Meet the LPGA’s seven first-time winners in 2022

Maja Stark became the seventh first-time winner on the LPGA this season with her commanding five-stroke triumph at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland. The victory qualified Stark, a former standout at Oklahoma State, for immediate LPGA membership.

Stark has now won seven times worldwide since turning professional last summer.

Two of the seven first-time winners – Jennifer Kupcho and Ashleigh Buhai – won majors. Last week, Buhai became the 44th player to become a Rolex first-time winner at a major.

The record for most first-time winners in a season is 11, set in 1995. In 2018, there were 10: Jin Young Ko, Pernilla Lindberg, Moriya Jutanugarn, Annie Park, Nasa Hataoka, Thidapa Suwannapura, Georgia Hall, Marina Alex, Nelly Korda and Gaby Lopez.

Here’s a closer look at the seven first timers in 2022:

Jennifer Kupcho – USA

Jennifer Kupcho of the United States celebrates with The Dinah Shore Trophy after winning The Chevron Championship at The Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa on April 3, 2022, in Rancho Mirage, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

The first woman to hoist a trophy at Augusta National became, perhaps, the last woman to take the leap into Poppie’s Pond at the Chevron Championship.

Jennifer Kupcho broke through with her first victory at a major championship and then followed it up victories at the Meijer LPGA Classic and Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, with Solheim Cup partner Lizette Salas.

Leona Maguire – Ireland

Leona Maguire of Ireland imitates a “selfie” as she poses with the trophy after winning the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club on February 5, 2022, in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Leona Maguire headed into the LPGA Drive On Championship in a tie with Marina Alex, and a final-round 67 helped her step into history as the first Irish woman to win on the LPGA.

Maguire led Europe to victory with 4.5 points at the 2021 Solheim Cup. A four-year player at Duke, she spent a record 135 weeks at the top of the World Amateur Golf Ranking.

Nanna Koerstz Madsen – Denmark

Nanna Koerstz Madsen poses with the trophy on the 18th green after winning the final round of Honda LPGA Thailand at Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course on March 13, 2022, in Pattaya, Thailand. (Photo by Thananuwat Srirasant/Getty Images)

Nanna…