Sandra Palmer (golfer)

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Sandra Palmer
Personal information
Full nameSandra Palmer
Born (1943-03-10) March 10, 1943 (age 81)
Fort Worth, Texas
Height5 ft 1.5 in (1.56 m)
Sporting nationality United States
ResidenceSammamish, Washington
Career
CollegeNorth Texas State University
Turned professional1964
Former tour(s)LPGA Tour (1964–1997)
Professional wins28
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour19
LPGA of Japan Tour2
Other7
Best results in LPGA major championships
(wins: 2)
Western OpenT18: 1967
Titleholders C'shipWon: 1972
Chevron ChampionshipT10: 1986
Women's PGA C'ship3rd: 1970, 1974
U.S. Women's OpenWon: 1975
du Maurier ClassicT9: 1982
Achievements and awards
LPGA Tour
Money Winner
1975
LPGA Tour
Player of the Year
1975
GWAA Female
Player of the Year
1975
World Golf Hall of Fame2023

Sandra Palmer (born March 10, 1943) is an American professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1964 and won 19 LPGA Tour events, including two major championships, during her career. She was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2023 and will be inducted in 2024.[1]

Amateur career[edit]

Palmer was born in Fort Worth, Texas, but grew up (and first played golf) in Bangor, Maine. She attended North Texas State University where she was a cheerleader and Homecoming Queen.[2] Palmer attended North Texas State University, where she was runner-up in the 1961 National Collegiate Championship. While at North Texas State, Palmer joined Alpha Delta Pi sorority. She was a four-time winner of the West Texas Amateur and won the Texas State Amateur in 1963.

Professional career[edit]

Palmer turned professional and became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1964. She won 19 events on the Tour, and also several other professional events, including some as a senior. Her two wins in major championships came at the 1972 Titleholders Championship and the 1975 U.S. Women's Open. She topped the money list for 1975 and was awarded the LPGA Player of the Year title. Her ten top-10 finishes on the money list came in ten straight years from 1968 to 1977. She played her last event on the Tour in 1997.

Professional wins[edit]

LPGA Tour wins (19)[edit]

Legend
LPGA Tour major championships (2)
Other LPGA Tour (17)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 May 16, 1971 Sealy LPGA Classic −3 (77-69-72-71=289) 2 strokes United States Donna Caponi
2 Jun 20, 1971 Heritage Open −8 (71-70-70=211) 1 stroke Japan Chako Higuchi
3 May 29, 1972 Titleholders Championship −1 (71-68-72-72=283) 10 strokes United States Judy Rankin
United States Mickey Wright
4 Feb 18, 1973 Pompano Beach Classic −1 (72-73-70=215) Playoff United States Betty Burfeindt
5 May 19, 1973 St. Paul Open −7 (70-68-71=209) 1 stroke United States Jane Blalock
United States Judy Rankin
6 Aug 26, 1973 National Jewish Hospital Open −3 (73-69-68=210) 1 stroke United States Betty Burfeindt
7 Sep 30, 1973 Cameron Park Open −7 (73-72-67=212) 2 strokes United States Susie Maxwell
United States Gail Toushin
8 Feb 4, 1974 Burdine's Invitational −3 (70-69-76=215) Playoff United States Kathy Whitworth
9 Oct 21, 1974 Cubic Corporation Classic −1 (72-72-71=215) 1 stroke United States Kathy McMullen
10 Apr 20, 1975 Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle −5 (70-70-70-73=283) 1 stroke United States Kathy McMullen
11 Jul 20, 1975 U.S. Women's Open +7 (78-74-71-72=295) 4 strokes United States JoAnne Carner
United States Nancy Lopez (a)
Canada Sandra Post
12 Jul 4, 1976 Bloomington Bicentennial Classic −7 (71-67-71=209) 1 stroke United States Laura Baugh
United States JoAnne Carner
13 Aug 29, 1976 National Jewish Hospital Open −10 (69-70-67=206) 2 strokes United States Pat Bradley
14 Sep 5, 1976 Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Classic −3 (71-68-74=213) Playoff United States JoAnne Carner
United States Mary Lou Crocker
England Michelle Walker
15 Mar 27, 1977 Kathryn Crosby/Honda Civic Classic −7 (70-68-69-74=281) 4 strokes United States Hollis Stacy
16 Apr 17, 1977 Women's International −7 (70-72-69-70=281) 2 strokes United States Jane Blalock
17 Feb 1, 1981 Whirlpool Championship of Deer Creek −8 (66-69-74-75=284) 2 strokes United States Amy Alcott
18 Aug 8, 1982 Boston Five Classic −7 (74-67-71-69=281) 1 stroke United States Terri Moody
19 Jun 29, 1986 Mayflower Classic −8 (68-68-72-72=280) Playoff United States Christa Johnson
Australia Jan Stephenson

LPGA Tour playoff record (4–5)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1972 Corpus Christi Civitan Open United States JoAnn Prentice
United States Kathy Whitworth
Prentice won with birdie on tenth extra hole
Whitworth eliminated by birdie on third hole
2 1972 Lady Errol Classic United States Jane Blalock
United States Kathy Whitworth
Blalock won with birdie on third extra hole
3 1973 Pompano Beach Classic United States Betty Burfeindt Won with birdie on first extra hole
4 1973 GNA Classic West Germany Gerda Boykin
United States Judy Rankin
Rankin won with par on third extra hole
Boykin eliminated by par on first hole
5 1974 Burdine's Invitational United States Kathy Whitworth Won with birdie on fifth extra hole
6 1976 Orange Blossom Classic United States JoAnne Carner Lost to par on fourth extra hole
7 1976 U.S. Women's Open United States JoAnne Carner Lost 18-hole playoff (Carner:76, Palmer.:78)
8 1976 Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Classic United States JoAnne Carner
United States Mary Lou Crocker
England Michelle Walker
Won with birdie on third extra hole
Crocker and Walker eliminated by par on first hole
9 1986 Mayflower Classic United States Christa Johnson
Australia Jan Stephenson
Won with birdie on first extra hole

LPGA majors are shown in bold.
Note: Palmer won the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle (now known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship) before it became a major championship.

LPGA of Japan Tour wins (2)[edit]

Other wins (7)[edit]

  • 1972 Angelo's Four-Ball Championship (with Jane Blalock)
  • 1973 Angelo's Four-Ball Championship (with Jane Blalock)
  • 1991 Centel Senior Challenge
  • 1992 Centel Senior Challenge
  • 1993 Sprint Senior Challenge
  • 1994 Sprint Senior Challenge
  • 1995 Sprint Senior Challenge

Major championships[edit]

Wins (2)[edit]

Year Championship Winning score Margin Runners-up
1972 Titleholders Championship −1 (71-68-72-72=283) 10 strokes United States Judy Rankin, United States Mickey Wright
1975 U.S. Women's Open +7 (78-74-71-72=295) 4 strokes United States JoAnne Carner, United States Nancy Lopez (a), Canada Sandra Post

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Padraig Harrington, LPGA founders join '24 Golf Hall of Fame class". ESPN. Associated Press. March 9, 2023.
  2. ^ Sandra Palmer is new Open champ

External links[edit]