The 1978 LPGA Tour was the 29th season since the LPGA Tour officially began in 1950. The season ran from February 10 to November 12. The season consisted of 34 official money events. Nancy Lopez won the most tournaments, nine. She also led the money list with earnings of $189,814.
There were four first-time winners in 1978: Janet Coles, Shelley Hamlin, Nancy Lopez, and Michiko Okada. Lopez was the first (and as of 2011, only) player to be named LPGA Rookie of the Year and LPGA Player of the Year in the same year. She won 48 LPGA events in her career.
The tournament results and award winners are listed below.
Tournament results
The following table shows all the official money events for the 1978 season.[1] "Date" is the ending date of the tournament. The numbers in parentheses after the winners' names are the number of wins they had on the tour up to and including that event. Majors are shown in bold.
| Date | Tournament | Location | Winner | Score | Purse ($) | 1st prize ($) |
|---|
| Feb 12 | American Cancer Society Classic | Florida |  Debbie Austin (6) | 212 (-4) | 50,000 | 7,500 |
| Feb 20 | Orange Blossom Classic | Florida | Jane Blalock (17) | 212 (-4) | 60,000 | 9,000 |
| Feb 26 | Bent Tree Classic | Florida | Nancy Lopez (1) | 289 (-1) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Mar 12 | Sunstar Classic | California | Nancy Lopez (2) | 285 (-3) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Mar 19 | Kathryn Crosby/Honda Civic Classic | California | .svg.png) Sally Little (2) | 282 (-6) | 150,000 | 22,500 |
| Apr 2 | Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle | California |  Sandra Post (2) | 283 (-5) | 240,000 | 36,000 |
| Apr 16 | Birmingham Classic | Alabama | Hollis Stacy (4) | 207 (-9) | 60,000 | 9,000 |
| Apr 23 | American Defender Classic | North Carolina | Amy Alcott (5) | 206 (-10) | 55,000 | 8,250 |
| Apr 30 | Natural Light Lady Tara Classic | Georgia | Janet Coles (1) | 211 (-8) | 75,000 | 11,250 |
| May 8 | Women's International | South Carolina |  Jan Stephenson (3) | 283 (-5) | 80,000 | 12,000 |
| May 14 | Greater Baltimore Classic | Maryland | Nancy Lopez (3) | 212 (-7) | 65,000 | 9,750 |
| May 21 | Coca-Cola Classic | New Jersey | Nancy Lopez (4) | 210 (-3) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| May 29 | Golden Lights Championship | New York | Nancy Lopez (5) | 277 (-11) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Jun 4 | Peter Jackson Classic | Canada | JoAnne Carner (21) | 278 (-14) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Jun 11 | LPGA Championship | Ohio | Nancy Lopez (6) | 275 (-13) | 150,000 | 22,500 |
| Jun 18 | Bankers Trust Classic | New York | Nancy Lopez (7) | 214 (-5) | 75,000 | 11,250 |
| Jun 25 | Lady Keystone Open | Pennsylvania | Pat Bradley (3) | 206 (-10) | 50,000 | 7,500 |
| Jul 3 | Mayflower Classic | Indiana | Jane Blalock (18) | 209 (-7) | 75,000 | 11,250 |
| Jul 9 | Wheeling Classic | West Virginia | Jane Blalock (19) | 207 (-9) | 75,000 | 11,250 |
| Jul 16 | Borden Classic | Ohio | JoAnne Carner (22) | 209 (-7) | 85,000 | 12,750 |
| Jul 23 | U.S. Women's Open | Indiana | Hollis Stacy (5) | 289 (+5) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Jul 30 | Hoosier Classic | Indiana | Pat Bradley (4) | 206 (-10) | 60,000 | 9,000 |
| Aug 6 | Colgate European Open | England | Nancy Lopez (8) | 289 (-7) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Aug 13 | WUI Classic | New York | Judy Rankin (25) | 283 (-9) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Aug 20 | Lady Stroh's Open | Michigan | Sandra Post (3) | 286 (-2) | 150,000 | 22,500 |
| Aug 27 | Patty Berg Classic | Minnesota | Shelley Hamlin (1) | 208 (-11) | 75,000 | 11,250 |
| Sep 4 | Rail Charity Classic | Illinois | Pat Bradley (5) | 276 (-12) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Sep 10 | National Jewish Hospital Open | Colorado | Kathy Whitworth (80) | 211 (-5) | 60,000 | 9,000 |
| Sep 17 | The Sarah Coventry | California | Donna Caponi (12) | 282 (-10) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Oct 1 | Golden Lights Championship | California | Jane Blalock (20) | 276 (-12) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
| Oct 15 | Civitan Open | Texas |  Silvia Bertolaccini (2) | 213 (-3) | 75,000 | 11,250 |
| Oct 22 | Houston Exchange Clubs Classic | Texas | Donna Caponi (13) | 207 (-9) | 50,000 | 7,500 |
| Nov 3 | Mizuno-Japan Classic | Japan |  Michiko Okada (1*) | 216 (-6) | 125,000 | 18,750 |
| Nov 12 | Colgate Far East Open | Malaysia | Nancy Lopez (9) | 216 (E) | 100,000 | 15,000 |
* - non-member at time of win