I have been asked many times how the LPGA constructs their field lists for tournaments. The Priority List is created by the LPGA to fill the required number 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 unlikely to get into the 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.
- Lydia Ko
- Atthaya Thitikul
- Brooke M. Henderson
- Minjee Lee
- Hye-Jin Choi
- Jennifer Kupcho
- Lexi Thompson
- Xiyu Lin
- In Gee Chun
- Leona Maguire
- Celine Boutier
- Hyo Joo Kim
- Nasa Hataoka
- Danielle Kang
- Andrea Lee
- Nelly Korda
- Ayaka Furue
- Hannah Green
- Jin Young Ko
- Lilia Vu
- Charley Hull
- Jodi Ewart Shadoff
- Madelene Sagstrom
- Megan Khang
- Gaby Lopez
- Georgia Hall
- 27. Ashleigh Buhai
- Yuka Saso
- Nanna Koerstz Madsen
- Marina Alex
- Paula Reto
- Allisen Corpuz
- Austin Ernst *
- Jessica Korda
- Gemma Dryburgh
- Lizette Salas
- Hinako Shibuno
- Sei Young Kim
- Narin An
- A Lim Kim
- Ally Ewing
- Eun-Hee Ji
- Carlota Ciganda
- Cheyenne Knight
- Jeongeun Lee6
- Sarah Schmelzel
- Elizabeth Szokol *
- Chella Choi
- Ryann O’Toole
- Anna Nordqvist
- Alison Lee
- Pajaree Anannarukarn
- Mina Harigae
- Maja Stark
- Moriya Jutanugarn
- Amy Yang
- Sophia Popov *
- Inbee Park
- Linn Grant
- Matilda Castren
- Caroline Masson
- Sophia Schubert
- Stacy Lewis
- Patty Tavatanakit
- Pornanong Phatlum
- Perrine Delacour *
- Ariya Jutanugarn
- Jenny Shin
- Maria Fassi
- Daniela Darquea
- Mel Reid *
- Kelly Tan
- Albane Valenzuela
- Pauline Roussin
- Wichanee Meechai
- Brittany Altomare
- Lindsey Weaver-Wright
- Lauren Stephenson
- Jaye Marie Green *
- Frida Kinhult
- Jane Park ***
- Stephanie Kyriacou
- Maude-Aimee Leblanc
- Brittany Lincicome **
- Angel Yin
- Ayako Uehara *
- Lauren Coughlin
- Yealimi Noh
- Emily Kristine Pedersen
- Yani Tseng *
* Medical ** Maternity *** Family Leave
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.
- Cristie Kerr
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 2017 will be eligible for this category through 2023, (2) whose most recent Major win was in 2018 will be eligible for this category through 2024, and (3) whose most recent Major win was in 2019 will be eligible for this category through 2025.)
- Sung Hyun Park
- So Yeon Ryu
- Angela Stanford
- Michelle Wie West **
- Mi Jung Hur **
- Hee Young Park *
- In Kyung Kim
- Mirim Lee
- Pernilla Lindberg
* Medical ** 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
Priority is based on the number of Official Tournament wins during the previous two (2) seasons. Ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the Career Money List as of the end of the previous season.
- Wei-Ling Hsu
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. (Note: Pursuant to the 2021 COVID-19 Regulations Addendum, Members whose most recent year with two wins was in 2019 will be eligible for this category through 2023.)
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.)
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 LPGA membership to be included in this category. (Note: A Non-Member who wins a Major Championship in 2021 and after will be included in this category for the remainder of the season in which she wins and for five consecutive seasons thereafter.)
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
Priority is based on the order of the list. Ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the current season Priority List as of the Commitment Deadline for each respective reshuffle tournament.
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.
- Linnea Strom
- Xiaowen Yin
- Lucy Li
- Julieta Granada **
- Kiira Riihijarvi
- Grace Kim
- Celine Borge
- Gabriella Then
- Gina Kim
- Yan Liu
- Hyo Joon Jang
** Maternity
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 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.
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.
- Stephanie Meadow
- Emma Talley
- Ruoning Yin
- Morgane Metraux
- Mariajo Uribe **
- Jasmine Suwannapura
- Marissa Steen *
- Paula Creamer **
- Katherine Kirk *
- Haeji Kang
- Esther Henseleit
- Annie Park
- Amanda Doherty
- Peiyun Chien
- Azahara Munoz **
- Bronte Law
- Jennifer Chang
- Candie Kung *
- Yu Liu
- Sarah Kemp
- Ruixin Liu
- Aditi Ashok
- Caroline Inglis
* Medical ** Maternity
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
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.
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.
- Hae Ran Ryu
- Bailey Tardy
- Valery Plata
- Aline Krauter
- Minami Katsu
- Samantha Wagner
- Chanettee Wannasaen
- Linnea Johansson
- Kum-Kang Park
- Lauren Hartlage
- Isi Gabsa
- Luna Sobron Galmes
- Yu-Sang Hou
- Ines Laklalech
- Dana Finkelstein
- Polly Mack
- Jennifer Song
- Ellinor Sudow
- Maddie Szeryk
- Riley Rennell
15. Nos. 21-45 Q-School: Players finishing Nos. 21-45 (and ties) at the previous year’s LPGA Q-Series
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.
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
List.
- Gerina Mendoza
- Jeongeun Lee5
- Amy Olson
- Muni He
- Allison Emrey
- Alena Sharp
- Mi Hyang Lee
- Yaeeun Hong
- Brittany Lang
- Bianca Pagdanganan
- Tiffany Chan
- Esther Lee *
* Medical ** Maternity
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.
