Pat Bradley (golfer) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pat Bradley
Personal information
Born	(1951-03-24) March 24, 1951 (age 74) Westford, Massachusetts, U.S.
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Nationality	United States
Residence	Hyannis, Massachusetts, U.S.
Career
College	Florida International
Turned professional	1974
Former tour(s)	LPGA Tour
Professional wins	36
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour	31
LPGA of Japan Tour	1
Other	5
Best results in LPGA Major Championships (Wins: 6)
Kraft Nabisco C'ship	Won: 1986
LPGA Championship	Won: 1986
U.S. Women's Open	Won: 1981
du Maurier Classic	Won: 1980, 1985, 1986
Women's British Open	DNP
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	1991
LPGA Tour Money Winner	1986, 1991
LPGA Tour Player of the Year	1986, 1991
LPGA Tour Vare Trophy	1986, 1991
GWAA Female Player of the Year	1986
LPGA William and Mousie Powell Award	1991
LPGA Patty Berg Award	2001
NH Golf Hall of Fame	2018

Pat Bradley (born March 24, 1951) is a famous American professional golfer. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1974. During her career, she won 31 tournaments. This includes six major championships in women's golf. Pat Bradley is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Family Background

Pat Bradley was born on March 24, 1951. Her hometown is Westford, Massachusetts. She was the only girl in a family of six children. Her dad, Richard Bradley, loved golf. Her brothers also played golf. One of her brothers, Mark, is a golf professional. His son, Keegan Bradley, won the PGA Championship in 2011. In 1989, the Bradleys were named "Golf Family of the Year." When she was a teenager, Pat was also a skilled ski racer.

Amateur Golf Career

Before turning professional, Pat Bradley was a successful amateur golfer. She won the New Hampshire Amateur golf tournament twice. These wins were in 1967 and 1969. She also won the New England Amateur in 1972 and 1973. Pat played golf for Florida International University in Miami. In 1970, she was named an All-American. This means she was one of the best college players. In 1973, she even tied for twelfth place in an LPGA Tour event. She did this while still an amateur.

Professional Golf Achievements

Pat Bradley started her professional career on the LPGA Tour in 1974. Her first big win came in 1976 at the Girl Talk Classic. She also finished second six times that year. In 1978, she had a great year, winning three tournaments. The early to mid-1980s were her most successful years. She won the most tournaments on the LPGA Tour in 1983 (four wins) and 1986 (five wins).

Her first major championship win was in 1980 at the Peter Jackson Classic. She then won the U.S. Women's Open in 1981. In 1985, she won the du Maurier Classic.

The year 1986 was amazing for Pat Bradley. She won three of the four major LPGA tournaments. These were the du Maurier Classic, the Nabisco Dinah Shore, and the LPGA Championship. She almost won the grand slam of golf. This means winning all four major championships in one year. She finished fifth in the U.S. Women's Open, just three strokes away. That year, she also won the money title. This means she earned the most prize money. She also won the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average.

In 1988, Pat faced a health challenge. She was diagnosed with Graves' disease. This affected her play, but she worked hard to recover. She returned to her top form in 1989, winning again. She added three more wins in 1990.

In 1991, Pat Bradley won four more tournaments. She earned her second money title and scoring title. She was also named the LPGA Tour Player of the Year for the second time. In the same year, she was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. A survey of other LPGA players in 1992 showed how respected she was. They said she was the best at long putts and managing the course. They also called her the best player on tour. Her last LPGA win was in 1995.

Pat Bradley was known for being very mentally tough. She won a total of 31 tournaments on the LPGA Tour. She was only the third woman to complete the LPGA "Career Grand Slam". This means winning all the different major championships over her career. She played for the U.S. team in the Solheim Cup three times (1990, 1992, 1996). She was also the team captain in 2000. In 2018, she was inducted into the New Hampshire Golf Hall of Fame.

Professional Wins (Summary)

Pat Bradley won 31 times on the LPGA Tour. She also won one tournament on the LPGA of Japan Tour. In 2005, she won a Legends Tour event. She also had four other wins in different golf events.

• 1983 Mazda Japan Classic
• 2005 BJ's Charity Championship (with Patty Sheehan; tied with Cindy Rarick and Jan Stephenson)

Other Wins

• 1975 Colgate Far East Ladies Tournament
• 1978 JCPenney Mixed Team Classic (with Lon Hinkle)
• 1989 JCPenney Classic (with Bill Glasson)
• 1992 JCPenney/LPGA Skins Game

Major Championship Wins

Pat Bradley won six major championships during her career. These are some of the most important tournaments in golf.

Year	Championship	Winning score	Margin	Runner-up
1980	Peter Jackson Classic	−15 (65-72-69-71=277)	1 stroke	JoAnne Carner
1981	U.S. Women's Open	−9 (71-74-68-66=279)	1 stroke	Beth Daniel
1985	du Maurier Classic	−10 (70-73-67-68=278)	1 stroke	Jane Geddes
1986	Nabisco Dinah Shore	−8 (68-72-69-71=280)	2 strokes	Val Skinner
1986	LPGA Championship	−11 (67-72-70-68=277)	1 stroke	Patty Sheehan
1986	du Maurier Classic	−12 (73-70-67-66=276)	Playoff1	Ayako Okamoto

¹Won in a sudden-death playoff on the first playoff hole with a birdie.

Major Championship Performance Summary

Pat Bradley played in 96 major championship events. She made the cut in 82 of them. She won 6 major titles. She also finished second 7 times and third 7 times. She had 25 top-5 finishes and 34 top-10 finishes.

• She made 38 consecutive cuts from 1974 to 1987.
• She had a streak of 11 top-10 finishes from 1989 to 1991.

Team Appearances

Pat Bradley also represented the United States in team golf events.

• Solheim Cup (representing the United States): She played in 1990 (winners), 1992, and 1996 (winners). She was the non-playing captain in 2000.
• Handa Cup (representing the United States): She played in many Handa Cup events. The U.S. team won in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2015.

See also

In Spanish: Pat Bradley para niños

• List of golfers with most LPGA Tour wins
• List of golfers with most LPGA major championship wins
• Women's career grand slam