Anna Nordqvist
- Chella Choi **
- Sei Young Kim
- Jasmine Suwannapura
- Yuna Nishimura
- Peiyun Chien
- Gemma Dryburgh
- Chanettee Wannasaen
- Elizabeth Szokol
- Sophia Popov **
- Danielle Kang
- Inbee Park **
- Patty Tavatanakit
- Madelene Sagstrom
- Caroline Masson **
- Perrine Delacour
- Bianca Pagdanganan
- Stephanie Kyriacou
- Sarah Kemp
- Andrea Lee
- Sarah Schmelzel
- Celine Borge
- Albane Valenzuela
- Daniela Darquea *
- Azahara Munoz
- Eun-Hee Ji
- Lauren Coughlin
- Mi Hyang Lee
- Nanna Koerstz Madsen
- Brittany Altomare **
- Ryann O’Toole
- Jaye Marie Green **
- Emily Kristine Pedersen
- Narin An
- Stephanie Meadow
- Matilda Castren
- Maude-Aimee Leblanc *
- Brittany Lincicome **
- Minami Katsu
- In Gee Chun
- Maria Fassi
- Yan Liu
- Yani Tseng *
- Lindsey Weaver-Wright
- Lexi Thompson
- Olivia Cowan
* Medical ** Maternity
2. Career Top-20: Members in the top 20 on the Career Money List as of the end of the last Official Tournament of the previous season.
Priority is based on the order of the list. To be included in this category (a) the Member must have notified the LPGA that she wanted to be included in the Career Top 20 category by November 15th of the previous year, (b) if a Member elects to be included in the Career Top 20 Category, she will be in this category for one season, (c) a Member may be included in this category only two times in her career, and (d) a Member may only be in the Career Top 20 category or the Career Top 40 category (but not both) in her career.
3. Major Winner: Members who have won an LPGA Major Championship while a Member during the previous five (5) seasons or during the current season.
Priority is based on the number of such wins during the previous five (5) seasons. Ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the Career Money List as of the end of the previous season. (Note: Pursuant to the 2021 COVID-19 Regulations Addendum, Members: (1) whose most recent Major win was in 2018 will be eligible for this category through the 2024 season, and (2) whose most recent Major win was in 2019 will be eligible for this category through the 2025 season).
- Angela Stanford
- Mi Jung Hur **
- Hee Young Park **
- Sung Hyun Park
- Mirim Lee
- Jeongeun Lee6
- Pernilla Lindberg
** Maternity
4. Winner: Members who have won an Official Tournament while a Member within the last two (2) calendar seasons or during the current season
- Lydia Ko
- Moriya Jutanugarn
- Marina Alex
- Julieta Granada **
- Paula Reto
** Maternity
5. Multiple Wins: Members who have won at least two (2) Official Tournaments while a Member in the same season in any of the previous three (3) seasons.
Priority is based on the number of wins during all the previous three seasons. Ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the Career Money List as of the end of the previous season.
Nil
6. Three Wins in the Same Season: Members who have won three (3) or more Official Tournaments while a Member during the same season in any of the previous four (4) seasons.
Priority is based on the number of wins during all the previous four (4) seasons. Ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the Career Money List as of the end of the previous season. (Note: Pursuant to the 2021 COVID-19 Regulations Addendum, Members: (1) whose most recent year with three wins with was in 2018 will be eligible for this category through 2023, and (2) whose most recent year with three wins was 2019 will be eligible for this category through 2024.)
Nil
7. Non-Member Win: Players who have won at least one (1) Official Tournament as a Non-Member within the previous season or during the current season.
Priority is based on the earliest date of such wins. A Player must be eligible for and accept membership to be included in this category. Beginning in 2024, a Non-Member who wins an Official Tournament will be eligible for this category for the remainder of the season in which she wins and for two consecutive seasons thereafter. A Non-Member who wins a Major Championship in 2021 and after will be eligible for this category for the remainder of the season in which she wins and for five consecutive seasons thereafter.
