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Sally Little

Sally Little
Personal information
Born (1951-10-12) 12 October 1951 (age 73)
Cape Town, South Africa
Height5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Sporting nationality South Africa
 United States
Career
Turned professional1971
Former tour(s)LPGA Tour (1971–2005)
Professional wins15
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour15
Best results in LPGA major championships
(wins: 2)
Titleholders C'shipT13: 1972
Chevron ChampionshipT5: 1984
Women's PGA C'shipWon: 1980
U.S. Women's OpenT2/2nd: 1978, 1986
du Maurier ClassicWon: 1988
Women's British OpenDNP
Achievements and awards
LPGA Tour
Rookie of the Year
1971
South African Hall of Fame2016

Sally Little (born 12 October 1951) is a South African-born professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1971 and won 15 LPGA Tour events, including two major championship, during her career. In 2016, she became the first female golfer from South Africa inducted into the South African Hall of Fame.[1]

Personal life

Little was born in Cape Town. As a girl, Gary Player encouraged her to play golf. Little originally resisted but after she broke her leg at the age of 15 golf was the only sport she could play. She began playing golf the following year. Little told the The Plain Dealer, "Gary encouraged me when I was 13, but I didn't listen until I was 16. I broke my leg when I was 15 and could only play golf and became interested."[2]

Amateur career

She was the low individual at the 1970 World Amateur Team Championship and won the South African Match Play and Stroke Play titles that same year. As an amateur, she tied for fifth at the 1971 Lady Carling Open.

Professional career

Little joined the LPGA Tour in 1971 and was named LPGA Rookie of the Year. Her first professional win was at the 1976 Women's International. Little holed a shot from a greenside bunker on the 72nd hole to edge Jan Stephenson by one shot.[3]

Little's best season was 1982, when she finished third on the money list. That year, in August, she also became a United States citizen.

She has won 15 times on the tour, including two major championships, the 1988 du Maurier Classic and the 1980 LPGA Championship.

Awards and honors

  • In 1989, she earned the Ben Hogan Award from the Golf Writers Association of America
  • In 2000, she was recognized during the LPGA's 50th Anniversary in 2000 as one of the LPGA's top-50 players and teachers.

Professional wins

LPGA Tour (15)

Legend
LPGA Tour major championships (2)
Other LPGA Tour (13)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1 9 May 1976 Women's International −7 (71-69-71-70=281) 1 stroke Australia Jan Stephenson
2 19 Mar 1978 Kathryn Crosby/Honda Civic Classic −6 (77-70-70-65=282) Playoff United States Nancy Lopez
3 4 Mar 1979 Bent Tree Classic −10 (72-67-72-67=278) 2 strokes United States Nancy Lopez
4 20 Aug 1979 Barth Classic −8 (68-69-71=208) 1 stroke United States Pat Bradley
5 9 Sep 1979 Columbia Savings Classic −7 (66-71-72=209) 2 strokes United States Beth Daniel
United States Judy Rankin
6 8 Jun 1980 LPGA Championship −3 (69-70-73-73=285) 3 strokes United States Jane Blalock
7 27 Jul 1980 WUI Classic −4 (69-71-69-75=284) 4 strokes United States Amy Alcott
United States Beth Daniel
8 8 Feb 1981 Elizabeth Arden Classic −5 (71-72-72-68=283) Playoff United States JoAnne Carner
United States Judy Rankin
9 2 Mar 1981 Olympia Gold Classic −4 (71-71=142) 1 stroke United States Lori Garbacz
United States Kathy Whitworth
10 3 May 1981 CPC Women's International −1 (73-71-73-70=287) Playoff United States Hollis Stacy
United States Kathy Whitworth
11 15 Mar 1982 Olympia Gold Classic −4 (75-74-69-70=288) 2 strokes United States Donna White
12 4 Apr 1982 Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational −10 (76-67-71-64=278) 3 strokes United States Sandra Haynie
United States Hollis Stacy
13 9 May 1982 United Virginia Bank Classic −11 (72-69-67=208) Playoff United States Kathy Whitworth
14 18 Jul 1982 Mayflower Classic −13 (71-66-70-68=275) 5 strokes United States Beth Daniel
15 3 Jul 1988 du Maurier Classic −9 (74-65-69-71=279) 1 stroke England Laura Davies

Note: Little won the Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational (now known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship) before it became a major championship.

LPGA Tour playoff record (4–2)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 1978 Kathryn Crosby/Honda Civic Classic United States Nancy Lopez Won with par on first extra hole
2 1981 Elizabeth Arden Classic United States JoAnne Carner
United States Judy Rankin
Won with par on third extra hole
Carner eliminated by par on second hole
3 1981 CPC Women's International United States Hollis Stacy
United States Kathy Whitworth
Won with birdie on first extra hole
4 1982 Arizona Copper Classic Japan Ayako Okamoto Lost to birdie on second extra hole
5 1982 United Virginia Bank Classic United States Kathy Whitworth Won with birdie on first extra hole
6 1986 U.S. Women's Open United States Jane Geddes Lost 18-hole playoff (Geddes:71, Little:73)

Major championships

Wins (2)

Year Championship Winning score Margin Runner-up
1980 LPGA Championship −3 (69-70-73-73=285) 3 strokes United States Jane Blalock
1988 du Maurier Classic −9 (74-65-69-71=279) 1 stroke England Laura Davies

Team appearances

Amateur

Professional

  • Handa Cup (representing World team): 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 (tie)

See also

References

  1. ^ "Sally Little First Female Golfer Inducted Into South African Hall of Fame". LPGA. 8 December 2016. Retrieved 9 December 2016.
  2. ^ "Feb 10, 1974, page 61 - The Plain Dealer at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  3. ^ Sand Trap shot wins for Little
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