LPGA Hall of Fame Points (Criteria for Election)

The LPGA Tour maintains its own Hall of Fame, separate from the World Golf Hall of Fame. Most golfers in the LPGA Hall of Fame are also in the World Hall, and vice-versa — but not all.

That's because the LPGA Hall of Fame uses points to elect its members. Based on the LPGA points system, golfers accrue points over the course of their careers. Those who earn enough points — the threshold is 27 points — are LPGA Hall of Famers.

The World Golf Hall of Fame, up until 2014, abided by the LPGA points system. But it stopped that year, and now elects women golfers solely through a voting process. That means the World Golf Hall of Fame can, and has, elected LPGA golfers who are not (or not yet, anyway) in the LPGA's own Hall of Fame.

Follow all that? Good. Now about that LPGA Hall of Fame points system ...

How the LPGA Hall of Fame Points System Works

To join the LPGA Hall of Fame, the LPGA Tour requires that a golfer must have won at least one major championship, Vare Trophy (for low season scoring average) or Player of the Year Award. (Not one of each, just one from among those three achievements.) A previous requirement that a golfer must have LPGA Tour membership for a minimum of 10 years was dropped in 2022.

And the golfer must have accumulated 27 points, based on these criteria:

When a golfer reaches 27 points based on the criteria above, she becomes an LPGA Hall of Famer.

The Honorary Category Also Exists

Is there any way for a golfer who does not reach 27 points to get into the LPGA Hall? The answer to that question used to be no. But the LPGA Hall of Fame Committee now can induct individuals who did not reach 27 points through the Honorary Category. The option has been used in only two years, for two special cases, so far. In 1994, entertainer Dinah Shore, an early and prominent booster of the LPGA Tour who, for many years, was the host and namesake of the tour's first major, was inducted through the Honorary Category.

And in 2022, the eight women who, in 1950, were part of the group of 13 LPGA co-founders, but who were not yet in the Hall, were granted membership through the Honorary Category.

In 1999, the LPGA created a Veterans Category for the express purpose of inducting Judy Rankin, Donna Caponi and Marlene Bauer Hagge. That year, the LPGA Hall of Fame reduced its previous point threshold of 35 to the current 27. Rankin, Caponi and Bauer had not met the 35-point threshold, but did have at least 27 points each. However, the Veterans Category option was discontinued thereafter and no longer exists.

It's not easy getting into the LPGA Hall of Fame. Here is the full list of LPGA Hall of Fame members.

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