Location La Jolla, California | Established 1980 | |
 | ||
Prize fund US $1,000,000 (in 2009) | ||
The Samsung World Championship was an annual golf tournament played between 1980 and 2009, for professional female golfers on the LPGA Tour. It was a limited field event, open by invitation only.
The tournament was founded in 1980 by Mark McCormack, founder of the sports management firm IMG, originally with the world's top-12 LPGA players. The field was increased to 16 players in 1996 and to 20 in 1999. Electronics manufacturer Samsung became the title sponsor in 1995.
Tournament names through the years:
2009 participants
The 2009 championship included 20 players: the previous year's defending champion; the 2008 Vare Trophy winner; the 2008 LPGA Money Winner; the winners of the four 2009 women's major golf championships: the Kraft Nabisco Championship, McDonald's LPGA Championship, U.S. Women's Open, and Women's British Open; the leading player from the Ladies European Tour in 2009; one sponsor's exemption selected by the championship selection committee; the leading "active" LPGA Hall of Fame member on the LPGA Official Money List in 2009; and the top money winners on the LPGA Tour from the 2009 season.
The 2009 participants listed in order of qualification or invitation:
- Paula Creamer - Defending Champion
- Lorena Ochoa - 2008 Vare Trophy Winner, 2008 LPGA Money Leader
- Brittany Lincicome - Winner of 2009 Kraft Nabisco Championship
- Anna Nordqvist - Winner of 2009 LPGA Championship
- Eun-Hee Ji - Winner of 2009 U.S. Women's Open
- Catriona Matthew - Winner of 2009 Ricoh Women's British Open
- Juli Inkster - Sponsor's Exemption
- Cristie Kerr - LPGA Money Leader
- Sophie Gustafson - LET Order of Merit Leader
- Karrie Webb - Leading Active LPGA Hall of Fame Member
- Jiyai Shin - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Ai Miyazato - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- In-Kyung Kim - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Yani Tseng - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Suzann Pettersen - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Angela Stanford - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Kristy McPherson - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Na Yeon Choi - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Lindsey Wright - Qualified from LPGA Money List
- Song-Hee Kim - Qualified from LPGA Money List