- Mone Inami
8. Current Year Top-80: Members in the Top 80 of the current season’s Points List after the First Reshuffle Tournament with priority based on the order of the list.
For the remaining Official Tournaments of the season, Members in the Top 80 on the current season’s Points List after the Second Reshuffle Tournament. Ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the current season Priority List as of the Commitment Deadline for each respective reshuffle tournament.
Nil
9. Top-10 Epson Tour: Top 10 (and ties) on the previous season-ending Epson Tour Money List.
Priority is based on their position on the list. Ties will be broken by the Members’ scoring average as of the end of the previous season. If still tied, refer to the previous season Epson Tournament and Player Regulations.
- Gabriela Ruffels
- Natasha Andrea Oon
- Auston Kim
- Jiwon Jeon
- Minji Kang
- Agathe Laisne
- Jenny Coleman
- Roberta Liti
- Isabella Fierro
- Kristen Gillman
10. Non-Member Top 40: Non-Member Professionals who, as of the conclusion of the last Official Tournament of the previous season, earned a number of Points during such season in Official Tournaments with a cut, that is equal to or greater than the number of Official Points earned by the Member who was in 40th place on the Points List at that time.
Priority is based on the number of Points earned in such tournaments. Ties will be broken by the earliest time at which the Non-Member earned the number of Points necessary to be included in the category. A Player must be eligible for and accept LPGA membership to be included in this category.
Nil
11. Nos. 81-100: Members finishing Nos. 81-100 (and ties) on the previous season-ending Points List.
Priority is based on the order of the list. Ties will be broken by the Members’ positions on the previous season-ending Money List.
- Pavarisa Yoktuan
- Hinako Shibuno
- Wichanee Meechai
- Katherine Kirk *
- Mel Reid
- Haeji Kang *
- Stacy Lewis
- Bailey Tardy
- Frida Kinhult
- Gina Kim
- Lindy Duncan
- Karis Davidson
- Arpichaya Yubol
- Jaravee Boonchant
- Wei-Ling Hsu
- Morgane Metraux
- Dani Holmqvist
* Medical
12. Career Top 40: Members in the top 40 on the Career Money List as of the end of the previous season.
Priority is based on the order of the list. To be included in this category (a) the Member must notify the LPGA that she wants to be included in the Career Top 40 Category by November 15th of the previous year, and (b) if a Member elects to be included in the Career Top 40 Category she will be in this category for one season, (c) a Member may be included in this category only one time in her career, (d) a Member may only be in the Career Top 40 Category or the Career Top 20 Category (but not both) in her career.
- In Kyung Kim
13. Current-Year Reshuffle: After the First Reshuffle Tournament, Members in categories 14 through 20 who have earned Points will be re-seeded into Category 13. Members placed into Category 13 will be ranked in the order of their position on the current season’s Points List through the First Reshuffle Tournament. Members will remain in this category until the next reshuffle. After the Second Reshuffle Tournament, Members in categories 13, and 14 through 20, who have earned Points will be re-seeded into Category 13. Members placed into Category 13 will be ranked in the order of their position on the current year’s Points List through the Second Reshuffle Tournament. Members will remain in this category for the remainder of the season.
For all reshuffles, ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the current season Priority List as of the Commitment Deadline for each respective reshuffle tournament.
Nil
14. Top-20 Q-School: Players finishing Nos. 1-20 (and ties) at the previous year’s LPGA Q-Series.
Ties will be broken in the following order: lowest final round; lowest 7th round; lowest 6th round; lowest 5th round; etc. until the tie is broken. If players remain tied, ties will be broken by a match of score cards beginning with the 18th hole of the final round and working backwards.
