Patty Sheehan facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Patty Sheehan
Sheehan in 2008
Personal information
Full name	Patty Sheehan
Born	(1956-10-27) October 27, 1956 (age 68) Middlebury, Vermont, U.S.
Height	5 ft 3 in (1.60 m)
Nationality	United States
Residence	Santa Barbara, California, U.S.
Spouse	Rebecca Gaston
Career
College	University of Nevada San Jose State University
Turned professional	1980
Current tour(s)	Legends Tour
Former tour(s)	LPGA Tour (1980–2006)
Professional wins	41
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour	35
Ladies European Tour	1
LPGA of Japan Tour	3
Other	4
Best results in LPGA Major Championships (Wins: 6)
Kraft Nabisco C'ship	Won: 1996
LPGA Championship	Won: 1983, 1984, 1993
U.S. Women's Open	Won: 1992, 1994
du Maurier Classic	2nd: 1990
Women's British Open	DNP
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame	1993
LPGA Rookie of the Year	1981
LPGA Tour Player of the Year	1983
LPGA Vare Trophy	1984
GWAA Female Player of the Year	1984, 1993
LPGA Patty Berg Award	2002
Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year	1987
Broderick Award	1980

Patty Sheehan (born October 27, 1956) is an American professional golfer. She joined the LPGA Tour in 1980. She won six major golf championships and 35 LPGA Tour events in total. Patty is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Patty also hosts the Patty Sheehan & Friends tournament. This event is part of the Legends Tour. It helps raise money for charities that support women and children in Northern Nevada.

Patty's Early Life and Amateur Golf Career
Patty's Professional Golf Career
- Winning Major Championships
Patty's Professional Wins
Major Championships Won
Team Appearances
- Amateur Teams
- Professional Teams
Images for kids
See also

Patty's Early Life and Amateur Golf Career

Patty Sheehan was born in Middlebury, Vermont. When she was 13, she was one of the best junior snow skiers in the country. She went to Earl Wooster High School in Reno, Nevada.

She won three Nevada high school championships from 1972 to 1974. She also won three Nevada State Amateur titles from 1975 to 1978. Patty won the California Women's Amateur Championship twice, in 1977 and 1978.

In 1979, she was the runner-up at the U.S. Women's Amateur. The next year, she became the national individual intercollegiate golf champion for the AIAW. She was also part of the 1980 U.S. Curtis Cup team, winning all four of her matches. She received the Broderick Award in 1980.

Patty studied at the University of Nevada and San Jose State University. She is honored in both the Collegiate Golf Hall of Fame and the National High School Hall of Fame.

Patty's Professional Golf Career

Patty Sheehan became a professional golfer and joined the LPGA Tour in 1980. In 1981, she earned the LPGA Rookie of the Year award. Her first professional win was at the Mazda Japan Classic.

She had a very strong run in the 1980s. She won four times in both 1983 and 1984. During these years, she also won the LPGA Championship twice. She was named LPGA Tour Player of the Year in 1983. In 1987, Sports Illustrated recognized her as a Sportsman of the Year.

In 1989, Patty faced a personal challenge when her home was destroyed by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. In 1990, she had a tough loss in the 1990 U.S. Women's Open. She had a big lead but lost the tournament to Betsy King.

Winning Major Championships

Patty started the 1990s with five wins in 1990. She won the U.S. Women's Open in 1992 and again in 1994. She also won the Mazda LPGA Championship in 1995. Her final LPGA victory was the Nabisco Dinah Shore in 1996.

In 1993, she won her 30th tournament, which qualified her for the LPGA Hall of Fame. From 1982 to 1993, she was always in the Top 10 on the LPGA money list. She finished second five times during this period. When she won the U.S. Women's Open and the Women's British Open in 1992, she was the first golfer to win both in the same year.

Patty played on the U.S. Solheim Cup team five times (1990, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2002). She was also the team captain in 2002 and 2003.

Patty Sheehan has a partner, Rebecca Gaston, and they have two children. In June 2020, she was named among fifty heroes by Queerty. This was in honor of the 50th anniversary of the first LGBTQ Pride parade. She was recognized for helping to lead the nation toward equality and acceptance for all people.

Patty's Professional Wins

Patty Sheehan has won 41 professional tournaments.

LPGA Tour Wins (35)

Legend
LPGA Tour major championships (6)
Other LPGA Tour (29)

