Sally Little | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Personal information | |||||
Born | Cape Town, South Africa | 12 October 1951||||
Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||
Sporting nationality | ![]() ![]() | ||||
Career | |||||
Turned professional | 1971 | ||||
Former tour(s) | LPGA Tour (1971–2005) | ||||
Professional wins | 15 | ||||
Number of wins by tour | |||||
LPGA Tour | 15 | ||||
Best results in LPGA major championships (wins: 2) | |||||
Titleholders C'ship | T13: 1972 | ||||
Chevron Championship | T5: 1984 | ||||
Women's PGA C'ship | Won: 1980 | ||||
U.S. Women's Open | T2/2nd: 1978, 1986 | ||||
du Maurier Classic | Won: 1988 | ||||
Women's British Open | DNP | ||||
Achievements and awards | |||||
|
Sally Little (born 12 October 1951) is a South African-born professional golfer. She became a member of the LPGA Tour in 1971 and won 15 LPGA Tour events, including two major championship, during her career. In 2016, she became the first female golfer from South Africa inducted into the South African Hall of Fame. [1]
Little was born in Cape Town. She became a United States citizen in August 1982.
She was the low individual at the 1970 World Amateur Team Championship and won the South African Match Play and Stroke Play titles that same year. As an amateur, she tied for fifth at the 1971 Lady Carling Open.
Little joined the LPGA Tour in 1971 and was named LPGA Rookie of the Year. Her first professional win was at the 1976 Women's International. Little holed a shot from a greenside bunker on the 72nd hole to edge Jan Stephenson by one shot. [2]
Little's best season was 1982, when she finished third on the money list. She has won 15 times on the tour, including two major championships, the 1988 du Maurier Classic and the 1980 LPGA Championship. She was awarded the 1989 Ben Hogan Award from the Golf Writers Association of America and was recognised during the LPGA's 50th Anniversary in 2000 as one of the LPGA's top-50 players and teachers.
Legend |
LPGA Tour major championships (2) |
Other LPGA Tour (13) |
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9 May 1976 | Women's International | −7 (71-69-71-70=281) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
2 | 19 Mar 1978 | Kathryn Crosby/Honda Civic Classic | −6 (77-70-70-65=282) | Playoff | ![]() |
3 | 4 Mar 1979 | Bent Tree Classic | −10 (72-67-72-67=278) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
4 | 20 Aug 1979 | Barth Classic | −8 (68-69-71=208) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
5 | 9 Sep 1979 | Columbia Savings Classic | −7 (66-71-72=209) | 2 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
6 | 8 Jun 1980 | LPGA Championship | −3 (69-70-73-73=285) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
7 | 27 Jul 1980 | WUI Classic | −4 (69-71-69-75=284) | 4 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
8 | 8 Feb 1981 | Elizabeth Arden Classic | −5 (71-72-72-68=283) | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
9 | 2 Mar 1981 | Olympia Gold Classic | −4 (71-71=142) | 1 stroke | ![]() ![]() |
10 | 3 May 1981 | CPC Women's International | −1 (73-71-73-70=287) | Playoff | ![]() ![]() |
11 | 15 Mar 1982 | Olympia Gold Classic | −4 (75-74-69-70=288) | 2 strokes | ![]() |
12 | 4 Apr 1982 | Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational | −10 (76-67-71-64=278) | 3 strokes | ![]() ![]() |
13 | 9 May 1982 | United Virginia Bank Classic | −11 (72-69-67=208) | Playoff | ![]() |
14 | 18 Jul 1982 | Mayflower Classic | −13 (71-66-70-68=275) | 5 strokes | ![]() |
15 | 3 Jul 1988 | du Maurier Classic | −9 (74-65-69-71=279) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
Note: Little won the Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational (now known as the Kraft Nabisco Championship) before it became a major championship.
LPGA Tour playoff record (4–2)
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1978 | Kathryn Crosby/Honda Civic Classic | ![]() | Won with par on first extra hole |
2 | 1981 | Elizabeth Arden Classic | ![]() ![]() | Won with par on third extra hole Carner eliminated by par on second hole |
3 | 1981 | CPC Women's International | ![]() ![]() | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
4 | 1982 | Arizona Copper Classic | ![]() | Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
5 | 1982 | United Virginia Bank Classic | ![]() | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
6 | 1986 | U.S. Women's Open | ![]() | Lost 18-hole playoff (Geddes:71, Little:73) |
Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
---|---|---|---|---|
1980 | LPGA Championship | −3 (69-70-73-73=285) | 3 strokes | ![]() |
1988 | du Maurier Classic | −9 (74-65-69-71=279) | 1 stroke | ![]() |
Amateur
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