- Caroline Inglis *
- Robyn Choi
- Mao Saigo
- So Mi Lee
- Mina Harigae
- Gurleen Kaur
- Polly Mack
- Hyo Joon Jang
- Yu Jin Sung
- Yuri Yoshida
- Laetitia Beck
- Isi Gabsa *
- Savannah Grewal
- Yiyi Liu
- Xiaowen Yin
- Liqi Zeng
- Hira Naveed
- Lauren Hartlage
- Jing Yan
- Jennifer Song
- Sofia Garcia
- Yealimi Noh
- Lucy Li
- Jin Hee Im
* Medical
15. Nos. 21-45 Q-School: Players finishing Nos. 21-45 (and ties) at the previous year’s LPGA Q-Series.
Ties will be broken in the following order: lowest final round; lowest 7th round; lowest 6th round; lowest 5th round; etc. until the tie is broken. If players remain tied, ties will be broken by a match of score cards beginning with the 18th hole of the final round and working backwards.
- Malia Nam
- Nataliya Guseva
- Jeongeun Lee5
- Aline Krauter
- Kiira Riihijarvi
- Kelly Tan
- Alexandra Forsterling
- Ana Pelaez Trivino
- Kaitlyn Papp Budde
- Natthakritta Vongtaveelap *
- Benedetta Moresco
- Kaitlin Milligan
- Lauren Stephenson
- Ssu-Chia Cheng
- Weiwei Zhang
- Mariajo Uribe
- Alena Sharp
- Trichat Cheenglab
- Maddie Szeryk
- Laura Wearn
- Sandra Gal *
- Clariss Guce
- Sophia Schubert
- Cydney Clanton
- Becca Huffer
- Yue Ren
- Amy Olson **
- Gigi Stoll
- Annie Park
- Nicole Broch Estrup
- Jung Min Hong
* Medical ** Maternity
16. Nos. 101-125: Members finishing Nos. 101-125 (and ties) on the previous season-ending Points List.
Priority is based on the order of the list. Ties will be broken by the Members’ positions on the previous season-ending Money
- Amanda Doherty
- Pornanong Phatlum
- Emma Talley
- Muni He
- Soo Bin Joo
- Ruixin Liu
- Dewi Weber
- Marissa Steen
- Dottie Ardina
- Min Lee
17. Tournament Winners: Members who won an Official Tournament while a Member within the previous twentyone (21) seasons.
Priority is based on the number of wins. Ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the Career Money List as of the end of the previous season.
201. Annika Sorenstam 202. Karrie Webb 203. Beth Daniel 204. Juli Inkster 205. Lorena Ochoa 206. Se Ri Pak 207. Cristie Kerr 208. Meg Mallon 209. Suzann Pettersen 210. Rosie Jones 211. Liselotte Neumann 212. Na Yeon Choi 213. Ai Miyazato 214. Mi Hyun Kim 215. Sherri Steinhauer 216. Rachel Hetherington 217. Helen Alfredsson 218. So Yeon Ryu 219. Hee-Won Han 220. Pat Hurst 221. Grace Park 222. Michelle Wie West 223. Maria McBride 224. Catriona Matthew 225. Candie Kung 226. Wendy Ward 227. Seon Hwa Lee 228. Dorothy Delasin 229. Christina Kim 230. Wendy Doolan 231. Haru Nomura 232. Morgan Pressel 233. Brittany Lang 234. Jeong Jang 235. Sun Young Yoo 236. Karen Stupples 237. Jimin Kang 238. Patricia Meunier-Lebouc 239. Ji Young Oh 240. Heather Daly-Donofrio 241. Natalie Gulbis 242. Jee Young Lee 243. Mo Martin 244. Heather Bowie Young 245. Nicole Castrale 246. Leta Lindley 247. Moira Dunn-Bohls 248. Ilhee Lee 249. Kim Saiki-Maloney 250. Bronte Law 251. Marisa Baena 252. Lee-Anne Pace 253. Kris Tamulis 254. Silvia Cavalleri 255. Jennifer Johnson 256. Birdie Kim 257. Meaghan Francella 258. Eunjung Yi
18. Tournament Winners: Members who won an Official Tournament while a Member more than twenty-one (21) seasons prior.
Priority is based on the number of wins. Ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the Career Money List as of the end of the previous season.
