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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]
| Sally Little | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||
| Born | 12 October 1951 Cape Town, South Africa | ||||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||||
| Sporting nationality |  South Africa United States | ||||
| 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 | |||||
| |||||
Little was born in Cape Town. As a girl, Gary Player encouraged her to play golf. Little originally resisted but after she broke her leg at the age of 15 golf was the only sport she could play. She began playing golf the following year. Little told the The Plain Dealer, "Gary encouraged me when I was 13, but I didn't listen until I was 16. I broke my leg when I was 15 and could only play golf and became interested."[2]
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.[3]
Little's best season was 1982, when she finished third on the money list. That year, in August, she also became a United States citizen.
She has won 15 times on the tour, including two major championships, the 1988 du Maurier Classic and the 1980 LPGA Championship.
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- In 1989, she earned the Ben Hogan Award from the Golf Writers Association of America
- In 2000, she was recognized during the LPGA's 50th Anniversary in 2000 as one of the LPGA's top-50 players and teachers.
LPGA Tour (15)
| 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 |  Jan Stephenson |
| 2 | 19 Mar 1978 | Kathryn Crosby/Honda Civic Classic | −6 (77-70-70-65=282) | Playoff |  Nancy Lopez |
| 3 | 4 Mar 1979 | Bent Tree Classic | −10 (72-67-72-67=278) | 2 strokes | Nancy Lopez |
| 4 | 20 Aug 1979 | Barth Classic | −8 (68-69-71=208) | 1 stroke | Pat Bradley |
| 5 | 9 Sep 1979 | Columbia Savings Classic | −7 (66-71-72=209) | 2 strokes | Beth Daniel Judy Rankin |
| 6 | 8 Jun 1980 | LPGA Championship | −3 (69-70-73-73=285) | 3 strokes | Jane Blalock |
| 7 | 27 Jul 1980 | WUI Classic | −4 (69-71-69-75=284) | 4 strokes | Amy Alcott Beth Daniel |
| 8 | 8 Feb 1981 | Elizabeth Arden Classic | −5 (71-72-72-68=283) | Playoff | JoAnne Carner Judy Rankin |
| 9 | 2 Mar 1981 | Olympia Gold Classic | −4 (71-71=142) | 1 stroke | Lori Garbacz Kathy Whitworth |
| 10 | 3 May 1981 | CPC Women's International | −1 (73-71-73-70=287) | Playoff | Hollis Stacy Kathy Whitworth |
| 11 | 15 Mar 1982 | Olympia Gold Classic | −4 (75-74-69-70=288) | 2 strokes | Donna White |
| 12 | 4 Apr 1982 | Nabisco Dinah Shore Invitational | −10 (76-67-71-64=278) | 3 strokes | Sandra Haynie Hollis Stacy |
| 13 | 9 May 1982 | United Virginia Bank Classic | −11 (72-69-67=208) | Playoff | Kathy Whitworth |
| 14 | 18 Jul 1982 | Mayflower Classic | −13 (71-66-70-68=275) | 5 strokes | Beth Daniel |
| 15 | 3 Jul 1988 | du Maurier Classic | −9 (74-65-69-71=279) | 1 stroke |  Laura Davies |
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 | Nancy Lopez |
Won with par on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1981 | Elizabeth Arden Classic | JoAnne Carner Judy Rankin |
Won with par on third extra hole Carner eliminated by par on second hole |
| 3 | 1981 | CPC Women's International | Hollis Stacy Kathy Whitworth |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 4 | 1982 | Arizona Copper Classic |  Ayako Okamoto |
Lost to birdie on second extra hole |
| 5 | 1982 | United Virginia Bank Classic | Kathy Whitworth |
Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 6 | 1986 | U.S. Women's Open | Jane Geddes |
Lost 18-hole playoff (Geddes:71, Little:73) |
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Wins (2)
| Year | Championship | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | LPGA Championship | −3 (69-70-73-73=285) | 3 strokes | Jane Blalock |
| 1988 | du Maurier Classic | −9 (74-65-69-71=279) | 1 stroke | Laura Davies |
Amateur
- Espirito Santo Trophy (representing South Africa): 1970
Professional
- Handa Cup (representing World team): 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 (tie)
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