Donna Caponi

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Donna Caponi
Personal information
Full nameDonna Caponi-Byrnes
Born (1945-01-29) January 29, 1945 (age 80)
Detroit, Michigan, U.S.
Height5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Sporting nationalityFlag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Residence Tampa, Florida, U.S.
SpouseKen Young (1971–81)
Ted Byrnes (2006–)
Career
Turned professional1965
Former tour(s) LPGA Tour (joined 1965)
Professional wins29
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour24
Other5
Best results in LPGA major championships
(wins: 4)
Western Open 21st: 1967
Titleholders C'ship 12th: 1966
Chevron Championship T13: 1985
Women's PGA C'ship Won: 1979, 1981
U.S. Women's Open Won: 1969, 1970
du Maurier Classic 3rd: 1980, 1982
Achievements and awards
World Golf Hall of Fame 2001 (member page)
GWAA Female
Player of the Year
1981
PGA First Lady of
Golf Award [1]
2010

Donna Caponi-Byrnes (born January 29, 1945) is an American LPGA Tour professional golfer. She became a member of the tour in 1965 and won four major championships and 24 LPGA Tour career events. She is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Contents

Amateur career

Caponi was born in Detroit, Michigan. She started playing golf at the age of 5. She learned golf from her father, Harry, and won the Los Angeles Junior title in 1956. She tied for 21st as an amateur at the 1964 Hillside House Ladies' Open on the LPGA Tour.

Professional career

Caponi joined the LPGA Tour in 1965. She won her first tournament in 1969 at the U.S. Women's Open. She is one of 14 players to make the U.S. Women’s Open her first LPGA victory. She would repeat as champion in 1970. Only Mickey Wright had ever won back-to-back U.S. Women's Opens before Caponi, who also matched Wright's 72-hole scoring record of 287. She would go on to win a total of 24 events on the LPGA Tour, including four major championships.

Caponi was named Female Player of the Year by Golf Writers Association of America in 1981. She finished in the top ten on the money list ten times between 1968 and 1981, including second-place finishes in 1976 and 1980. She retired from full-time competition in 1988. She was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001. In 2009, she was the recipient of the PGA First Lady of Golf Award. [1]

She is currently an announcer on the Golf Channel, covering the Champions Tour.

Personal life

From 1971 to 1981, Caponi was married to Ken Young and was known as Donna Caponi Young. After her divorce in 1981, she changed her name back to Donna Caponi. [2] She married her longtime boyfriend Edward "Ted" Byrnes on July 29, 2006, and changed her name to Donna Caponi-Byrnes.

Professional wins (29)

LPGA Tour wins (24)

