Judy Rankin

Judy Rankin Personal Information Birth February 18, 1945(1945-02-18) (age 63) St. Louis, Missouri, USAHeight 5 ft3 inNationality United StatesResidence Midland, Texas, USACareer Turned Pro 1962 LPGA wins 26 Career earnings $887,858 Best Results in Major Championships Kraft NabiscoT44: 1983 LPGA Championship2: 1976, 1977 U.S. Women's OpenT2: 1972 du Maurier ClassicT5: 1979 Awards LPGA Vare Trophy1973, 1976, 1977 LPGA Player of the Year1976, 1977 LPGA Tour Money Winner1976, 1977 Golf Writers Association of America Female Player of the Year 1976, 1977 LPGA William and Mousie Powell Award1998 LPGA Patty Berg Award1999 Inducted to World Golf Hall of Fame2000 USGA Bob Jones Award2002

Judy Rankin (born February 18, 1945, St Louis, Missouri) is an American professional golfer.

Rankin won twenty-six events on the LPGA Tour. She topped the money list in 1976 and 1977 and finished in the top ten on the money list eleven times between 1965 and 1979. However, she did not win a major championship; her best finishes were a clear second at the 1976 LPGA Championship and tied seconds at the 1972 U.S. Women's Open and the 1977 LPGA Championship. Rankin did win the Colgate Dinah Shore Winner's Circle in 1976 and the Peter Jackson Classic (later renamed the duMaurier) in 1977, two events that would later be elevated to major status, but they are not counted as majors in the years in which Rankin won.

In 2002, she was voted the Bob Jones Award, the highest honor given by the United States Golf Association in recognition of distinguished sportsmanship in golf.

1 Biography
2 Family
3 Breast cancer
4 LPGA wins (26)
5 See also
6 External links

Biography

At 14-years-old, Rankin won the Missouri Amateur. At 15, she was a low amateur in the U.S. Women's Open. She then turned pro at 17 years of age. She retired at the age of 38 due to chronic back problems.

Rankin was LPGA Player of the Year twice and won the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average three times. Rankin became the first player voted into the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame in 2000 under the veterans category, and she was also inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2000.

Rankin is a golf commentator for the TV networks - ABC and ESPN. She is also a professional advisor for the magazines - Golf Digest and Golf For Women.

Family

Rankin played as Judy Torluemke until she married Yippy Rankin in 1967. They live in Midland, Texas.

Rankin's daughter-in-law's sister is the wife of PGA Tour golfer Geoff Ogilvy.

She is not related to current LPGA player Reilley Rankin.

Breast cancer

Rankin was diagnosed with breast cancer in May, 2006 . She completed treatment by August, 2006 and returned to her on-air work on ABC in time to cover the Women's British Open.

LPGA wins (26)

1968 (1) Corpus Christi Civitan Open
1970 (3) George Washington Golf Classic, Springfield Jaycee Open, Lincoln-Mercury Open
1971 (1) Quality-First Classic
1972 (2) Lady Eve Open, Heritage Village Open
1973 (4) American Defender-Raleigh Classic, Lady Carling Open, Pabst Ladies Classic, GAC Classic
1974 (1) Baltimore Classic
1975 (1) National Jewish Hospital Open
1976 (6) Burdine’s Invitational, Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner’s Circle, Karsten-PING Open, Babe Zaharias Invitational, Borden Classic, Colgate-Hong Kong Open
1977 (5) Orange Blossom Classic, Bent Tree Classic, Mayflower Classic, Peter Jackson Classic, Colgate European Women’s Open
1978 (1) WUI Classic
1979 (1) WUI Classic

Note: Rankin won the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winnder's Circle (now known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship) and the Peter Jackson Classic (which became the du Maurier Classic) before they became major championships.