Total of 131 million dollars (over 1.4 billion Swedish kronor) is at stake during this year's LPGA tour season, which begins this week with the Tournament of Champions in Lake Nona, Florida.
This includes tournament winners from the past two years, so both Linn Grant and Linnea Ström will make their season debut on what is normally Annika Sörenstam's home course outside Orlando.
Six other Swedish players, including 24-year-old debutant and former amateur world number one Ingrid Lindblad, have playing rights on the LPGA tour, where it's not small change that's at stake. This year's 131 million dollars represents a 90 percent increase from 2021, when the total prize money was 69 million.
"Not been possible"
Lydia Ko, who won both the Olympic Games and the British Open last year, pays tribute to the 13 pioneers who founded the tour in 1950.
They sometimes had to fight to get out on the golf courses, to then get paid, and then it has developed into what it is now. It would not have been possible without them, and we are of course grateful that they paved the way for us, says the 27-year-old New Zealander according to the LPGA tour.
During the first LPGA tour season in 1950, Babe Zaharias earned the most - a modest 14,800 dollars. When Annika Sörenstam, for the first time of seven, won the money list in 1997, she broke the one million dollar barrier as only the second player. Four years later, the blue and yellow legend became the first to earn more than two million dollars in a season.
"Our responsibility"
But it's only in recent times that the prize money has taken off, even though the gap to the men's side has increased at the same time.
We are grateful that we now get to play on some of the most historic courses and for the largest prize money that women's golf has seen, like when Jeeno (Thitikul) won four million dollars in the Tour Championship last year, says Lydia Ko, who hopes that the development continues.
It is our responsibility to have the same spirit as the founders - and leave the tour in a better place than where we found it.
The eight Swedish players with age and career earnings.
+ Anna Nordqvist, 37 years, 146.5 million kronor.
+ Madelene Sagström, 32 years, 49.6 million kronor.
+ Maja Stark, 25 years, 29.7 million kronor.
+ Linn Grant, 25 years, 28.6 million kronor.
+ Linnea Ström, 28 years, 18.7 million kronor.
+ Frida Kinhult, 25 years, 8 million kronor.
+ Dani Holmqvist, 36 years, 6.9 million kronor.
+ Ingrid Lindblad, 24 years, debutant.
