LPGA Rookie of the Year Winners

The LPGA's rookie of the year award was first handed out in 1962. Today, its official title is Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year. Not surprisingly, the list of winners belows includes some very big names — including a double-digit number of LPGA rookies of the year who went on to earn Hall of Fame membership.

List of LPGA Rookie of the Year Winners

Here is the list of winners, from most-recent back to the very first:

2023 — Hae Ran Ryu
2022 — Atthaya Thitikul
2021 — Patty Tavatanakit
2020 — not awarded
2019 — Jeongeun Lee6
2018 — Jin Young Ko
2017 — Sung Hyun Park
2016 — In Gee Chun
2015 — Sei Young Kim
2014 — Lydia Ko
2013 — Moriya Jutanugarn
2012 — So Yeon Ryu
2011 — Hee Kyung Seo
2010 — Azahara Munoz
2009 — Jiyai Shin
2008 — Yani Tseng
2007 — Angela Park
2006 — Seon-Hwa Lee
2005 — Paula Creamer
2004 — Shi-Hyun Ahn
2003 — Lorena Ochoa
2002 — Beth Bauer
2001 — Hee-Won Han
2000 — Dorothy Delasin
1999 — Mi Hyun Kim
1998 — Se Ri Pak
1997 — Lisa Hackney
1996 — Karrie Webb
1995 — Pat Hurst
1994 — Annika Sorenstam
1993 — Suzanne Strudwick
1992 — Helen Alfredsson
1991 — Brandie Burton
1990 — Hiromi Kobayashi
1989 — Pamela Wright
1988 — Liselotte Neumann
1987 — Tammie Green
1986 — Jody Rosenthal (Anschutz)
1985 — Penny Hammel
1984 — Juli Inkster
1983 — Stephanie Farwig
1982 — Patti Rizzo
1981 — Patty Sheehan
1980 — Myra Van Hoose (Blackwelder)
1979 — Beth Daniel
1978 — Nancy Lopez
1977 — Debbie Massey
1976 — Bonnie Lauer
1975 — Amy Alcott
1974 — Jan Stephenson
1973 — Laura Baugh
1972 — Jocelyne Bourassa
1971 — Sally Little
1970 — JoAnne Carner
1969 — Jane Blalock
1968 — Sandra Post
1967 — Sharron Moran
1966 — Jan Ferraris
1965 — Margie Masters
1964 — Susie Maxwell (Berning)
1963 — Clifford Ann Creed
1962 — Mary Mills

LPGA Rookie of the Year Winners Who Became Hall-of-Famers

As noted at the top, the number of Rookie of the Year Award winners on the LPGA Tour who later became Hall-of-Famers is now in double-digits. Twelve golfers, to be exact, have so far followed up their LPGA rookie of the year award with Hall-of-Fame careers. Those golfers are:

• Susie Maxwell Berning
• Joanne Carner
• Jan Stephenson
• Amy Alcott
• Nancy Lopez
• Beth Daniel
• Patty Sheehan
• Juli Inkster
• Annika Sorenstam
• Karrie Webb
• Se Ri Pak
• Lorena Ochoa

And clearly, there are already multiple golfers who've won the award after Ochoa who are likely to eventually be honored with World Golf Hall of Fame membership and/or LPGA Hall of Fame membership.

Related articles:

• PGA Tour Rookie of the Year Winners
• European Tour Rookie of the Year Winners
• LPGA Player of the Year Winners

Photo credit: Jin Young Ko via @go_jinyoung_go/Instagram.