Samsung World Championship
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The Samsung World Championship is an annual golf tournament, originating in 1980, for professional female golfers which takes place every October on the LPGA Tour. It is a limited player event, open by invitation only.
The tournament was founded in 1980 by Mark McCormack, founder of the sports management firm IMG, originally with the world’s top-12 LPGA players. The field was increased to 16 players in 1996 and to 20 in 1999. Electronics manufacturer Samsung became the title sponsor in 1995.
Tournament names through the years:
- 1980-1984: Chevrolet World Championship of Women's Golf
- 1985-1989: Nestle World Championship
- 1990: Trophee Urban-World Championship of Women's Golf
- 1991: Daikyo World Championship of Women's Golf
- 1992: no tournament
- 1993-1994: World Championship of Women's Golf
- 1995-1999: Samsung World Championship of Women's Golf
- 2000-present: Samsung World Championship
The 72-hole event is currently played on the par-72, 7.083 yard Canyons Course at the BIGHORN Golf Club in Palm Desert, California, but has been played on courses around the world.
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[edit] 2007 participants
The 2007 championship included 20 players: the winners of the four 2007 women's major golf championships: the Kraft Nabisco Championship, McDonald's LPGA Championship, U.S. Women's Open, and Women's British Open; the previous year's defending champion; the 2006 Vare Trophy winner; the 2006 LPGA money winner; the leading player from the Ladies European Tour in 2007; one sponsor's exemption selected by the championship selection committee; and the top money winners on the LPGA Tour from the 2007 season.
The 2007 participants listed in order of qualification or invitation, were:[1]
- Lorena Ochoa - Defending Champion and 2006 Vare Trophy Winner and 2006 LPGA Money Winner and Winner of 2007 Women's British Open
- Morgan Pressel - Winner of 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship
- Michelle Wie - Sponsor's Exemption
- Suzann Pettersen - Winner of 2007 LPGA Championship
- Cristie Kerr - Winner of 2007 U.S. Women's Open
- Bettina Hauert - 2007 Ladies European Tour Order of Merit Leader
- Paula Creamer - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Mi Hyun Kim - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Seon Hwa Lee - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Jee Young Lee - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Angela Park - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Brittany Lincicome - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Jeong Jang - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Nicole Castrale - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Stacy Prammanasudh - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Ai Miyazato - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Maria Hjorth - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Se Ri Pak - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Angela Stanford - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Sarah Lee - Qualified from LPGA Money List
Players who qualified from the LPGA Money List are listed in the order in which they qualified: top money earner to lowest.
The tournament was most recently held from October 11 through October 14, 2007.
[edit] 2008 participants
Assuming that the same invitation criteria apply for 2008 as in 2007, the only qualifier to date is:
- Lorena Ochoa - defending champion, 2007 Vare Trophy winner, 2007 LPGA money leader, winner of 2008 Kraft Nabisco Championship
[edit] Winners
| Year | Champion | Country | Score | Tournament Location |
Purse | Winner's Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Lorena Ochoa |  Mexico |
270 | BIGHORN Golf Club, CANYONS Course | $1,000,000 | $250,000 |
| 2006 | Lorena Ochoa | Mexico |
272 | BIGHORN Golf Club, CANYONS Course | $875,000 | $218,750 |
| 2005 | Annika Sörenstam |  Sweden |
270 | BIGHORN Golf Club, CANYONS Course | $850,000 | $212,500 |
| 2004 | Annika Sörenstam | Sweden |
270 | BIGHORN Golf Club, CANYONS Course | $825,000 | $206,250 |
| 2003 | Sophie Gustafson | Sweden |
274 | The Players Club at the Woodlands | $800,000 | $200,000 |
| 2002 | Annika Sörenstam | Sweden |
266 | Hiddenbrooke Golf Club | $775,000 | $162,000 |
| 2001 | Dorothy Delasin |  United States |
277 | Hiddenbrooke Golf Club | $750,000 | $157,000 |
| 2000 | Juli Inkster | United States |
274 | Hiddenbrooke Golf Club | $725,000 | $152,000 |
| 1999 | Se Ri Pak |  South Korea |
280 | Rush Creek Golf Club | $700,000 | $150,000 |
| 1998 | Juli Inkster | United States |
275 | Villages in Lady Lake | $550,000 | $137,000 |
| 1997 | Juli Inkster | United States |
280 | Lakeside Country Club | $525,000 | $131,000 |
| 1996 | Annika Sörenstam | Sweden |
274 | Ildong Lakes Golf Club | $500,000 | $125,000 |
| 1995 | Annika Sörenstam | Sweden |
282 | Paradise Golf Club | $475,000 | $117,500 |
| 1994 | Beth Daniel | United States |
274 | Naples National Golf Club | $425,000 | $105,000 |
| 1993 | Dottie Mochrie | United States |
283 | Naples National Golf Club | $400,000 | $102,500 |
| 1992 | Did not play | |||||
| 1991 | Meg Mallon | United States |
216 | Paradise Palms Golf Club | $325,000 | $100,000 |
| 1990 | Cathy Gerring | United States |
278 | Cely Golf Club | $325,000 | $100,000 |
| 1989 | Betsy King | United States |
275 | Stouffer Pineisle Resort | $265,000 | $83,500 |
| 1988 | Rosie Jones | United States |
270 | Stouffer Pineisle Resort | $265,000 | $81,500 |
| 1987 | Ayako Okamoto |  Japan |
282 | Stouffer Pineisle Resort | $250,000 | $81,500 |
| 1986 | Pat Bradley | United States |
279 | Stouffer Pineisle Resort | $240,000 | $78,000 |
| 1985 | Amy Alcott | United States |
274 | Stouffer Pineisle Resort | $200,000 | $65,000 |
| 1984 | Nancy Lopez | United States |
281 | Shaker Heights Country Club | $200,000 | $65,000 |
| 1983 | JoAnne Carner | United States |
282 | Shaker Heights Country Club | $200,000 | $65,000 |
| 1982 | JoAnne Carner | United States |
284 | Shaker Heights Country Club | $150,000 | $50,000 |
| 1981 | Beth Daniel | United States |
284 | Shaker Heights Country Club | $150,000 | $50,000 |
| 1980 | Beth Daniel | United States |
280 | The Country Club | $150,000 | $46,500 |
[edit] Tournament record
| Year | Player | Score | Round | Course |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Grace Park | 62 (-10) | 1st round | BIGHORN Golf Club, Canyons Course |
