View source for Samsung World Championship

{{short description|Golf tournament formerly on the LPGA Tour}}
{{Infobox golf tournament
| name             = Samsung World Championship
| image            = [[File:Samsung World Championship Logo.jpg]]
| location         = [[La Jolla, California]]
| establishment    = 1980
| course           = [[Torrey Pines Golf Course|Torrey Pines]], South Course
| par              = 
| yardage          = 
| tour             = [[LPGA|LPGA Tour]]
| format           = [[Stroke play]]
| purse            = US $1,000,000 (in 2009)
| month_played     = September
| final_year       = <!--Use if no longer played-->
| defunct          = <!--optional-->
| aggregate        = 
| to-par           = 
| current_champion = [[Na Yeon Choi]]
| final_champion   = <!--Use if no longer played-->
}}
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 (business)|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:
*1980: '''World Series of Women's Golf'''
*1981: '''World Championship of Women's Golf'''
*1982-1984: '''Chevrolet World Championship of Women's Golf'''
*1985: '''Nestle World Championship of Women's Golf'''
*1986-1989: '''Nestle World Championship'''
*1990: '''Trophee Urban-World Championship'''
*1991: '''Daikyo World Championship'''
*1992: no tournament
*1993-1994: '''World Championship of Women's Golf'''
*1995-1999: '''Samsung World Championship of Women's Golf'''
*2000-2009: '''Samsung World Championship'''

==2009 participants==
The 2009 championship included 20 players: the previous year's defending champion; the 2008 [[LPGA#LPGA Tour awards|Vare Trophy]] winner; the 2008 [[LPGA#Leading money winners by year|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" [[World Golf Hall of Fame|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:<ref name="samsung08qual">
{{cite web
| title      = The Field For The Samsung World Championship Has Been Finalized; Includes Top LPGA Stars Kerr, Ochoa And Creamer
| publisher  = Samsung World Championship
| date       = September 1, 2009
| url        = http://pages.samsung.com/us/golf/press.html
| access-date = 2009-09-07 }}
</ref>
#[[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

