The LPGA Founders Cup, using different prefixes over the years for sponsorship reasons, began in 2011 in honor of the founders of the LPGA. Its inaugural event was first held at Wildfire Golf Club at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Phoenix, Arizona, in the United States. Since 2021, it has been known as the Cognizant Founders Cup.
For the first time in LPGA history, a special format was used in 2011, and the participants were not paid in cash. Rather, the $1 million tournament purse was split, with half going to charitable organizations selected by the top 10 finishers and the other half to individual charities. For the purposes of the LPGA official money list, each player who made the cut was awarded a percentage of the purse in the form of virtual earnings. However, it replaced the usual prize money distribution from 2012 onwards.
Who won the Cognizant Founders Cup in 2024?
Rose Zhang bested Madelene Sagstrom to win the 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup by two strokes. Zhang finished at the Upper Montclair County Club with a six-under-66, making four birdies in her final five holes to finish at 24 under. Before Zhang's late push, Sagstrom appeared to be coasting to victory at the 12th hole after making her fifth birdie of the day, putting her three strokes ahead.
Swede Sagstrom, who admitted that nerves had impacted her upon bogeying the first, finished as a solo runner-up, while Gabriela Ruffels finished third. Nelly Korda finished tied for seventh on seven under after shooting a one-over par 73 in her final round, missing the opportunity to become the first player to win six straight LPGA Tour titles.
Cognizant Founders Cup Winners List Year-by-Year
The Cognizant Founders Cup winners list year-by-year is as follows:
| Year | Champion | Score | To par | Margin | Purse ($) | Winner's ($) |
| 2024 | Rose Zhang | 264 | −24 | 2 | 3,000,000 | 450,000 |
| 2023 | Ko Jin-young (3) | 275 | −13 | PO | 3,000,000 | 450,000 |
| 2022 | Minjee Lee | 269 | −19 | 2 | 3,000,000 | 450,000 |
| 2021 | Ko Jin-young (2) | 266 | −18 | 4 | 3,000,000 | 450,000 |
| 2020: Canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||
| 2019 | Ko Jin-young | 266 | −22 | 1 | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2018 | Inbee Park | 269 | −19 | 5 | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2017 | Anna Nordqvist | 263 | −25 | 2 | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2016 | Kim Sei-young | 261 | −27 | 5 | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2015 | Kim Hyo-joo | 267 | −21 | 3 | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2014 | Karrie Webb (2) | 269 | −19 | 1 | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2013 | Stacy Lewis | 265 | −23 | 3 | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2012 | Yani Tseng | 270 | −18 | 1 | 1,500,000 | 225,000 |
| 2011 | Karrie Webb | 204 | −12 | 1 | 1,000,000 | 200,000 |
Multiple Cognizant Founders Cup Winners
There have been only two golfers who have won the Cognizant Founders Cup multiple times, with Ko Jin-Young leading with three cups in 2019, 2021 and 2023, while Karie Webb has won it two times in 2011 and 2014.
| Golfers | Wins | Years |
| Karie Webb | 2 | 2011, 2014 |
| Ko Jin-Young | 3 | 2019, 2021, 2023 |
Cognizant Founders Cup Winners by Nationality
South Korea is the country with the most Cognizant Founders Cups, having won six times, followed by Australia with three and the United States with two.
| Nation | Wins |
| South Korea | 6 |
| Australia | 3 |
| United States | 2 |
| Sweden | 1 |
| Taiwan | 1 |
FAQ's On Cognizant Founders
A. The 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup's purse was $3 million, with the winner's share of $450,000.
A. The purse for the Cognizant Founders Cup grew to $3 million in 2021 from $1.5 million in 2019, and so did the winner's share of $225,000 to $450,000.
A. Rose Zhang won the 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup, defeating Madelene Sagstrom by two strokes.
A. The 2024 Cognizant Founders Cup took place at Upper Montclair Country Club in Cliffton, New Jersey, in the United States.
A. Scott Wood is the tournament director of the Cognizant Founders Cup.
