American professional golfer
Pat Bradley (born March 24, 1951) is an American professional golfer . She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1974 and won 31 tour events, including six major championships . She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame .
Early life and family
Bradley was born on March 24, 1951, in Westford, Massachusetts . She was the only daughter among six children of Richard and Kay Bradley.[ 1] Her father was an avid golfer, and her brothers include Mark, a PGA club professional in Jackson Hole, Wyoming , whose son Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship in 2011 . The Bradleys were named "Golf Family of the Year" in 1989 by the National Golf Foundation .[ 2] As a teenager, she was also an accomplished alpine ski racer .[ 3]
Amateur career
Bradley won the New Hampshire Amateur in 1967 and 1969 and the New England Amateur in 1972 and 1973. As a member of the golf team of Florida International University in Miami , she was named an All-American in 1970.[ 3] In early 1973 , Bradley tied for twelfth as an amateur at the Burdine's Invitational on the LPGA Tour .[ 4] [ 5]
Professional career
Bradley joined the LPGA Tour in 1974 and got her first win at the Girl Talk Classic in 1976 (she also finished second six times that year). Her breakout year was 1978 , when she won three times. Her most fertile years came in the early to mid-1980s. She led the LPGA in wins in 1983 (4) and 1986 (5). Her first major came at the 1980 Peter Jackson Classic , followed by the U.S. Women's Open in 1981 , and the du Maurier Classic in 1985 .[ 4]
In 1986 , Bradley won three of the four LPGA majors - the du Maurier Classic , Nabisco Dinah Shore , and LPGA Championship .[ 6] She finished fifth in the U.S. Women's Open , three strokes back, to narrowly miss the grand slam . Bradley won the money title and Vare Trophy that year, as well. In 1988 , she was diagnosed with Graves' disease , and she played in 17 tournaments but made the cut in only eight. But she returned to form in 1989 , winning once. Three more wins followed in 1990.[ 4]
Bradley won four times in 1991 and captured her second money and scoring titles, and was also named LPGA Tour Player of the Year for a second time. She was also inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame . A New York Times survey of other LPGA Tour players published July 22, 1992 ranked Bradley as the tour's best long putter and best course manager as well as the best player on tour. The last of her LPGA victories came in 1995 .
Sports psychologist Bob Rotella wrote in his 1996 book, Golf Is a Game of Confidence , that Bradley was the most mentally tough athlete he knew. She won a total of 31 tournaments on the LPGA Tour.[ 4] She was the third woman, behind Mickey Wright and Louise Suggs , to have completed the LPGA "Career Grand Slam" . Bradley played on three U.S. Solheim Cup teams (1990, 1992, 1996) and captained the team in 2000. She was inducted into the New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame in 2018.[ 7]
Professional wins
LPGA Tour (31)
Legend
LPGA Tour major championships (6)
Other LPGA Tour (25)
No.
Date
Tournament
Winning score
Margin of victory
Runner(s)-up
1
Jun 6, 1976
Girl Talk Classic
+1 (72-73-72=217)
Playoff
Bonnie Lauer Sandra Post Judy Rankin
2
Jul 10, 1977
Bankers Trust Classic
−6 (75-68-70=213)
2 strokes
JoAnne Carner Carol Mann Kathy Whitworth
3
Jun 25, 1978
Lady Keystone Open
−10 (70-69-67=206)
4 strokes
Jane Blalock
4
Jul 30, 1978
Hoosier Classic
−10 (69-69-68=206)
3 strokes
JoAnne Carner
5
Sep 4, 1978
Rail Charity Classic
−12 (67-66-73-71=276)
4 strokes
Sharon Miller
6
Jul 20, 1980
Greater Baltimore Golf Classic
−13 (69-70-67=206)
1 stroke
Nancy Lopez
7
Aug 10, 1980
Peter Jackson Classic
−15 (65-72-69-71=277)
1 stroke
JoAnne Carner
8
Mar 29, 1981
Women's Kemper Open
E (71-75-68-70=284)
5 strokes
Debbie Massey
9
Jul 26, 1981
U.S. Women's Open
