Sandra Palmer (golfer)

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]

Sandra Palmer
Personal information
Full name	Sandra Palmer
Born	(1943-03-10) March 10, 1943 (age 82) Fort Worth, Texas, U.S.
Height	5 ft 1.5 in (1.56 m)
Sporting nationality	United States
Residence	Sammamish, Washington, U.S.
Career
College	North Texas State University
Turned professional	1964
Former tour(s)	LPGA Tour (1964–1997)
Professional wins	28
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour	19
LPGA of Japan Tour	2
Other	7
Best results in LPGA major championships (wins: 2)
Western Open	T18: 1967
Titleholders C'ship	Won: 1972
Chevron Championship	T10: 1986
Women's PGA C'ship	3rd: 1970, 1974
U.S. Women's Open	Won: 1975
du Maurier Classic	T9: 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 Fame 2023

Amateur career

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

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

LPGA Tour wins (19)

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	Donna Caponi
2	Jun 20, 1971	Heritage Open	−8 (71-70-70=211)	1 stroke	Chako Higuchi
3	May 29, 1972	Titleholders Championship	−1 (71-68-72-72=283)	10 strokes	Judy Rankin Mickey Wright
4	Feb 18, 1973	Pompano Beach Classic	−1 (72-73-70=215)	Playoff	Betty Burfeindt
5	May 19, 1973	St. Paul Open	−7 (70-68-71=209)	1 stroke	Jane Blalock Judy Rankin
6	Aug 26, 1973	National Jewish Hospital Open	−3 (73-69-68=210)	1 stroke	Betty Burfeindt
7	Sep 30, 1973	Cameron Park Open	−7 (73-72-67=212)	2 strokes	Susie Maxwell Gail Toushin
8	Feb 4, 1974	Burdine's Invitational	−3 (70-69-76=215)	Playoff	Kathy Whitworth
9	Oct 21, 1974	Cubic Corporation Classic	−1 (72-72-71=215)	1 stroke	Kathy McMullen
10	Apr 20, 1975	Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle	−5 (70-70-70-73=283)	1 stroke	Kathy McMullen
11	Jul 20, 1975	U.S. Women's Open	[phone]=295)	4 strokes	JoAnne Carner Nancy Lopez (a) Sandra Post
12	Jul 4, 1976	Bloomington Bicentennial Classic	−7 (71-67-71=209)	1 stroke	Laura Baugh JoAnne Carner
13	Aug 29, 1976	National Jewish Hospital Open	−10 (69-70-67=206)	2 strokes	Pat Bradley
14	Sep 5, 1976	Jerry Lewis Muscular Dystrophy Classic	−3 (71-68-74=213)	Playoff	JoAnne Carner Mary Lou Crocker Michelle Walker
15	Mar 27, 1977	Kathryn Crosby/Honda Civic Classic	−7 (70-68-69-74=281)	4 strokes	Hollis Stacy
16	Apr 17, 1977	Women's International	−7 (70-72-69-70=281)	2 strokes	Jane Blalock
17	Feb 1, 1981	Whirlpool Championship of Deer Creek	−8 (66-69-74-75=284)	2 strokes	Amy Alcott
18	Aug 8, 1982	Boston Five Classic	−7 (74-67-71-69=281)	1 stroke	Terri Moody
19	Jun 29, 1986	Mayflower Classic	−8 (68-68-72-72=280)	Playoff	Christa Johnson Jan Stephenson

LPGA Tour playoff record (4–5)

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

• 1970 Tokai Classic
• 1973 TV Shizuoka Central Ladies

Other wins (7)

• 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

Wins (2)

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

See also

• List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins