01여자 골프의 성장을 증명한 500만 달러 이정표
미국여자프로골프(LPGA) 투어 선수들이 상금 500만 달러 달성이라는 역사적인 이정표를 세우며 이를 공식 축하하는 자리를 가졌다.
최근 LPGA 투어는 대회 규모 확대와 파트너십 강화를 통해 상금 규모를 대폭 늘려왔으며, 이번 500만 달러 달성은 투어 내 선수들의 처우 개선과 위상 향상을 보여주는 대표적인 성과로 평가받는다.
이날 기념 자리에서 선수들과 관계자들은 상금 규모의 성장이 여자 골프 저변 확대에 기여하고 있음을 확인하고, 앞으로도 LPGA 투어가 세계 최고 수준의 경쟁력을 지속해 나갈 것을 다짐했다.
02Original (English) — LPGA
Marie Lipski is the Integrated Content Manager for the LPGA Foundation and an avid golf fan. Prior to the LPGA, Marie worked for the Southern Texas PGA Section.
Supporting the Next Generation of Girls Golf
Over the last three decades, LPGA Tour players have made a choice that connects their own careers to the next generation: donating the Pro-Am winner’s earning at each Tour event to the LPGA Foundation in support of LPGA*USGA Girls Golf and other causes. During the 2026 Maybank Championship, those contributions reached $5 million, a milestone built one tournament, one season and one player vote at a time.
The $5 million total spans three decades of player decisions, rather than a single fundraising occasion. Each season’s vote links the current Tour membership to a commitment carried forward by the players before them.
The commitment is renewed each year. The LPGA Player President has led a vote at the annual year-end player meeting, when players agree on the amount from each tournament Pro-Am that will go to the LPGA Foundation and other causes the following season. That annual decision carries forward a tradition of giving that dates back to the 1990s.
LPGA Tour players came together in 1991, donating their Pro-Am purse to help support fellow tour player, Heather Farr, and her journey through battling breast cancer. In 1994, the LPGA established the Heather Farr Perseverance Award, celebrating her life and recognizing Tour players who demonstrate that determination and spirit she represented. This tradition continued following her passing due to the players’ belief in a mission that gave back and supported changing the face of golf.
“For three decades, LPGA players have embraced giving back without hesitation, contributing $5 million to the LPGA Foundation,” says Vicki Goetze-Ackerman, LPGA Player President. “Behind that milestone are countless lives touched, opportunities created and dreams supported. Giving back was never a question, it has always been part of who we are. I’m proud of the generosity of our players and the lasting difference we continue to make together.”
A single LPGA Tour Pro-Am generates around $10,000 in earnings for this tradition of giving. Across a season, those contributions reach nearly $300,000. Repeated year after year, they have helped support LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. The program’s growth sits within a broader story of the LPGA Foundation’s fundraising and work with girls:
In 2023, LPGA*USGA Girls Golf reached one million members. Today, its network includes more than 680 sites globally and engages 180,000 girls annually. Its next goal is to reach another million by 2030, extending that story of participation to a new generation.
In 2025, the LPGA celebrated 75 years, ending the anniversary with the 75th Pro-Am at Pebble Beach, serving as the largest philanthropic fundraiser in the history of the organization and women’s sports. The Pro-Am alone raised a record-breaking $4.1 million for the LPGA Foundation.
The LPGA Foundation’s work also extends beyond participation in golf. The LPGA Leadership Academy aims to empower young girls during pivotal stages of their lives. In 2025, the program marked a decade of that work, having impacted more than 1,600 girls.
The milestone connects two generations of the game: the players choosing to give today and the girls those contributions are intended to support. The total measures the dollars donated; the program’s reach helps explain why that giving matters.
“It has been a privilege to witness the incredible global transformation of the Girls Golf program, made possible by the unwavering support of our LPGA players,” says Sheryl Wilkerson, LPGA Foundation Board Chair. “Thanks to over three decades of player contributions and the support of our teaching professionals, partners and donors, our work has extended well beyond the fairway; we deliver vital mentorship, life skills, and scholarships to young women who need them most. Galvanized by this incredible milestone, the Board looks forward to continuing to work with the LPGA Foundation leadership in the responsible stewardship of these resources as we aim to welcome ‘One Million MORE Girls’ to the sport by 2030.”
The percentage of girls in golf is greater than ever, and without these players contributions, opportunities the LPGA Foundation has created for the next generation of golfers would not have been possible.
“Five million dollars is an incredible milestone, but the real impact is in the opportunities those dollars have helped create for girls over the years,” says Liz Cooper, Executive Director of LPGA Foundation & LPGA Professionals. “What makes it especially powerful is that it comes from LPGA Tour players choosing, year after year, to give back and help grow the next generation. That commitment speaks volumes about who our players are and the legacy they continue to build through the LPGA Foundation.”
Reaching $5 million marks a chapter in the players’ giving, not the end of the story. The annual vote looks ahead to the following season, carrying the commitment to the next tournament and the next generation.
The players’ tradition of giving also offers an invitation to fans. You can make a
to support this mission or participate in campaigns like
, where supporters can contribute to that work while experiencing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, like playing the iconic Bethpage Black and Sea Island Resort. The opportunity to make a difference extends beyond the athletes competing on Tour, with every gift helping advance the LPGA Foundation’s mission.
To learn more about how you can help the next generation of golfers, visit