==Winners==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year||Champion||Country||Score||Tournament<br>Location||Purse||Winner's<br>Share
|-
|[[2009 in golf|2009]]|| [[Na Yeon Choi]] || {{KOR}} || 272 (-16) |||Torrey Pines Golf Course, South Course ||$1,000,000 || $250,000
|-
|[[2008 in golf|2008]]|| [[Paula Creamer]] || {{USA}}  || 279 |||Half Moon Bay Golf Links, Ocean Course ||$1,000,000 || $250,000
|-
|[[2007 in golf|2007]]|| [[Lorena Ochoa]] || {{MEX}} || 270 |||Bighorn Golf Club, Canyons Course ||$1,000,000 || $250,000
|-
|[[2006 in golf|2006]]|| [[Lorena Ochoa]]|| {{MEX}} || 272 |||Bighorn Golf Club, Canyons Course ||$875,000 || $218,750
|-
|[[2005 in golf|2005]]||[[Annika Sörenstam]] ||{{SWE}}||270||Bighorn Golf Club, Canyons Course ||$850,000 || $212,500
|-
|[[2004 in golf|2004]]||[[Annika Sörenstam]] ||{{SWE}}||270||Bighorn Golf Club, Canyons Course ||$825,000 || $206,250
|-
|[[2003 in sports#Golf|2003]]||[[Sophie Gustafson]] ||{{SWE}}||274||The Players Club at the Woodlands ||$800,000 || $200,000
|-
|[[2002 in sports#Golf|2002]]||[[Annika Sörenstam]] ||{{SWE}}||266||Hiddenbrooke Golf Club ||$775,000 || $162,000
|-
|[[2001 in sports#Golf|2001]]||[[Dorothy Delasin]] ||{{PHI}}||277||Hiddenbrooke Golf Club ||$750,000 || $157,000
|-
|[[2000 in sports#Golf|2000]]||[[Juli Inkster]] ||{{USA}}||274||Hiddenbrooke Golf Club ||$725,000 || $152,000
|-
|[[1999 in sports#Golf|1999]]||[[Se Ri Pak]] ||{{KOR}}||280||Rush Creek Golf Club ||$700,000 || $150,000
|-
|[[1998 in sports#Golf|1998]]||[[Juli Inkster]] ||{{USA}}||275||Villages in Lady Lake ||$550,000 || $137,000
|-
|[[1997 in sports#Golf|1997]]||[[Juli Inkster]] ||{{USA}}||280||Lakeside Country Club ||$525,000 || $131,000
|-
|[[1996 in sports#Golf|1996]]||[[Annika Sörenstam]] ||{{SWE}}||274||Ildong Lakes Golf Club ||$500,000 || $125,000
|-
|[[1995 in sports#Golf|1995]]||[[Annika Sörenstam]] ||{{SWE}}||282||Paradise Golf Club ||$475,000 || $117,500
|-
|[[1994 in sports#Golf|1994]]||[[Beth Daniel]] ||{{USA}}||274||Naples National Golf Club ||$425,000 || $105,000
|-
|[[1993 in sports#Golf|1993]]||[[Dottie Pepper|Dottie Mochrie]] ||{{USA}}||283||Naples National Golf Club ||$400,000 || $102,500
|-
|[[1992 in sports#Golf|1992]] || colspan="6"|''No tournament''
|-
|[[1991 in sports#Golf|1991]]||[[Meg Mallon]] ||{{USA}}||216||Paradise Palms Golf Club ||$325,000 || $100,000
|-
|[[1990 in sports#Golf|1990]]||[[Cathy Gerring]] ||{{USA}}||278||Cely Golf Club ||$325,000 || $100,000
|-
|[[1989 in sports#Golf|1989]]||[[Betsy King]] ||{{USA}}||275||Stouffer Pineisle Resort ||$265,000 || $83,500
|-
|[[1988 in sports#Golf|1988]]||[[Rosie Jones (golfer)|Rosie Jones]] ||{{USA}}||270||Stouffer Pineisle Resort ||$265,000 || $81,500
|-
|[[1987 in sports#Golf|1987]]||[[Ayako Okamoto]] ||{{JPN}}||282||Stouffer Pineisle Resort ||$250,000 || $81,500
|-
|[[1986 in sports#Golf|1986]]||[[Pat Bradley (golfer)|Pat Bradley]] ||{{USA}}||279||Stouffer Pineisle Resort ||$240,000 || $78,000
|-
|[[1985 in sports#Golf|1985]]||[[Amy Alcott]] ||{{USA}}||274||Stouffer Pineisle Resort ||$200,000 || $65,000
|-
|[[1984 in sports#Golf|1984]]||[[Nancy Lopez]] ||{{USA}}||281||Shaker Heights Country Club ||$200,000 || $65,000
|-
|[[1983 in sports#Golf|1983]]||[[JoAnne Carner]] ||{{USA}}||282||Shaker Heights Country Club ||$200,000 || $65,000
|-
|[[1982 in sports#Golf|1982]]||[[JoAnne Carner]] ||{{USA}}||284||Shaker Heights Country Club ||$150,000 || $50,000
|-
|[[1981 in sports#Golf|1981]]||[[Beth Daniel]] ||{{USA}}||284||Shaker Heights Country Club ||$150,000 || $50,000
|-
|[[1980 in sports#Golf|1980]]||[[Beth Daniel]] ||{{USA}}||280||The Country Club ||$150,000 || $46,500
|}

==Tournament records==
{| class="wikitable"
!Year||Player||Score||Round||Course
|-
|2004|| [[Grace Park (golfer)|Grace Park]] || 62 (-10) || 1st round || Bighorn Golf Club, Canyons Course
|-
|2009|| [[Na Yeon Choi]] || 63 (-9) || 3rd round  || Torrey Pines Golf Course
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://pages.samsung.com/us/golf/ Official website]
*[http://www.lpga.com/tournament_microsite.aspx?id=18459 LPGA official tournament microsite]

{{Former LPGA Tour Events}}

[[Category:Former LPGA Tour events]]
[[Category:Golf tournaments in California]]
[[Category:Samsung Sports]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1980]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2009]]
[[Category:1980 establishments in Ohio]]
[[Category:2009 disestablishments in California]]
[[Category:World championships in golf]]
[[Category:Women's sports in California]]