Legend
LPGA Tour major championships (4)
Other LPGA Tour (20)
No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
1Jun 29, 1969 U.S. Women's Open +2 (74-75-76-69=294)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Peggy Wilson
2Sep 21, 1969 Lincoln-Mercury Open −2 (74-68-72=214)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Kathy Whitworth
3May 24, 1970 Bluegrass Invitational −2 (72-70-72=214)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Mary Mills
4Jul 5, 1970 U.S. Women's Open +3 (69-70-71-77=287)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Sandra Haynie
Flag of the United States.svg Sandra Spuzich
5May 20, 1973 Bluegrass Invitational −3 (72-72-72=216)2 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Sandra Spuzich
6Feb 2, 1975 Burdine's Invitational −8 (70-71-67=208)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Kathy Cornelius
7May 11, 1975 Lady Tara Classic −5 (72-70-72=214)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Gloria Ehret
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sandra Post
8Jun 13, 1976 Peter Jackson Classic −4 (72-73-67=212)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Judy Rankin
9Sep 19, 1976 Portland Classic −2 (72-71-74=217)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Clifford Ann Creed
10Sep 26, 1976 The Carlton −6 (69-69-72-72=282)5 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jane Blalock
Flag of the United States.svg Judy Rankin
11Nov 3, 1976 LPGA/Japan Mizuno Classic −5 (74-71-72=217)4 strokes Flag of Japan.svg Chako Higuchi
12Sep 17, 1978 The Sarah Coventry −10 (72-71-68-71=282)5 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jane Blalock
13Oct 22, 1978 Houston Exchange Clubs Classic −9 (70-68-69=207)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Alexandra Reinhardt
14Jun 10, 1979 LPGA Championship −9 (69-70-70-70=279)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jerilyn Britz
15Mar 23, 1980 LPGA National Pro-Am −2 (71-74-71-70=286)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Nancy Lopez
16Apr 6, 1980 Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle −13 (71-67-66-71=275)2 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Amy Alcott
17May 25, 1980 Corning Classic −7 (66-72-69-74=281)2 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Myra Blackwelder
18Sep 14, 1980 United Virginia Bank Classic −11 (70-67-66-74=277)4 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Nancy Lopez
19Sep 21, 1980 ERA Real Estate Classic −9 (75-68-71-69=283)5 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Shelley Hamlin
20Mar 22, 1981 LPGA Desert Inn Pro-Am −3 (74-75-69-68=286)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Pat Bradley
21Apr 12, 1981 American Defender/WRAL Golf Classic −8 (71-65-72=208)1 stroke Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Cathy Sherk
22Jun 14, 1981 LPGA Championship −8 (69-68-70-73=280)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Jerilyn Britz
Flag of the United States.svg Pat Meyers
23Jul 19, 1981 WUI Classic −6 (71-69-69-73=282)2 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Julie Pyne
24Aug 2, 1981 Boston Five Classic −12 (69-68-68-71=276)6 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jan Stephenson
Note: Caponi won the Peter Jackson Classic (which became the du Maurier Classic) and the Colgate-Dinah Shore Winner's Circle (now known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship) before they became major championships.

LPGA Tour playoff record (3–5)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
11969 Lincoln-Mercury Open Flag of the United States.svg Kathy Whitworth Won with par on first extra hole
21974 Lady Tara Classic Flag of the United States.svg Sandra Spuzich
Flag of the United States.svg Kathy Whitworth
Spuzich won with par on fifth extra hole
Whitworth eliminated by par on third hole
31976 Peter Jackson Classic Flag of the United States.svg Judy Rankin Won with par on first extra hole
41976 Portland Classic Flag of the United States.svg Clifford Ann Creed Won with birdie on second extra hole
51979 Women's Kemper Open Flag of the United States.svg JoAnne Carner
Flag of Japan.svg Chako Higuchi
Flag of the United States.svg Nancy Lopez
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jan Stephenson
Carner won with par on second extra hole
Caponi, Lopez, and Stephenson eliminated by par on first hole
61980 West Virginia LPGA Classic Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Sandra Post Lost to birdie on third extra hole
71981 Florida Lady Citrus Flag of the United States.svg Beth Daniel
Flag of the United States.svg Cindy Hill
Flag of the United States.svg Patti Rizzo
Flag of the United States.svg Patty Sheehan
Daniel won with birdie on second extra hole
Hill, Rizzo, and Sheehan eliminated by par on first hole
81981 Inamori Classic Flag of the United States.svg Amy Alcott
Flag of the United States.svg Hollis Stacy
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jan Stephenson
Stacy won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (5)

Major championships

Wins (4)

YearChampionshipWinning scoreMarginRunner(s)-up
1969 U.S. Women's Open +2 (74-76-75-69=294)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Peggy Wilson
1970 U.S. Women's Open +3 (69-70-71-77=287)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Sandra Haynie, Flag of the United States.svg Sandra Spuzich
1979 LPGA Championship −9 (69-70-70-70=279)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Jerilyn Britz
1981 LPGA Championship −8 (69-68-70-73=280)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Jerilyn Britz, Flag of the United States.svg Pat Meyers

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Ferncroft Country Club, Ferncroft CC Member Donna Caponi-Byrnes Receives PGA First Lady of Golf Award Accessed November 23, 2011.
  2. NY Times News Service, Donna Caponi starting over again August 24, 1981. Accessed November 23, 2011.