The Japan LPGA Tour is a professional golf tour for women organised by the Ladies Professional Golfers' Association of Japan. It is the second richest women's golf tour in the world. The U.S.-based LPGA Tour is the most important women's tour, but the prize money gap has closed markedly since the American tour's total prize fund peaked at just over $60 million in 2008. While the Japan Tour is the second-most lucrative women's tour, two other non-U.S. tours, the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA of Korea Tour, rival the Japan Tour in level of competition.
The 2007 schedule had 37 official events and total prize money of almost US$26 million.[1] The 2008 schedule featured 38 events, and prize money of approximately US$28 million. [2] The Japan LPGA was less affected by the ongoing global economic downturn than its U.S. counterpart. While the U.S. LPGA has only 24 events for 2010, down from 34 as recently as 2008, the Japan LPGA had 34 events, with total prize money of about US$32 million. The 2011 schedule includes 34 official events worth roughly US$36 million.
Contents |
The number in parentheses after winners' names show the player's total number wins in official money individual events on the LPGA of Japan Tour, including that event.
| Dates | Tournament | Location | Prize Fund (¥) | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 2-4 | Daikin Orchid Ladies | Okinawa | 80,000,000 | |
| Mar 9-11 | Yokohama Tire PRGR Ladies Cup | Kochi | 80,000,000 | |
| Mar 16-18 | T-Point Ladies | Kagoshima | 70,000,000 | |
| Mar 30 - Apr 1 | Yamaha Ladies Open | Shizuoka | 100,000,000 | |
| Apr 6-8 | Studio Alice Ladies Open | Hyogo | 60,000,000 | |
| Apr 13-15 | Nishijin Ladies Classic | Kumamoto | 70,000,000 | |
| Apr 20-22 | Fujisankei Ladies Classic | Shizuoka | 80,000,000 | |
| Apr 27-29 | Cyber Agent Ladies | Chiba | 70,000,000 | |
| May 3-6 | World Ladies Championship Salonpas Cup | Ibaraki | 120,000,000 | |
| May 11-13 | Fundokin Ladies | Fukuoka | 80,000,000 | |
| May 18-20 | Chukyo TV Bridgestone Ladies Open | Aichi | 70,000,000 | |
| May 25-27 | Yonex Ladies | Niigata | 60,000,000 | |
| Jun 1-3 | Resort Trust Ladies | Nagano | 70,000,000 | |
| Jun 7-10 | Suntory Ladies Open | Hyogo | 100,000,000 | |
| Jun 15-17 | Nichirei Ladies | Chiba | 80,000,000 | |
| Jun 22-24 | Earth Mondahmin Cup | Chiba | 100,000,000 | |
| Jun 29 - Jul 1 | Nichi-Iko Ladies Open | Toyama | 60,000,000 | |
| Jul 13-15 | Stanley Ladies | Shizuoka | 90,000,000 | |
| Jul 20-22 | Samantha Thavasa Girls Collection Ladies | Ibaraki | 60,000,000 | |
| Aug 3-5 | Meiji Cup | Hokkaido | 90,000,000 | |
| Aug 10-12 | NEC Karuizawa 72 | Nagano | 70,000,000 | |
| Aug 17-19 | CAT Ladies | Kanagawa | 60,000,000 | |
| Aug 24-26 | Nitori Ladies | Hokkaido | 100,000,000 | |
| Aug 31 - Sep 2 | Golf 5 Ladies | Gifu | 60,000,000 | |
| Sep 6-9 | Japan LPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup | Shiga | 140,000,000 | |
| Sep 14-16 | Munsingwear Ladies Tokai Classic | Aichi | 80,000,000 | |
| Sep 21-23 | Miyagi TV Cup Dunlop Ladies Open | Miyagi | 70,000,000 | |
| Sep 27-30 | Japan Women's Open Golf Championship | Kanagawa | 140,000,000 | |
| Oct 12-14 | Fujitsu Ladies | Chiba | 80,000,000 | |
| Oct 19-21 | Masters GC Ladies | Hyogo | 123,000,000 | |
| Oct 26-28 | Hisako Higuchi – Morinaga Weider Ladies | Chiba | 70,000,000 | |
| Nov 2-4 | Mizuno Classic | Mie | $1,200,000 | |
| Nov 9-11 | Ito En Ladies | Chiba | 90,000,000 | |
| Nov 16-18 | Daio Paper Elleair Ladies Open | Ehime | 100,000,000 | |
| Nov 22-25 | Japan LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup | Miyazaki | 100,000,000 |
Events in bold are majors.
Mizuno Classic is co-sanctioned with LPGA.
| Year | Player | Earnings (¥) |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Ahn Sun-ju | 127,926,893 |
| 2010 | Ahn Sun-ju | 145,073,799 |
| 2009 | Sakura Yokomine | 175,016,384 |
| 2008 | Miho Koga | 120,854,137 |
| 2007 | Momoko Ueda | 166,112,232 |
| 2006 | Shiho Oyama | 166,290,957 |
| 2005 | Yuri Fudoh | 122,460,908 |
| 2004 | Yuri Fudoh | 142,774,000 |
| 2003 | Yuri Fudoh | 149,325,679 |
| 2002 | Yuri Fudoh | 95,690,917 |
| 2001 | Yuri Fudoh | 89,248,793 |
| 2000 | Yuri Fudoh | 120,443,924 |
| 1999 | Fumiko Muraguchi | 66,891,682 |
| 1998 | Michiko Hattori | 81,570,823 |
| 1997 | Akiko Fukushima | 99,594,094 |
| 1996 | Akiko Fukushima | 70,596,190 |
| 1995 | Ikuyo Shiotani | 75,006,561 |
| 1994 | Mayumi Hirase | 69,817,958 |
| 1993 | Mayumi Hirase | 81,474,399 |
| 1992 | Ikuyo Shiotani | 57,799,649 |
| 1991 | Ai-Yu Tu | 70,403,481 |
| 1990 | Hiromi Takamura | 62,576,087 |
| 1989 | Ai-Yu Tu | 90,075,587 |
| 1988 | Nayoko Yoshikawa | 61,462,665 |
| 1987 | Tatsuko Ohsako | 56,763,481 |
| 1986 | Ai-Yu Tu | 62,435,225 |
| 1985 | Ai-Yu Tu | 65,634,788 |
| 1984 | Ai-Yu Tu | 52,897,845 |
| 1983 | Ai-Yu Tu | 45,764,313 |
| 1982 | Ai-Yu Tu | 39,029,644 |
| 1981 | Ayako Okamoto | 32,333,465 |
| 1980 | Tatsuko Ohsako | 23,594,744 |
| 1979 | Hisako Higuchi | 18,399,345 |
| 1978 | Hisako Higuchi | 11,664,650 |
| 1977 | Tatsuko Ohsako | 14,481,500 |
| 1976 | Hisako Higuchi | 14,667,000 |
| 1975 | Hisako Higuchi | 8,428,233 |
| 1974 | Hisako Higuchi | 15,545,700 |
| 1973 | Hisako Higuchi | 12,627,000 |
| 1972 | Hisako Higuchi | 4,150,000 |
| 1971 | Hisako Higuchi | 2,290,000 |
| 1970 | Hisako Higuchi | 1,215,000 |
| 1969 | Hisako Higuchi | 500,000 |
| 1968 | Hisako Higuchi | 350,000 |
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