No.	Date	Tournament	Winning score	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up
1	Nov 8, 1981	Mazda Japan Classic	−9 (73-69-71=213)	4 strokes	Beth Daniel
2	Apr 25, 1982	Orlando Lady Classic	−7 (70-69-70=209)	Playoff	Kathy Postlewait
3	Sep 26, 1982	Safeco Classic	−12 (68-69-69-70=276)	1 stroke	JoAnne Carner
4	Oct 3, 1982	Inamori Classic	−12 (68-70-69-69=276)	4 strokes	Joyce Kazmierski
5	May 29, 1983	Corning Classic	−16 (70-70-69-63=272)	8 strokes	Cindy Hill
6	Jun 12, 1983	LPGA Championship	−9 (68-71-74-66=279)	2 strokes	Sandra Haynie
7	Aug 14, 1983	Henredon Classic	−16 (65-70-71-66=272)	4 strokes	JoAnne Carner
8	Sep 26, 1983	Inamori Classic	−7 (68-70-71=209)	2 strokes	Juli Inkster
9	Feb 5, 1984	Elizabeth Arden Classic	−8 (71-68-69-72=280)	2 strokes	Sherri Turner
10	Jun 3, 1984	LPGA Championship	−16 (71-70-63-68=272)	10 strokes	Pat Bradley Beth Daniel
11	Jun 10, 1984	McDonald's Kids Classic	−7 (65-72-74-70=281)	2 strokes	Amy Alcott
12	Aug 12, 1984	Henredon Classic	−11 (67-70-72-68=277)	1 stroke	JoAnne Carner Dot Germain
13	Feb 10, 1985	Sarasota Classic	−10 (69-71-72-66=278)	1 stroke	Nancy Lopez
14	Apr 21, 1985	J&B Scotch Pro-Am	−13 (67-65-71-72=275)	2 strokes	Alice Miller
15	Feb 9, 1986	Sarasota Classic	−9 (68-69-71-71=279)	3 strokes	Pat Bradley Juli Inkster
16	Feb 26, 1986	Kyocera Inamori Classic	−10 (69-71-68-70=278)	1 stroke	Pat Bradley
17	Apr 23, 1986	Konica San Jose Classic	−4 (71-70-71=212)	Playoff	Amy Alcott Betsy King Ayako Okamoto
18	Feb 14, 1988	Sarasota Classic	−6 (71-72-72-67=282)	3 strokes	JoAnne Carner
19	Nov 2, 1988	Mazda Japan Classic	−10 (72-67-67=206)	Playoff	Liselotte Neumann
20	Jun 4, 1989	Rochester International	−10 (68-73-66-71=278)	Playoff	Ayako Okamoto
21	Jan 21, 1990	The Jamaica Classic	−1 (69-68-75=212)	3 strokes	Pat Bradley Lynn Connelly Jane Geddes
22	Jun 10, 1990	McDonald's Championship	−9 (70-67-68-70=275)	1 stroke	Pat Bradley Elaine Crosby
23	Jun 24, 1990	Rochester International	−17 (72-64-68-67=271)	4 strokes	Amy Alcott
24	Sep 9, 1990	Ping-Cellular One Golf Championship	−8 (70-71-67=208)	1 stroke	Danielle Ammaccapane
25	Sep 16, 1990	Safeco Classic	−18 (69-65-66-70=270)	9 strokes	Deb Richard
26	Feb 23, 1991	Orix Hawaiian Ladies Open	−9 (68-69-70=207)	3 strokes	Pat Bradley
27	Jun 28, 1992	Rochester International	−19 (70-65-63-71=269)	9 strokes	Nancy Lopez
28	Jul 5, 1992	Jamie Farr Toledo Classic	−4 (70-73-66=209)	1 stroke	Brandie Burton Heather Drew Tammie Green Deb Richard
29	Jul 26, 1992	U.S. Women's Open	−4 (69-72-70-69=280)	Playoff	Juli Inkster
30	Mar 21, 1993	Standard Register PING	−17 (70-70-65-70=275)	5 strokes	Dawn Coe-Jones Kris Tschetter
31	Jun 13, 1993	Mazda LPGA Championship	−9 (70-72-69-68=279)	1 stroke	Lauri Merten
32	Jul 21, 1994	U.S. Women's Open	−7 (66-71-69-71=277)	1 stroke	Tammie Green
33	Jun 18, 1995	Rochester International	−10 (73-66-69-70=278)	4 strokes	Sherri Steinhauer
34	Sep 17, 1995	Safeco Classic	−14 (68-65-70-71=274)	2 strokes	Emilee Klein
35	Mar 31, 1996	Nabisco Dinah Shore	−7 (71-72-67-71=281)	1 stroke	Meg Mallon Kelly Robbins Annika Sörenstam

LPGA majors are shown in bold.

Ladies European Tour Wins (1)

1992 (1) Weetabix Women's British Open

Note: Sheehan won the Women's British Open before it became a major championship.

LPGA of Japan Tour Wins (3)

1981 (1) Mazda Japan Classic¹
1988 (1) Mazda Japan Classic¹
1992 (1) Daikin Orchid Ladies

¹Co-sanctioned by the LPGA Tour

Legends Tour Wins (3)

2002 Copps Great Lakes Classic
2005 BJ's Charity Championship (with Pat Bradley; tie with Cindy Rarick and Jan Stephenson)
2006 World Ladies Senior Open

Other Wins (1)

1994 JCPenney/LPGA Skins Game

Major Championships Won

Patty Sheehan won 6 major championships.

Year	Championship	Winning score	Margin	Runner(s)-up
1983	LPGA Championship	−9 (68-71-74-66=279)	2 strokes	Sandra Haynie
1984	LPGA Championship	−16 (71-70-63-68=272)	10 strokes	Pat Bradley, Beth Daniel
1992	U.S. Women's Open	−4 (69-72-70-69=280)	Playoff¹	Juli Inkster
1993	Mazda LPGA Championship	−9 (70-72-69-68=279)	1 stroke	Lauri Merten
1994	U.S. Women's Open	−7 (66-71-69-71=277)	1 stroke	Tammie Green
1996	Nabisco Dinah Shore	−7 (71-72-67-71=281)	1 stroke	Meg Mallon, Kelly Robbins, Annika Sörenstam

¹In an 18-hole playoff, Sheehan 72, Inkster 74.

Team Appearances

Patty Sheehan has played on several golf teams.

Amateur Teams

Curtis Cup (representing the United States): 1980 (winners)

Professional Teams

Solheim Cup (representing the United States): 1990 (winners), 1992, 1994 (winners), 1996 (winners), 2002 (non-playing captain, winners), 2003 (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)

Images for kids

Patty Sheehan in 2008