195. Annika Sorenstam 196. Karrie Webb 197. Beth Daniel 198. Juli Inkster 199. Lorena Ochoa 200. Se Ri Pak 201. Meg Mallon 202. Suzann Pettersen 203. Rosie Jones 204. Liselotte Neumann 205. Shanshan Feng 206. Na Yeon Choi 207. Ai Miyazato 208. Mi Hyun Kim 209. Sherri Steinhauer 210. Rachel Hetherington 211. Helen Alfredsson 212. Hee-Won Han 213. Pat Hurst 214. Grace Park 215. Maria McBride 216. Catriona Matthew 217. Lorie Kane 218. Wendy Ward 219. Seon Hwa Lee 220. Dorothy Delasin 221. Christina Kim 222. Beatriz Recari 223. Emilee Klein 224. Wendy Doolan 225. Haru Nomura 226. Morgan Pressel 227. Jeong Jang 228. Laura Diaz 229. Sun Young Yoo 230. Karen Stupples 231. Janice Moodie 232. Jimin Kang 233. Patricia Meunier-Lebouc 234. Ji Young Oh 235. Heather Daly-Donofrio 236. Natalie Gulbis 237. Jee Young Lee 238. Mo Martin 239. Heather Bowie Young 240. Leta Lindley 241. Nicole Castrale 242. Moira Dunn-Bohls 243. Ilhee Lee 244. Kim Saiki-Maloney 245. Marisa Baena 246. Kris Tamulis 247. Lee-Anne Pace 248. Silvia Cavalleri 249. Cydney Clanton 250. Jennifer Johnson 251. Birdie Kim 252. Meaghan Francella 253. Eunjung Yi
18. Tournament Winners: Members who won an Official Tournament while a Member more than twenty-one (21) seasons prior
Ties are broken by the Members’ positions on the Career Money List as of the end of the previous season.
254. Betsy Rawls 255. Nancy Lopez 256. JoAnne Carner 257. Sandra Haynie 258. Patty Sheehan 259. Betsy King 260. Pat Bradley 261. Amy Alcott 262. Jane Blalock 263. Judy Rankin 264. Marlene Hagge 265. Donna Caponi 266. Laura Davies 267. Sandra Palmer 268. Hollis Stacy 269. Dottie Pepper 270. Ayako Okamoto 271. Jan Stephenson 272. Sally Little 273. Jane Geddes 274. Susie Maxwell Berning 275. Clifford Ann Creed 276. Shirley Englehorn 277. Christa Johnson 278. Mary Mills 279. Alice Miller 280. Sandra Post 281. Tammie Green 282. Danielle Ammaccapane 283. Michelle McGann 284. Debbie Austin 285. Kathy Cornelius 286. Donna Andrews 287. Val Skinner 288. Jo Ann Prentice 289. Brandie Burton 290. Deb Richard 291. Barb Mucha 292. Cindy Rarick 293. Judy Dickinson 294. Penny Hammel 295. Kathy Postlewait 296. Mary Beth Zimmerman 297. Betty Burfeindt 298. Murle Breer 299. Sue Roberts 300. Nancy Scranton 301. Sherri Turner 302. Vicki Fergon 303. Martha Nause 304. Debbie Massey 305. Lauri Merten 306. Terry-Jo Myers 307. Donna White 308. Cathy Gerring 309. Pam Higgins 310. Gloria Ehret 311. Betsy Cullen 312. Michele Redman 313. Elaine Crosby 314. Dana Dormann 315. Gail Graham 316. Laurie Rinker 317. Jody Anschutz 318. Janet Coles 319. Anne Marie Palli 320. Jerilyn Britz 321. Kathy Guadagnino 322. Penny Pulz 323. Bonnie Lauer 324. Cindy Hill 325. Jan Ferraris 326. Tina Barrett 327. Kris Tschetter 328. Kelli Kuehne 329. Michelle Estill 330. Jane Crafter 331. Cindy Figg-Currier 332. Jenny Lidback 333. Becky Iverson 334. Charlotta Sorenstam 335. Cindy Schreyer 336. Kate Golden 337. Amy Fruhwirth 338. Missie McGeorge 339. Joan Pitcock 340. Marta Figueras-Dotti 341. Nanci Bowen 342. Allison Finney 343. Missie Berteotti 344. Cathy Johnston-Forbes 345. Kathryn Imrie 346. Mardi Lunn 347. Julie Piers 348. Barb Whitehead 349. Laurel Kean 350. Tracy Kerdyk 351. Cathy Morse 352. Lisa D’Amore 353. Carolyn Hill 354. Janet Anderson 355. Shirley Furlong 356. Lynn Adams 357. Becky Pearson 358. Dot Germain 359. Tina Fischer 360. Anne-Catherine Tanguay ** 361. Pat Meyers 362. Jennifer Wyatt 363. Susie McAllister 364. Patty Hayes 365. Tina Tombs 366. Lauren Howe 367. Sharon Barrett 368. Patty Jordan-Smith 369. Kathy Hite-James 370. Barbara Barrow 371. Bonnie Bryant 372. Pam Barnett
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.
- Haylee Harford
- Sanna Nuutinen
- Brooke Pancake *
- Alana Uriell
- Janie Jackson
- Rachel Rohanna
- Olivia Cowan
- Jackie Stoelting **
- Brianna Do
- Agathe Laisne
- Anne van Dam
* Medical ** Maternity
The LPGA will have two Priority List reshuffles during the 2023 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: Lydia Ko at the 2019 Hana Financial Group Championship – Photographer Ben Harpring
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