Jennifer Constance Lee Smith (born 2 December 1948) is an English professional golfer, known for winning the inaugural Women's British Open in 1976 at Fulford Golf Club, York, England and later winning the Order of Merit on the Women's Professional Golf Association tour (now Ladies European Tour) in 1981 and 1982.
| Jenny Lee Smith | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Jennifer Constance Lee Smith | ||
| Born | 2 December 1948 Newcastle upon Tyne, England | ||
| Sporting nationality |  England | ||
| Residence | Tenterden, Kent, England[1] | ||
| Career | |||
| Turned professional | 1977 | ||
| Former tour(s) | Ladies European Tour LPGA Tour (1978–1984) | ||
| Professional wins | 12 | ||
| Number of wins by tour | |||
| Ladies European Tour | 10 | ||
| Best results in LPGA major championships | |||
| Chevron Championship | DNP | ||
| Women's PGA C'ship | CUT: 1978 | ||
| U.S. Women's Open | DNP | ||
| du Maurier Classic | DNP | ||
| Achievements and awards | |||
| |||
Lee-Smith was born and raised in Newcastle upon Tyne and started playing golf at a relatively young age. After some success in regional tournaments in the late 1960s and early 1970s, she began to play in international tournaments. She was a member of the Great Britain Curtis Cup team in both 1974 and 1976, represented England in the 1975 European Team Championships, and played for Great Britain & Ireland in the 1976 Espirito Santo Trophy.[2]
In 1976, while still an amateur, Lee-Smith won the inaugural Ladies' British Open (now the Women's British Open).[3] There were only a handful of professional women golfers in the United Kingdom at the time, and the field was mostly made up of amateurs. At the end of the year, she was voted Daks Woman Golfer of the Year along with Tegwen Perkins.[2]
Lee-Smith turned professional in 1977, and qualified for the LPGA Tour that year. The Women's Professional Golf Association was formed in 1978, and Lee-Smith joined the tour for its first year in 1979. She finished 8th on the money list that year, third in 1980, and won the Order of Merit as the leading money winner in both 1981 and 1982. She was voted the 1982 North East Sports Personality Of The Year.
Lee-Smith now resides in Tenterden,[1] Kent, England, with her family. She has three children (Katie, Josh, and Ben) and is married to Sam Lucas.
In 2012, Lee-Smith discovered that she had a twin sister living in Northumberland. Together they co-authored a book My Secret Sister about their experience under her married name of Jenny Lucas with Helen Edwards.[1]
Amateur wins
Professional wins (12)
Ladies European Tour wins (10)
- 1979 Carlsberg Championship – Arcot Hall
- 1980 Volvo International Tournament, Carlsberg Championship – Shifnal, Robert Winsor Productions Championship, Manchester Evening News Pro-Am Classic
- 1981 Sposts Space Championship, McEwan's Lager Welsh Classic, Lambert & Butler Matchplay
- 1982 Ford Ladies Classic
- 1984 British Olivetti Tournament
Other wins (2)
- 1974 Wills International Matchplay Tournament
- 1976 Ladies' British Open (as an amateur)
Team appearances
Amateur
- Curtis Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1974, 1976
- Espirito Santo Trophy (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 1976
- Commonwealth Trophy (representing Great Britain): 1975 (winners)
- European Ladies' Team Championship (representing England): 1975
- Women's Home Internationals (representing England): 1973 (winners), 1974, 1975 (winners), 1976 (winners)
References
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