15 top female golfers: An ode to the veterans and rising stars of the green
Golf has long been a male-dominated sport, but female golfers have made an undeniable impact, shaping the sport with their skill and resilience. Legends like Annika Sörenstam set the standard, while stars like Nelly Korda and Rose Zhang continue to push the sport forward. From seasoned veterans to rising stars, these top female golfers are making history on the green.
Source: Getty Images
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Key takeaways
- The blend of veterans and rising stars keeps women's golf exciting and highly competitive.
- Veterans like Annika Sörenstam and Kathy Whitworth set records that remain unmatched today.
- Rising stars like Rose Zhang and Atthaya Thitikul are shaping the future of women's golf.
Top female golfers
When compiling this list of top female golfers, we considered the player's statistical performance such as major wins, LPGA victories, World No. 1 rankings as key criteria. We also considered longevity in the sport.
| Golfer | Year turned pro | Professional wins | LPGA Tour wins |
| Kathy Whitworth | 1958 | 98 | 88 |
| Mickey Wright | 1954 | 90 | 82 |
| Annika Sörenstam | 1992 | 94 | 72 |
| Patty Berg | 1940 | 63 | 60 |
| Karrie Webb | 1994 | 57 | 41 |
| Babe Didrikson Zaharias | 1947 | 48 | 41 |
| Nancy Lopez | 1977 | 48 | 48 |
| Lorena Ochoa | 2002 | 30 | 27 |
| Inbee Park | 2007 | 33 | 21 |
| Betsy King | 1977 | 34 | 34 |
| Lydia Ko | 2013 | 26 | 20 |
| Nelly Korda | 2016 | 12 | 9 |
| Ayaka Furue | 2019 | 9 | 2 |
| Atthaya Thitikul | 2020 | 5 | 2 |
| Rose Zhang | 2023 | 2 | 1 |
Veterans female golfers
These legendary golfers have built remarkable careers, winning multiple tournaments and inspiring future generations with their talent, dedication, and perseverance.
1. Kathy Whitworth
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- Full name: Kathrynne Ann Whitworth
- Date of birth: 27 September 1939
- Date of death: 24 December 2022
- Age at the time of death: 83
- Place of birth: Monahans, Texas, United States
Kathy Whitworth was one of the greatest female golfers of all time. She won 88 LPGA Tour tournaments, more than anyone else on the LPGA or PGA Tours. She was named LPGA Player of the Year seven times.
Whitworth was also a runner-up 93 times, giving her 181 top-two finishes. In 1981, she became the first woman to reach career earnings of $1 million on the LPGA Tour. Kathy is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
2. Mickey Wright
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- Full name: Mary Kathryn "Mickey" Wright
- Date of birth: 14 February 1935
- Date of death: 17 February 2020
- Age at the time of death: 85
- Place of birth: San Diego, California, United States
Mickey Wright played golf on the LPGA Tour. She became a member of the tour in 1955 and won 82 LPGA Tour career events including 13 major championships. Mickey was known for having one of the best swings in golf.
Wright dominated the sport in the 1950s and 1960s, spending years as the world’s top player. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame and is remembered as a true legend of women's golf.
3. Annika Sörenstam
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- Full name: Annika Charlotta Sörenstam
- Date of birth: 9 October 1970
- Age: 54 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Bro, Stockholm County, Sweden
Annika Sörenstam is regarded as one of the best female Golfers in history. Throughout her career, she has won 94 international professional tournaments, making her the female golfer with the most wins. She has also won 72 official LPGA tournaments, including ten majors and 24 other international tournaments.
Annika won eight Player of the Year awards and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2003, she also made history as the first woman in 58 years to compete in a PGA Tour event. Annika retired in 2008 and has since been one of the most influential people in the sport through coaching, course design, and advocacy for women's golf.
4. Patty Berg
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- Full name: Patricia Jane Berg
- Date of birth: 13 February 1918
- Date of death: 10 September 2006
- Age at the time of death: 88
- Place of birth: Fort Myers, Florida, United States
Patty Berg was an American professional golfer who won more than 80 tournaments, including a record 15 major women’s championships, the most in women's golf history. She was the first president of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA).
Patty was the inaugural winner of the U.S. Women's Open in 1946 and amassed 60 professional victories throughout her career. She passed away on 10 September 2006 and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
5. Karrie Webb
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- Full name: Karrie Anne Webb
- Date of birth: 21 December 1974
- Age: 50 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Ayr, Australia
Karrie Webb is one of the most accomplished female golfers in history, with 57 professional wins, including 41 LPGA Tour victories and 7 major championships. She began her professional golfing career in 1994 playing on the Ladies European Tour.
Currently, she plays mainly on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and also turns out once or twice a year on the ALPG Tour Tour in Australia. Karrie was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2022 as an Athlete Member for her contribution to the sport of golf.
6. Babe Didrikson Zaharias
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- Full name: Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias
- Date of birth: 26 June 1911
- Date of death: 27 September 1956
- Age at the time of death: 45
- Place of birth: Port Arthur, Texas, United States
Babe Didrikson Zaharias was a popular athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball, and track and field. She turned professional in 1947 and won 48 professional tournaments, including 41 LPGA Tour victories and 10 major championships.
Before her golf career, she was an Olympic track and field star, winning two gold medals at the 1932 Olympics. As a co-founder of the LPGA in 1950, she played a key role in shaping women's golf.
7. Nancy Lopez
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- Full name: Nancy Marie Lopez
- Date of birth: 6 January 1957
- Age: 68 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Torrance, California, United States
Nancy Lopez is one of the most popular and successful golf players. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1977 and won 48 LPGA Tour events, including three major championships.
