The main professional golf tour for women is the American-based Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), which runs a series of weekly events for the world's elite female golfers between February and December each year.

The LPGA was founded in 1950 by a group of 13 women and is now the oldest ongoing women's professional sports organisation in the USA.

The majority of LPGA tour events take place in America, although a number are hosted by other countries. The 2009 Tour has three events scheduled in Mexico as well as one each in Canada, China, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Japan, France and England. The Evian Masters in France and the Women's British Open are co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET).

There are four annual Majors on the LPGA tour, unlike the LET which only has two recognised Majors. The Women's British Open is a Major on both Tours, while the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the USLPGA Championship and the US Women's Open complete the LPGA Majors line-up.

All official LPGA tournaments are part of a play-off system leading to the Stanford Financial Tour Championship. The LPGA tour schedule is divided into two halves, with 15 players from each half qualifying for the Tour Championship based on their performance. Two wild-card selections are also made. The winner of the Tour Championship takes home $1 million.

Each year there are awards given out for the Player of the Year, the lowest scoring player and the Rookie of the Year (the best first-year player on the Tour). Mexico's Lorena Ochoa picked up the best and lowest scoring player awards in 2008, while Yani Tseng of China won the rookie award.