259. Nancy Lopez 260. JoAnne Carner 261. Sandra Haynie 262. Patty Sheehan 263. Betsy King 264. Pat Bradley 265. Amy Alcott 266. Jane Blalock 267. Judy Rankin 268. Donna Caponi 269. Laura Davies 270. Sandra Palmer 271. Hollis Stacy 272. Dottie Pepper 273. Jan Stephenson 274. Sally Little 275. Jane Geddes 276. Susie Maxwell Berning 277. Clifford Ann Creed 278. Christa Johnson 279. Mary Mills 280. Alice Miller 281. Sandra Post 282. Tammie Green 283. Danielle Ammaccapane 284. Michelle McGann 285. Debbie Austin 286. Kathy Cornelius 287. Donna Andrews 288. Val Skinner 289. Jo Ann Prentice 290. Brandie Burton 291. Deb Richard 292. Barb Mucha 293. Lorie Kane 294. Cindy Rarick 295. Judy Dickinson 296. Penny Hammel 297. Kathy Postlewait 298. Mary Beth Zimmerman 299. Betty Burfeindt 300. Murle Breer 301. Sue Roberts 302. Emilee Klein 303. Nancy Scranton 304. Sherri Turner 305. Vicki Fergon 306. Martha Nause 307. Debbie Massey 308. Lauri Merten 309. Terry-Jo Myers 310. Donna White 311. Cathy Gerring 312. Pam Higgins 313. Gloria Ehret 314. Betsy Cullen 315. Laura Diaz 316. Janice Moodie 317. Michele Redman 318. Elaine Crosby 319. Dana Dormann 320. Gail Graham 321. Laurie Rinker 322. Jody Anschutz 323. Janet Coles 324. Anne Marie Palli 325. Jerilyn Britz 326. Kathy Guadagnino 327. Bonnie Lauer 328. Cindy Hill 329. Jan Ferraris 330. Tina Barrett 331. Kris Tschetter 332. Kelli Kuehne 333. Michelle Estill 334. Jane Crafter 335. Cindy Figg-Currier 336. Jenny Lidback 337. Becky Iverson 338. Charlotta Sorenstam 339. Cindy Schreyer 340. Kate Golden 341. Amy Fruhwirth 342. Missie McGeorge 343. Joan Pitcock 344. Marta Figueras-Dotti 345. Nanci Bowen 346. Allison Finney 347. Missie Berteotti 348. Cathy Johnston-Forbes 349. Kathryn Imrie 350. Mardi Lunn 351. Julie Piers 352. Barb Whitehead 353. Laurel Kean 354. Tracy Kerdyk 355. Cathy Morse 356. Lisa D’Amore 357. Carolyn Hill 358. Janet Anderson 359. Shirley Furlong 360. Lynn Adams 361. Becky Pearson 362. Dot Germain 363. Tina Fischer 364. Pat Meyers 365. Jennifer Wyatt 366. Susie McAllister 367. Patty Hayes 368. Tina Tombs 369. Lauren Howe 370. Sharon Barrett 371. Patty Jordan-Smith 372. Barbara Barrow 373. Bonnie Bryant 374. Brooke Pancake ** 375. Pam Barnett
** Maternity
19. Nos. 126-150: Members finishing Nos. 126-150 (and ties) on the previous season-ending Points List.
Priority is based on the order of the list. Ties will be broken by the Members’ positions on the previous season-ending Money List.
- Su Oh
- Pauline Roussin
- Rachel Rohanna **
- Jackie Stoelting **
- Yu-Sang Hou
- Caroline Hedwall
- Gabriella Then
- Jennifer Chang
** Maternity
The LPGA will have two Priority List reshuffles during the 2024 season. The first one is usually at the end of May, and the second one at the end of July. Players who start the season with a poor priority ranking and play well in the few opportunities that they get to tee it up will have the chance to be reshuffled into playing much more regularly.
Feature Photo: Gabriela Ruffels at the 2023 Carlisle Arizona Women’s Golf Classic – Photographer Ben Harpring. All photos in this article are by Ben.
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