Known for her warm personality and strong competitive spirit, Lopez helped grow women's golf and inspired many young players. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1987.
8. Lorena Ochoa
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- Full name: Lorena Ochoa Reyes
- Date of birth: 15 November 1981
- Age: 43 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Guadalajara, Mexico
The professional Mexican former professional golfer played on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour from 2003 to 2010. Considered the best female golfer of all time, she was ranked No. 1 in the world for 158 weeks (from 2007 to 2010), a record at the time.
Lorena won 27 LPGA Tour titles, including two major championships. She also won four LPGA Player of the Year awards and was known for her precision, consistency, and sportsmanship. Shockingly, she retired in 2010 at just 28 years old,
9. Inbee Park
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- Full name: Inbee Park
- Date of birth: 12 July 1988
- Age: Seoul, South Korea
- Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
Inbee Park professionally began playing golf in 2007 and has since amassed 33 professional wins, including 21 LPGA Tour victories and 7 major championships. She has been the number-one player in the Women's World Golf Rankings for four separate runs.
Park became the youngest winner of the U.S. Women’s Open (2008) at just 19 years old. She dominated the sport in 2013, winning three consecutive majors and securing the LPGA Player of the Year award. In 2016, she made history by winning Olympic gold in Rio.
10. Betsy King
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- Full name: Betsy King
- Date of birth: 13 August 1955
- Age: 69 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Reading, Pennsylvania, United States
Betsy King is a former world No. 1 golfer and one of the most successful players in LPGA history. Throughout her career, she won 34 professional tournaments, including 34 LPGA Tour victories and 6 major championships.
King won LPGA Player of the Year three times (1984, 1989, 1993) and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1995.
Rising female golf stars
These young golfers are making a name for themselves with incredible talent, strong performances, and major tournament wins. They represent the future of women’s golf.
1. Lydia Ko
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- Full name: Dame Lydia Ko
- Date of birth: 24 April 1997
- Age: 27 years old (as of 2024)
- Place of birth: Seoul, South Korea
Lydia Ko is one of the most talented and record-breaking golfers in modern history. She commenced her professional career in 2013 and has won 26 professional tournaments, including 20 LPGA Tour victories and 2 major championships.
Ko became the youngest player ever to win an LPGA event at 15 years old (2012) and later became the youngest world No. 1 at age 17 (2015). She won LPGA Player of the Year in 2015 and 2022. Ko also won an Olympic silver medal in 2016 and a bronze medal in 2021.
2. Nelly Korda
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- Full name: Nelly Korda
- Date of birth: 28 July 1998
- Age: 26 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Bradenton, Florida, United States
Nelly Korda is one of the top-rising players in women’s golf today. She plays on the LPGA Tour, where she has won the LPGA Tour 14 times and reached number one in the Women's World Golf Rankings.
Korda won the gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, making history for Team USA. Her older sister, Jessica Korda, is also a professional golfer and influencer.
3. Ayaka Furue
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- Full name: Ayaka Furue
- Date of birth: 27 May 2000
- Age: 24 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Kobe, Kansai, Japan
Ayaka Furue is also another rising female golfer known for her time on the LPGA. She started playing golf at the age of three and turned professional in 2019. She played on the LPGA of Japan Tour where she has eight wins and currently plays on the LPGA Tour.
Ayaka won her first LPGA Tour championship on 31 July 2022, at the Trust Golf Women's Scottish Open. She won her first major at the 2024 Evian Championship.
4. Atthaya Thitikul
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- Full name: Atthaya Thitikul
- Date of birth: 20 February 2003
- Age: 22 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Ban Pong district, Ratchaburi, Thailand
Atthaya Thitikul turned professional in 2020 and has already won 5 professional tournaments, including 2 LPGA Tour victories. She made history in 2017 by becoming the youngest-ever winner of a professional tournament at just 14 years old on the Ladies European Tour. In 2022, she reached world No. 1 at just 19 years old.
In 2022, Atthaya reached world No. 1 in the women’s golf rankings at only 19 years old. She currently plays on the U.S.-based LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour.
5. Rose Zhang
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- Full name: Rose Zhang
- Date of birth: 24 May 2003
- Age: 21 years old (as of 2025)
- Place of birth: Arcadia, California, United States
Rose Zhang began her professional golf career in May 2023 and won her LPGA Tour debut at the Mizuho Americas Open. Before that, she won the 2020 U.S. Women's Amateur and became the first woman to win the NCAA Division I Championship twice, in 2022 and 2023.
Rose participated in the 2019 U.S. Women's Open and was on the gold medal team at the 2019 Pan American Games.
Who is considered the greatest female golfer of all time?
Many people say Annika Sörenstam is the greatest female golfer ever because she won 72 LPGA tournaments and 10 major championships.
Who is the richest female golfer?
Annika Sörenstam holds the record for the highest career earnings in women's golf, with $22,583,693 from 1994 to 2023.
Which female golfer has won the most tournaments?
Kathy Whitworth holds the record for the most tournament wins in women's golf. She won 88 LPGA Tour titles, the most by any golfer—male or female—in history.
Who are the top 10 female golfers of all time?
Below are the top 10 female golfers of all time are ranked based on their achievements, major wins, and impact on the sport.
- Annika Sörenstam
- Mickey Wright
- Kathy Whitworth
- Patty Berg
- Babe Didrikson Zaharias
- Louise Suggs
- Nancy Lopez
- Karrie Webb
- Lorena Ochoa
- Se Ri Pak
The world of golf is filled with top female golfers, both veterans and rising stars. Legends like Annika Sörenstam, Karrie Webb, and Nancy Lopez have made history with their skill and dedication, inspiring new generations. At the same time, rising stars like Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, and Atthaya Thitikul are shaping the future of the sport with their talent and determination.
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