Has a Woman Ever Played on the PGA Tour?

The PGA Tour is widely accepted as the most lucrative golf tour, which also leads to it being the most competitive golf tour on the planet. While many would assume that the PGA Tour was a men’s only tour, there are in fact no gender requirements for the Tour. As the women’s game has progressed there have been several examples of women being invited to compete in a PGA Tour event, with a few qualifying outright. In all, seven women have competed alongside men on the PGA Tour, and one has made a cut.

Lexi Thompson is the most recent woman to compete in a PGA Tour event. She accepted a sponsor's exemption to play in the 2023 Shriners Children's Open in Las Vegas in October, 2023.

Thompson posted a 2-under par 69 in the second round of the tournament and played quite well overall. She finished the week at even par overall over two rounds, missing the 36-hole cut by two strokes. However, Thompson still be bunch of PGA Tour players over two days, including names such as Tommy Gainey, Peter Malnati, Chez Reavie, Harry Higgs, Kevin Streelman, Russell Knox and Dylan Frittelli.

Prior to Lexi Thompson, the most recent woman to play a PGA Tour event was Brittany Lincicome at the 2018 Barbasol Championship. The 8-time LPGA Tour winner was the first woman to play a men’s event in a decade but got off to a difficult start, shooting a first round 78. She rallied on the second day shooting 1-under par with a score of 71. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for Lincicome to make the cut.

Michelle Wie has played in a record eight PGA Tour events on sponsorship exemptions. The golfing prodigy made a name for herself early, qualifying for the women’s USGA Amateur Championship at 10 and had already made the cut at the U.S. Women’s Open at 13. At 14, Wie was invited to play the 2004 Sony Open, where she shot a second round 68 (the lowest of any woman playing a PGA Tour event) and missed the cut by only one stroke.

It would be the best finish she had in a PGA Tour event, as she failed to make the cut in three more Sony Opens, two John Deere Classics, the 2006 84 Lumber Classic and the 2008 Legends Reno-Tahoe Open, her last PGA Tour Event. However, Wie did make the cut on the Asian Tour, becoming the second woman to do so.

Suzy Whaley was a club professional in Connecticut who qualified for the 2003 Greater Hartford Open by winning the 2002 Connecticut PGA Championship. The qualification came with some controversy as Whaley played the Connecticut PGA Championship from the women’s tees while the men played from the championship tees.

The controversy led to a rule change for all further PGA events that all competitors must play from the same tees. Nevertheless, Whaley still performed well enough in the Greater Hartford Open, carding 75 and 78 to miss the cut.

Whaley, a PGA Professional, later became the President of the PGA of America.

One of the greatest golfers of all time, man or woman, Sorenstam would eventually amass an amazing 72 LPGA Tour wins. She received a sponsor’s invitation to the 2003 Bank of America Colonial, held in Ft. Worth. Sorenstam became the first female golfer in 51 years to compete on the PGA Tour when she teed off with a generally favorable crowd. She ended the first round at +1, though she was tied for first in driving accuracy. She shot a disappointing +4 on the second round and ended up missing the cut. Sorenstam decided she didn’t like the spectacle of playing with men, and subsequently turned down further invitations to compete in other PGA Tour events.

Zaharias shocked fans when she qualified for the 1938 Los Angeles Open. She qualified again in 1945 and became the first woman to make the cut. She made two more cuts 1945, finishing 33rd at the Phoenix Open and 42nd at the Tucson Open. Zaharias played her last PGA Tour event at the 1946 Los Angeles Open where she did not make the cut. She later became one of the LPGA founders and an icon in women's sport.