−9 (71-74-68-66=279)
1 stroke
Beth Daniel
10
Jan 30, 1983
Mazda Classic of Deer Creek
−16 (68-69-69-66=272)
7 strokes
Beth Daniel
11
May 22, 1983
Chrysler-Plymouth Charity Classic
−7 (73-73-66=212)
1 stroke
Stephanie Farwig
12
Aug 28, 1983
Columbia Savings Classic
−11 (71-69-70-67=277)
Playoff
Beth Daniel
13
Nov 13, 1983
Mazda Japan Classic
−10 (72-70-64=206)
7 strokes
Laurie Rinker
14
Jun 16, 1985
Rochester International
−8 (74-67-67-72=280)
2 strokes
Nancy Lopez
15
Jul 28, 1985
du Maurier Classic
−10 (70-73-67-68=278)
1 stroke
Jane Geddes
16
Aug 25, 1985
LPGA National Pro-Am
−4 (71-74-71-68=284)
Playoff
Amy Alcott
17
Apr 6, 1986
Nabisco Dinah Shore
−8 (68-72-69-71=280)
2 strokes
Val Skinner
18
Apr 27, 1986
S&H Golf Classic
−16 (69-67-71-65=272)
1 stroke
Janet Coles
19
Jun 1, 1986
LPGA Championship
−11 (67-72-70-68=277)
1 stroke
Patty Sheehan
20
Jul 27, 1986
du Maurier Classic
−12 (73-70-67-66=276)
Playoff
Ayako Okamoto
21
Aug 17, 1986
Nestle World Championship
−9 (72-72-72-63=279)
2 strokes
Betsy King Nancy Lopez
22
Mar 29, 1987
Standard Register Turquoise Classic
−6 (75-74-67-70=286)
2 strokes
Christa Johnson
23
Apr 16, 1989
AI Star/Centinela Hospital Classic
−8 (72 69-67=208)
1 stroke
Nancy Lopez Hollis Stacy
24
Feb 4, 1990
Oldsmobile LPGA Classic
−7 (66-65-74-76=281)
Playoff
Dale Eggeling
25
Mar 25, 1990
Standard Register Turquoise Classic
−12 (70-71-68-71=280)
1 stroke
Ayako Okamoto
26
May 27, 1990
LPGA Corning Classic
−10 (69-70-66-69=274)
3 strokes
Patty Sheehan
27
May 19, 1991
Centel Classic
−10 (70-68-69-71=278)
1 stroke
Ayako Okamoto
28
Sep 3, 1991
Rail Charity Golf Classic
−19 (67-65-65=197)
6 strokes
Danielle Ammaccapane
29
Sep 22, 1991
Safeco Classic
−8 69-67-72-72=280)
Playoff
Rosie Jones
30
Sep 29, 1991
MBS LPGA Classic
−11 (72-70-67-68=277)
1 stroke
Michelle Estill
31
Jan 22, 1995
HealthSouth Inaugural
−5 (71-72-68=211)
1 stroke
Beth Daniel
LPGA Tour playoff record (6–4)
LPGA of Japan Tour (1)
1 Co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour
Legends Tour (1)
Other (4)
Major championships
Wins (6)
1 Won in a sudden-death playoff on the first playoff hole with a birdie.
Results timeline
^ The Women's British Open replaced the du Maurier Classic as an LPGA major in 2001.
Win
Top 10
Did not play
CUT = missed the half-way cut.
DQ = disqualified
"T" = tied
Summary
Most consecutive cuts made – 38 (1974 LPGA – 1987 LPGA)
Longest streak of top-10s – 11 (1989 Kraft Nabisco – 1991 U.S. Open)
Team appearances
Professional
Solheim Cup (representing the United States): 1990 (winners), 1992 , 1996 (winners), 2000 (non-playing captain)
Handa Cup (representing the United States): 2006 (winners), 2007 (winners), 2008 (winners), 2009 (winners), 2010 (winners), 2011 (winners), 2012 (tie, Cup retained), 2013, 2014 (winners), 2015 (winners)
Solheim Cup record
See also
References
^ "Pat Bradley" . Britannica Kids . Retrieved December 27, 2021 .
^ Palm Beach Post , Jupiter resident Keegan Bradley, nephew of Hall of Famer Pat Bradley, is bound for PGA Tour October 19, 2010. Retrieved August 18, 2011.
^ a b Bryant, Ted (December 17, 1973). "Pat Bradley plans professional golf career" . Nashua Telegraph . (New Hampshire). p. 31.
^ a b c d Pat Bradley at about.com
^ "Prentice 1 better in Burdine golf" . St. Petersburg Times . (Florida). Associated Press. January 8, 1973. p. 3C.
^ McDermott, Barry (September 29, 1986). "Now they call her Payday Pat" . Sports Illustrated . p. 82. Archived from the original on July 17, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2013 .
^ Mickey, Lisa D. (October 18, 2018). "Bradley, Blalock to enter New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame" . Legends Tour.
External links
† event won in a playoff; ‡ event won wire-to-wire
† event won in a playoff; ‡ event won wire-to-wire
† event won in a playoff; ‡ winner held lead wire-to-wire; # event won by an amateur; ∞ event won in match-play
† indicates the event was won in a playoff